Cat Chat Feline Forum

We are wondering if anyone can help us. We have a stray cat that has been visiting us and our neighbour for a number of months now, and we are trying to find somewhere with the space to take him and possibly re-home him.

We are sure the cat is a stray, we have put his picture on numerous social network sites for a while (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), we have also asked in the local area to see if anyone has any info and tried various other suggestions from the cats protection league. We believe that an older neighbour who has since gone into a home may have been letting him into her house and feeding him. Unfortunately although the cat is friendly and loves a fuss he is also very wary so we have been unable to catch him to check him out properly (although if we have to think we could entice him with food into a carrier). He has no visible identification. We have been feeding him for a couple of weeks now as it became apparent how thin he had become.

Obviously with winter months approaching soon we are keen to try and find him somewhere, unfortunately my neighbour is unable to take him in due to severe allergies and we probably would have looked after him but already have a cat who is not happy when he is about.

We have asked about some of the more local rescue centres (we are in Dereham, Norfolk) who unfortunately are full at the moment. I'm waiting on replies to a few emails I've sent out and I've also posted about it on Facebook.

If you feel you can help or offer any advice let me know, I would be very grateful.

Bless you for caring for this beautiful ginger boy. Check out the rescues for your area listed on Catchat, there may be one or two you have missed. Please put him on the waiting list of all local rescues. It will likely be months before a place comes up but you still have time before it gets too cold and if, in the meantime, you are able to rehome him you can take him off the list.


Could you ask a local rescue to borrow a trap so you can get him to a vet and check for chip and have him neutered if he isn't already?

Please do not try to rehome via free sites as this is fertile hunting ground for people looking for cats to use as bait for dog fighting.

is that an outdoor kennel you have provided for him in that picture?

if you don't find an owner, there are lots of things you could do to keep him healthy through the winter whilst living outdoors, and you may find that after time your cat will get used to seeing him around and will not put up much of a fuss if he comes indoors eventually

getting him neutered is a must though, unless you find he has already been done

He pretty much is living in the confines of mine and my neighbours garden and there's no sign of spraying so we think that he may well have been done already (if he turns out to be a she there's been no wailing banshee act). It's my neighbours little girls wendy house in that pic which he tends to curl up in when it's wet.

We did say that if we cannot place him by the end of August we would buy an outdoor cat kennel (one of the mr snugs ones) for him but we would have to put it just outside of the gate between the two gardens as my cat would probably take up residence in it. From what my neighbour was saying he had seen him around before Christmas so chances are he is used to the outdoor life. The kennel would just be for peace of mind really to know he has a dry and warm place to curl up at night and during cold days, until he gets placed somewhere.

I've emails about 14 different homes listed for this area, I'm waiting on a couple of replies and a call back but no luck so far.