Cheeky Cat Conundrum

[exlibris]

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting. I have a dilemma and I hope you can help. We have a black cat who visits us regularly whom we having creatively named BC (i.e. Black Cat). Throughout the summer he’s been here every day. We’ve left the back door open every day so our 2 cats can enjoy the garden (we don’t have a cat flap) which is how we came to discover that BC had been wondering in daily, snaffling quite a bit of food and sleeping on our pool table. This is partially my fault. I’d seen a few cats in our garden (dubbed ‘BC’, ‘Socks’, ‘Blondie’ and ‘Greebo’), so I’d left out cat biscuits as I thought at least 1 would be a stray. Due to BC’s apparent desperation for food and shelter we assumed him to be a stray, so we semi-encouraged him because we hoped that we could acclimatise our cats to him before winter – we were going to adopt him.
After a series of paper collars failed to throw up some owners we were all ready to take him to be neutered and chipped. But my partner, wisely, wanted to be completely sure. So we leafleted the local area with a description and photo (not easy because a black cat has few distinguishing features). Voila! Before I’d even got back to the house I got a phone call the owners of ‘Salem’, BC’s real name. They gave a great description of him and his personality and have asked us not to feed or encourage him as “he’s a bit of a wanderer”.
Dutifully we’ve shooed him away and stopped feeding him. BUT he knows exactly when food will be about and comes and meows at the back door. He slips in and makes a beeline for the pool table. The most brazen thing he’s doing is squeezing through the open window of our computer room upstairs while we’re sitting there!
BC still acts like he’s desperate for food and shelter. Is this an elaborate cat con? This cat sure knows how to turn on the charm. My partner has seen him sitting at the back of the garden when it’s been raining rather than going home. This suggests creature that is reluctant to go home. However, he appears to be healthy and well fed. My experience has always been with house cats (we’ve only had a house with a garden for 2 years and our cat’s are both 13), so I don’t know if this is normal behaviour for a young unneutered male who has spent his life free to roam, and is quite happy to get as many free dinners as possible.
Should we be worrying about this? I don’t want to deprive a cat in need, but we do already have 2 cats who are unhappy to have a new housemate. Can anyone comment on this behaviour? Do you have your own bold BC and can offer a different perspective? Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Meandmymunki]

Un neutered cats will always to roam and if you can contact his owners again they need to accept responsibility for him and neuter and chip him and then keep him indoors for a few weeks to teach him where home is again.
I do rescue and had an unneutered male take up residence in my garden and coming in the house upsetting my cats. After failing to trace owner (even though I'm in no doubt he has one) I eventually got him neutered and gradually he stopped coming round as his hormones faded.

[exlibris]

Un neutered cats will always to roam and if you can contact his owners again they need to accept responsibility for him and neuter and chip him and then keep him indoors for a few weeks to teach him where home is again.
I do rescue and had an unneutered male take up residence in my garden and coming in the house upsetting my cats. After failing to trace owner (even though I'm in no doubt he has one) I eventually got him neutered and gradually he stopped coming round as his hormones faded.

It's awkward - he DOES need neutering. I felt like saying something when the owners phoned, but I think they are 'old-school' cat owners. I've spoken to people around here who are passionately again neutering as they don't really understand what's involved. I know they care about Salem.
Thanks for responding, it does sound like he's not needy, just a victim of his hormones.

My partner was concerned about him sitting in the rain hunched up. He wasn't seeking shelter, but it wasn't raining hard. Do you think there's anything to be concerned about?

[Crewella]

I can understand your concern, but it sounds as though the only thing this cat lacks is an owner who will get him neutered. One of my cats actually likes sitting out in the rain!

Personally, in your position I'd contact the owners again to tell them he keeps coming back (in spite of the fact that you have stopped feeding him), and suggest neutering as a way of stopping him roaming so much - they might be more likely to go for it if you put it that way, you never know!

[Mollysmummy]

Whilst I agree that he does need neutering, I had a cat who lived to the ripe old age of 20 as an indoor/outdoor cat. He was neutered and massively loved at home, but we found out in a similar fashion that he was visiting at least 2 houses on the street playing the starving cat card!!

Therefore he may just be a roamer, and if you ignore him in time he will realise he won't get food from you any more.

[Hunnybunny]

Old school or not it is completely irresponsible to have an un neutered cat roaming the streets!!

If a cat turns up in my area un neutered then I WILL neuter it as i will not have mine and other responsible owners cats put at risk by irresponsible owners. FIV/FeLV, bites, abscesses, spraying are all a massively increased by having an un neutered male in the area. Slam them with a whopping vets bill for abscess draining, cleaning and AB's when it happens because it will happen and see how they like that responsibility!!!!!

I'd personally have him to the vets, get them whipped off and back out. These owners won't even pay enough attention to this cat to even notice!!!