Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hello All,

About a month ago, a young cat "found" me. She (I think...) roams the neighbourhood, and does not have a collar or tag. No one that I know of has outdoor cats in this area, but one would think they would collar them.

I don't believe her to be feral, as she is too friendly. I feed her and she rolls around in the grass and meows. I am no expert, but she looks healthy enough, and her coat is in good condition, but I do notice that she breathes at a rapid pace, but I do live in a hot climate.
I want to pet her, and interact with her more than I do, but I am afraid of fleas, and I have an indoor cat, and do not want to spread anything to him.
People have seen me feeding her, and have not said anything, and I have heard tell of someone driving through the area dumping out kittens. To my knowledge, she doesn't belong to anyone.

Another issue - next door has started raising birds--outside, as a hobby. This is probably what is attracting this cat here... he is a nasty person, and constantly does everything he can to irritate me, but I show no emotion. I would not put it past him to harm this cat in the interest of his birds.
That being said, I have started to feed her on the other side of the house, away from his sight, hoping that she will stick to this area.

I would very much like to adopt this cat, but I know it is so difficult to do when there is already a cat in the house (7 years)... not to mention the fact that I live with others, and have been told "no more cats".

I suppose the most humane thing to do would be to take it to the no-kill shelter in hopes for adoption, she is very sweet... and I know that cats are better off as indoor pets, but does anyone have a possible solution or suggestions? I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for looking after her.

I am guessing by the fact you live in a hot climate, you aren't from the UK, which is where I live. Here, cats are frequently let out and it is more common to microchip a cat than put a collar on them due to the dangers inherent in collars on cats, it could be that she has an owner that has a similar mindset.

My advice would be to first of contact a no kill shelter and see if they can come out and scan her for a microchip or take her in for scanning yourself, that might answer all the questions and possibly reunite an escaped pet with a distraught owner. If she isn't chipped they might also be able to advertise her as a found cat to see if an owner comes forward.

If no owner comes forward then you have to decide whether to risk trying to keep her. If you have been told no more cats by a landlord then it might be worth talking to them if you explain the situation they might agree for you to have her, if the dictate about no more cats comes from people you share the house with then again it would be worth talking it through. In my opinion the worst thing to do would be to give her a home and then be told she has to go, it would be heartbreaking for both of you.

As for the resident cat, you would only find out if it would work when you tried it. Cats are remarkably adaptable and aren't the loners that many think. Sometimes when you introduce a new cat to a household they can become real friends, others will learn to accept each other and share as long as they aren't competing for food, sleeping space etc. Some however never get on, it is rare but it does happen and in that case the kindest thing is to hand the newer cat to a no kill shelter so she can find a suitable new home.

In the end whatever you decide, she is being looked after now and will be in the future either by yourself or another owner rather than being left to fend for herself on the streets.

Hi there thanks for caring for this little cat. I too live in a hot climate. Agree with Ruth’s comments. I’ve posted about Cat Netting - is an outside enclosed area possible...just a thought. This would keep the cat & birds safe. Vivian

Thank you Ruth and Vivian for your replies.
Yes, I live in Florida actually, and the heat is already bad. I am trying to keep this little one hydrated, and in the shade...

I completely forgot about microchips.I will have to wait until Monday to contact the shelter.
If she doesn't have an owner, I might as well give her up. I am concerned about the old geezer next door. It will be a hard thing to do because for some reason, I feel attached to this one already. I know, though, that this particular shelter is very good...I have been a donor for some time.

I suppose I should think on it some...

Thank you again