Cat at work .

[Maxine]

Hello i work in a care home and for the past ten days a kitten has appeared every evening once it gets dark . im unsure if its a stray , feral , or just lost . It sits in the conservatory every evening as the nightstaff are always here . i feed it although im unsure if i should . it is always hungry but is in very good condition . im concerned that it needs to be neutered if its female also . It was scared of us at first but its trusting us a little more now but doesnt like to be picked up . i dont know what to do but the thought of it bein homeless upsets me . i made it a little waterproof box with a blanket to shelter in during day hid in some bushes round back of garden but i have no idea where it goes all day i never see it during daylight hours . i live in the northeast and work at mbro . are there any charities that can help .. i believe the rspca will only come out for injured animals . i would pay to get it picked up and neutered . im also worried it may already have a home but in my opinion its too young to be out alone . advice please xx

[Jacks]

I would suggest you need to get a paper collar on the kitten with your phone number and ask the owner to call you as you need to know whether she or he has a home. If this is going to be too difficult, I would pick up a cheap QUICK RELEASE collar (not stretchy) and put a tag on it again saying is this your kitten please give me a call as we are concerned as he/she keeps coming for food in the evenings. Hopefully if there is an owner they will replay or at least take the collar off, which in itself will be a sign.

It could be that the little one is let out at night and has got into the routine of being fed by you, but it is always possible that he or she has become lost, in which case a vet trip to check for a chip will be in order if there is no contact from an owner. If the kitten allows his or herself to be touched and doesn't seem afraid of humans it's unlike they are truly feral.

In the meantime do carry on feeding this kitten. Even though the kitten could well have a home - cats are amazingly good at appearing starving if there's food around - if he or she is lost or alone food is very important and you want them to keep coming until a home (and neutering, whether male or female) can be arranged.

[Maxine]

Thanks so much for the reply I have fed kitty tonight and left a bowl of fresh water in the garden and arranged for him/her to be fed by a work colleague on my day off 2m . I will try the paper collar on Monday evening and continue to feed the little mite for now x