stray cat gets on my nerves

[alfie1118]

Hello. this is first time posting. I have one cat. she is 5 months. just recently, there has been a cat that has been showing up. not sure if she is stray or neighbors. she is very odd. she sometimes plays with my cat, but i can tell my cat gets annoyed with her. she comes in eats a lot of food. she'll push my cat away to eat her food. i have two bowls out. she'll eat both, uses my cat liter a lot. she'll be comfy until i walk or get near her. she'll run away like a bat out of hell. its almost like she's afraid i will kick her. maybe someone kicked her in the past. my point is i don't want her cuz she stinks up my house and my cat seems really bothered by her, but its not like i can pick her up and put her outside cuz she will just run under the bed. then when she finally goes outside, i feel bad cuz its so cold. i knocked on both neighbors doors, but no answer. she's lying down with me now. she's fine when i am laying down, but the minute i get up, she will scatter. i found her on my kitchen counter which really made me mad.

[Lilith]

Hi there. Well, it seems you have two options with this intruder. You can keep letting her in or not let her in.

However, although you say you don't want her, you've let her get a clawhold, and now she's becoming dependent on you.

I've had them too and they've moved in and honestly it hasn't been too bad. They settle. Yes, all cats stink up the house sometimes and they do irritating things like getting up on the counters - your own kitten will. That's cats for you lol.

If you really can't do with her, is there some way you can give her shelter and food outside - people provide sheds, dog kennels, even weighted-down polyboxes for strays, and feed them outside.

Also, if you can get her to a vet, they will give her a free check for a microchip - and if there is one, they, or a shelter, will keep her until the owner's been contacted; they have a duty to return her to whoever got her chipped, which might free you of your unwanted guest, and also there might be an owner out there missing her and wanting her back.

It's a difficult situation when a cat wants you I know and I hope you find a solution here - all the best!

[ChingfordPetRescue]

Hi Alfie, it sounds like you need to do a bit more work to track down this cats owner (time consuming I know) and if you are able to you can put a paper collar on her with your phone number - if she is going back to her owners in the day this will help you find them.
And then get your local animal shelter involved.

These are the steps to take when we find a cat. The whole process can take up to a month:

1- Take to vets to see if microchipped (free) or see if someone local to you has a chip scanner they can bring round
2- Paper collar
3- Speak to neighbours, put posters up, post in your local Lost Pets facebook group,
4- If after exhausting all possible means to find her owner you don't want to keep her contact your local animal shelter to put her on the waiting list

In the meantime if you don't want her in the house provide a sheltered place outside for her to eat and keep an eye on her over the weeks.