How can I help a stray cat

[94bruin]

This is a strange stray cat question: it possible to "adopt" a stray cat without officially adopting it? There is a white cat that likes to come to our yard, almost on cue at dinner. Whenever we see her though our front window, we'll remark that "Snowy" is in our yard.

Last night, we walked back to our house from Back to School night. Snowy was on the sidewalk right before our house. She walked toward us. DH kept walking as he's NOT a fan of cats. I stopped and the cat brushed up against my leg. She then started following us (DH was trying to get away, lol!) but stopped right at the pathway to our house as we continue around to the side of the house. When I looked out the front window, she was laying at the same spot where I saw her stop.

I think she's a stray as she initially had mangled/matted hair, but it looked okay last night. I did not see a collar on her last night.

DH thinks I'm crazy as three out of the four of us has allergies. I don't think I'd even be able to pick it up to take it to a vet to see if she's okay as I'm one of the ones who has an allergy. Is there anything I can do to make sure she's okay. She doesn't look skinny (there are a lot of rodents in our town). But what if she has fleas? Can stray cats harbor any other problems? Am I crazy for wanting to take on a stray cat? I'm not even sure what I'd be getting into as we've never owned anything bigger than guinea pigs. Please educate me!

I know I should just let her be, but it was so cute last night when she brushed up against my leg!

[trcy]

I wouldn't 'half' adopt her, it's not fair to the cat. I would either fully adopt her or contact a rescue that can find her a proper home.


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[mmsmom]

Many towns and/or SPCA's have feral cat programs where they trap them, vaccinate, spay/neuter then return them to where they were trapped. I would see if there is a program like this in your area.

[94bruin]

Okay, I knew it was just a fantasy. :-) I'll see if I can find anything locally to help her (or him!)

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[LBW]

If her hair was matted before and isn't now, she may not be a stray. First I'd ask around to see if any of the neighbors own her or know her owners.

If she is a stray, and you want to help her out, you could provide food, water, and shelter outdoors. (Google cheap ideas for outdoor cat shelters.) If you want to bring her indoors, I'd recommend trying to get her to a vet to have her checked out and vaccinated.

If she sticks around, you should also consider having her spayed, or you may soon have more than one cat hanging around!
http://www.alleycat.org/our-work/trap-neuter-return/

[trcy]

Many towns and/or SPCA's have feral cat programs where they trap them, vaccinate, spay/neuter then return them to where they were trapped. I would see if there is a program like this in your area.

I, personally, am not a fan of these programs. These cats are still at risk for injury, illness & hunger. Also, free roaming cats have a major impact on wildlife.


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[TwinFoxes]

Well stray cats can have rabies, but it does not sound like s/he does.

Since she's friendly, and has gotten cleaner, I'd bet she's not a stray. Some people are really lax about their cats. So many people post on our neighborhood FB page about their cats going missing "she's not wearing a collar but she answers to BooBoo." We have foxes all over our neighborhood...

How good is your shelter? Ours is very good, very low-kill. If you trust your shelter, give them a call. If not, try a cat rescue. They should be able to determine if she's homeless or not. Good luck, I think it's admirable that you care. :)

[ABO Mama]

Just don't leave food out. You can attract all kinds of wildlife, including raccoons and skunks.

[mackmama]

I wouldn't 'half' adopt her, it's not fair to the cat. I would either fully adopt her or contact a rescue that can find her a proper home.


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I agree with this. I'd contact your whole local humane society or SPCA to ask if they have a feral cat program.

[niccig]

If she's looking better, she's probably not a stray. Our cat doesn't wear a collar because it makes noise at night as she's roaming the house. We try to not have her go outside, as we have coyotes in our neighborhood, but she slips out sometimes. Maybe ask around. If she is a stray, contact a cat rescue. We adopted a cat from a local rescue who had been with a foster family for 18 months - she didn't do well at public adoptions, but is very friendly and affectionate.

[Globetrotter]

Something similar happened to me. A scrawny looking cat kept coming to my garage. We are not pet people so I didn't know what to do, and at first I shooed it out but then realized it didn't seem to have a home. So I called a friend who is a cat lover. She gave me some cat food because she wanted me to lure the cat back so she could take it. There was no identification. I also sent out messages on our next-door website and our neighborhood watch groups and circulated it locally. A cat rescue person called me so she coordinated with my cat lover friend. I can't remember the details now, but it turned out it was probably abandoned by someone who moved away :(

OP, since it looked like the cat was cleaned, I'm guessing it's a neighborhood cat and so I would try to find the owner locally and then call the cat rescue.