Stray Cats

[PETsMARTchick]

I've been trying to save stray animals all my life, especially cats. All the cats I've ever had were either strays or just needed a good home. So when I see a cat without a collar and tags wandering the streets I just want to grab it up and take it home or to the humane society where someone else can take it home. But is that what's for the best? To bring them to the humane society where they might find a great home or...be put to sleep . Or should I just leave them alone to try to make it until they starve, freeze, get hit by a car, or have the chance to make more homeless kitties? What's the best thing to do?Just want your guys opinion because I'm so confused!!

P.S. If you have an outside cat please spay/neuter it and make sure it has a collar w/ tags!!!!

 

[steppy104]

i'd say take it in. cuz if it's sick or something, at least the humane society will know (right?)

i took in a stray once...very sweet tom cat. we already had a girl cat that we had had since before i was born. i feel so bad now, cuz that stray cat ended up sick, and passed it on to our cat. i can't get over the fact that if i had just left him alone, we could've had our cat for longer....she was old, but happy and healthy...till i brought that outsider in.
i thought i was doing something good, by bringing in this poor homeless cat. i never knew i'd end up killing the one i already had.
i wouldn't want the same thing happen to someone else....i'd say take them in to the humane.

 

[n00bie]

Our area humane society is absolutely USELESS. The last couple stray we've seen around were Linus....(He's in the "MY KITTIES" post) and a tiny little thing that both crawled into our recess cellar windows to hide from the elements. The little one we got it's shots and check-up and put an ad in the paper for someone to come get it. Turns out a nice family with 2-3 very respectful young kids and the kitty is in a wonderful home. Linus, the one we kept has turned out to be honestly the BEST pet ever. When we got him, he would only come out from under the bed IF it was either my wife or myself and we had to have a blanket near us (hence the name Linus). He's 14 pounds and runs around the house like a kitten. WE've have him for a year and a half and it's been just like watching a child develop. He cuddles, plays and has actually learned what upstairs means (bedtime) what bacon is (knows by the sound and actually drools) and what paper means (he plays with crumpled up paper/tapeballs).


and speak of the devil, he just literally slithered down to the basement to visit me (we just moved our living room down to renovate and he's not sure what to think of it yet).


SO long winded story short, it's a tough call because both that we decided to take in have become wonderful family members. If it's a no-kill shelter I hope they will welcome these potential great pets with open arms, but if it's a case of a non-cooperative shelter, I say just do what you can and hope for the best....so far it's worked for us.

edit since the post above....

Both we took in, were checked by a vet first...so it's good advice to either first take to humane society or to local vet before you introduce it to your own.

 

[Sorrell]

Humane society hands down whether it is no-kill or not. If you let a stray stay a stray it will only prepetuate the problem. One cat becomes many cats in a years time. Stray cats spread diseases, overpopulate, and will probably die young in an unfortunate way.

If a cat is taken to the humane society, they are in a safe place with food and water and have a chance of finding a good home. Even if they are put down it will be done in a humane way.

Personally, I don't like no-kill shelters, especially the one's that do not use foster homes. As a behaviorist, I have worked with many shelters and some no-kill's have had the same animals in cages for years. Not healthy on the body or mind. And hate to clue some people in, but many no-kill shelters will relinquish their animals to a traditional shelter after a period of time to have them put down. There is simply not enough homes in the world for all of the strays, and it is not fair for the animals to live their lives in cages.

edit: forgot to add, many shelters will let the citizen who surrenders the animal have the option of taking it back should it's time run out. If there is a cat that you are attached to, you could take it in, let it try for a new home and then have the option of adopting it yourself.

 

[Nina7777]

Funny you should ask this question!

I was just faced with this predictament and I still am!
I took in a stray cat two weeks ago. SHe turned out to be the sweetest kitty i've ever met but she is also pregnant! So now we are expecting kittens! The unfortunate thing though is she doesn't get along with my other cat who's 14 years old. So now i have the decision of to keep her or to not keep her once the kittens are born.


But in answer to your question, i think the right thing to do is to take them in. and if you can't keep them as your own, then to find a NO-KILL shelter that will take them. The streets are just too dangerous for kitties!

I hate it when people have indoor outdoor cats. They aren't meant to go outside, in these busy times of the world unless you live in the country somewhere!

 

[rykitten]

Hi Petsmartchick,

My advice would be to go with your gut. There are tons of cats in my area that at first glance appear to be strays but actually are just outdoor cats. I don't agree with this practice, I think cats need somewhere safe to go not just have food left on the front porch. But at the same time I can't snatch them away and take them to the Animal Control. Humane Society here doesn't take strays.

I wonder sometimes if I'm doing the right thing by taking the animals I find to Animal Control. I found a dog on the freeway once. It bit the heck out of my hand and I had to wait for Animal Control to come get him. I think about him sometimes and wonder if he found a home or if he was destroyed because he bit me.

My best cat ever Zion was found under a car on a super busy street as a tiny kitten. I'm very glad I kept him.

So as I said before, just go with your gut. If you're like me and can't bear the thought of leaving them, take them wherever they can be safe. You're doing a good thing.

 

[SailfinGirl]

In England, the RSPCA will come and collect strays, they'll check them for microchips, spay or neuter them and them rehome them. They never destroy the animals, even if the animals have to stay there for ages because nobody wants them. Oh yeah, if the animal has a microchip its returned to the owner, and if it doesn't the RSPCA will also microchip it.

 

[PETsMARTchick]

Well, the cat that inspired this post came back tonight because I gave it food last night. It's been coming around for awhile without the food. He's obviously male and not neutered(big balls!!). He's a cute orange and white short haired cat that eats like he's never been fed. Last night he was very cautious and would run away at the slightest movement. But tonight I fed him canned food and he let me pet him while he was eating. Then he was following me around and purring. He did try to bite me twice but my fingers smelled like cat food. I tried to lure him into a cat box with the food but the cat was smart and would never go all the way in. The next thing I know there's 2 more cats in my driveway!!!!!! What was I supposed to do? I just gave up and left the food for them.

Supposedly there's this guy down the street who has over 30 cats!!! He just lets them wander around with no tags and they're not spayed/neutered. We called Animal Control so they would do something about it but I don't think they did. So their probably his. And I don't know what to do!!! I want to save every stray cat in the world but I can't.

Here's a link to a poem about stray cats called "Thought of a Feral." It really makes me feel better.
http/www.petrescue.com/library/feral-thoughts.htm

 

[Fiddlesticks]

The problem with stray cats is that they just run around and breed. And breed and breed. Next thing you know instead of 2-3 neighborhood strays youve got 9-10. You are definately doing the right thing getting them off the streets. My dogs arent allowed to roam around without tags, so why should someones cat. If you did accidentally pick up someones cat, maybe they will learn to tag them next time.

 

[The-Wolf]

I've been trying to save stray animals all my life, especially cats. All the cats I've ever had were either strays or just needed a good home. So when I see a cat without a collar and tags wandering the streets I just want to grab it up and take it home or to the humane society where someone else can take it home. But is that what's for the best? To bring them to the humane society where they might find a great home or...be put to sleep . Or should I just leave them alone to try to make it until they starve, freeze, get hit by a car, or have the chance to make more homeless kitties? What's the best thing to do?Just want your guys opinion because I'm so confused!!

P.S. If you have an outside cat please spay/neuter it and make sure it has a collar w/ tags!!!!

I personally don't like to see cats with collars
When I was 8 i saw a cat dangling from a tree by it's collar, the poor thing was strangled to death. Can you imagine what impression that has on an adult let alone an 8YR OLD!

 

[The-Wolf]

In England, the RSPCA will come and collect strays, they'll check them for microchips, spay or neuter them and them rehome them. They never destroy the animals, even if the animals have to stay there for ages because nobody wants them. Oh yeah, if the animal has a microchip its returned to the owner, and if it doesn't the RSPCA will also microchip it.

All three of my cats are from the rspca
I will always go to them for older cats as they need homes to
Not just kittens.

 

[Nina7777]

Great poem! I got lucky my stray was very nice and ran into my house

 

[Bangin]

I personally don't like to see cats with collars

I'm glad you mentioned that. It's actually best to not put a collar on your outside cat, at least that's what I've been told. There's too many things that can happen when those critters are climbing on everything in sight.

I have rescued several cats, and I continue to feed the neighborhood cats. I even prevented a mange epidemic within the neighborhood by dipping an infected cat. His mange went away and no other cats were infected.

I tried to catch a wild stray to have him fixed, but that guy was much too clever for the trap! I will only take an animal to the shelter if I'm unable to care for him myself. I'm an animal lover, what can I say?

 

[Sorrell]

If your collar has a safety release than you have nothing to worry about.

 

[The-Wolf]

If your collar has a safety release than you have nothing to worry about.

They are not 100% reliable either
nothing is, except taxes