I have an unexpected cat. Help.
April 13, 2010 7:20 PM Subscribe
What do I do with this cat that followed me home?
Walking home tonight, a cat came running up out of nowhere and starting headbutting my legs. It was friendly and obviously starving, no collar, about two years old, and running around in the middle of the street- so what can you do, I brought it home. I have a cat, but she's fully vaccinated so I figured there was no danger there.
I don't really want another cat- but the more important thing is, the cat's obviously not feral and must have owners. Currently, New Cat is locked in the bathroom with food and water because my cat is losing her shit. So, two questions- is there in fact any danger to my cat, if she's fully vaccinated? I can't throw New Cat out on the street, but I'm not going to risk giving my cat worms, or a disease, etc. And there are no vets or shelters in my immediate area, so where do I bring the cat tomorrow? Other than putting out flyers, is there a way to get the word out to the people that lost it? I realize that I could bring New Cat to any shelter, but I'd like to do it in the way that will get it back to its owners the fastest.
Thanks....
Walking home tonight, a cat came running up out of nowhere and starting headbutting my legs. It was friendly and obviously starving, no collar, about two years old, and running around in the middle of the street- so what can you do, I brought it home. I have a cat, but she's fully vaccinated so I figured there was no danger there.
I don't really want another cat- but the more important thing is, the cat's obviously not feral and must have owners. Currently, New Cat is locked in the bathroom with food and water because my cat is losing her shit. So, two questions- is there in fact any danger to my cat, if she's fully vaccinated? I can't throw New Cat out on the street, but I'm not going to risk giving my cat worms, or a disease, etc. And there are no vets or shelters in my immediate area, so where do I bring the cat tomorrow? Other than putting out flyers, is there a way to get the word out to the people that lost it? I realize that I could bring New Cat to any shelter, but I'd like to do it in the way that will get it back to its owners the fastest.
Thanks....
Peruse the local postings on Craigslist for a "lost cat" ad? Classifieds in the local paper? (Old people still use those.) Post your own "found cat" ad in either or both places?
Call the nearest vet / shelter / animal control office and see what they recommend?
posted by ixohoxi at 7:30 PM on April 13, 2010
Call the nearest vet / shelter / animal control office and see what they recommend?
posted by ixohoxi at 7:30 PM on April 13, 2010
it might be worth checking if the cat has been microchipped. lots of shelters do this to cats that end up getting adopted. i don't keep tags on my cats because they're indoor cats and they don't like collars, but should they escape, the microchip will allow them to be traced to the shelter that has records of their adoptions.
as far as the vaccination thing, i'd keep your cats separate until you know for sure. FIP, for example, is a deadly cat disease that isn't often vaccinated because vaccines currently available aren't known to be very effective. at least this was the case 5 years ago.
posted by TrialByMedia at 7:32 PM on April 13, 2010
as far as the vaccination thing, i'd keep your cats separate until you know for sure. FIP, for example, is a deadly cat disease that isn't often vaccinated because vaccines currently available aren't known to be very effective. at least this was the case 5 years ago.
posted by TrialByMedia at 7:32 PM on April 13, 2010
FIV (the feline version of HIV) has no vaccination (that I know of) and is spread from cat to cat through fighting. In other words: keep the two separate until you know whether StrayCat is FIV negative.
I'll nth the microchip idea. Your current vet might even do the scan for free. (Mine did when I found a lost cat; he even dosed her with flea killer so that her visitors wouldn't become my visitors.)
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 7:38 PM on April 13, 2010
I'll nth the microchip idea. Your current vet might even do the scan for free. (Mine did when I found a lost cat; he even dosed her with flea killer so that her visitors wouldn't become my visitors.)
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 7:38 PM on April 13, 2010
Female cats will often "make friends" with humans when they are pregnant. Beware.
posted by gjc at 7:39 PM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by gjc at 7:39 PM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I'm definitely hoping it's chipped. I could take it to any shelter, I just wondered what the best way to find the owners would be if it's in fact not chipped. And I didn't know that about FIV, so thank you! I'll do some research but I assume, because you said by fighting, that it can't be transmitted by just having Random Cat in the house?
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 7:41 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 7:41 PM on April 13, 2010
stupid question time: why not return the cat to the street & let it find its way home?
posted by thermonuclear.jive.turkey at 7:46 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by thermonuclear.jive.turkey at 7:46 PM on April 13, 2010
A not entirely related reference point: my family had a similar situation with an adorable friendly dog. When we called the local shelter, they told us that because it was just after Christmas, they had so many abandoned animals that there simply wasn't room and any found animals had a very short window (a matter of days) before they were euthanized. This dog was obviously someone's beloved pet and we couldn't hand him over in good conscience, so we ended up keeping him and posting ads all over all the lost pet websites, craigslist, and flyers throughout the neighborhood. In the end, Doggie's family saw a neighborhood flyer and claimed him--several days after he would have been put to sleep at the pound.
If you do take New Cat to a shelter to leave him there, make sure you ask about their animal capacity. Also, Nthing checking for a microchip.
posted by chatongriffes at 7:46 PM on April 13, 2010
If you do take New Cat to a shelter to leave him there, make sure you ask about their animal capacity. Also, Nthing checking for a microchip.
posted by chatongriffes at 7:46 PM on April 13, 2010
I'd try for the microchip first, but if that doesn't work, I think flyers are a really great idea. I know most of us Mefites are all over the web, but this cat could easily belong to someone who won't be checking Craigslist.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:47 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:47 PM on April 13, 2010
Craigslist found ad first thing. Be sure to check missing ads.
Then call around to whatever shelters are closest and see if they have any missing cat reports. If not you should be able to file a found cat report with them as well in case the owners call around to the shelters looking.
If you can get to a vet or shelter, they can scan the cat for an ID chip.
Flyers are also a good thing to do.
posted by greta simone at 7:50 PM on April 13, 2010
Then call around to whatever shelters are closest and see if they have any missing cat reports. If not you should be able to file a found cat report with them as well in case the owners call around to the shelters looking.
If you can get to a vet or shelter, they can scan the cat for an ID chip.
Flyers are also a good thing to do.
posted by greta simone at 7:50 PM on April 13, 2010
"Female cats will often "make friends" with humans when they are pregnant. Beware."
This is how I once ended up with five cats (starting from 0).
posted by Jacqueline at 7:51 PM on April 13, 2010
This is how I once ended up with five cats (starting from 0).
posted by Jacqueline at 7:51 PM on April 13, 2010
Next time I'll preview.
posted by greta simone at 7:51 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by greta simone at 7:51 PM on April 13, 2010
Best answer: Hey there!
Just chiming in to nth the other comments and to add that if you do take him/her to a shelter, that Barc Shelter would be a great one in the NYC area. It's in Williamsburg, are no-kill, and are very well-known and trusted. Barc chips their adoptees, which makes me think for certain that they'll run his/her chip.
They'll also take time, care, and patience in the process of trying to find the owner. If they can't, their adoption rate is really high.
Ask for Rop!
posted by functionequalsform at 8:06 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Just chiming in to nth the other comments and to add that if you do take him/her to a shelter, that Barc Shelter would be a great one in the NYC area. It's in Williamsburg, are no-kill, and are very well-known and trusted. Barc chips their adoptees, which makes me think for certain that they'll run his/her chip.
They'll also take time, care, and patience in the process of trying to find the owner. If they can't, their adoption rate is really high.
Ask for Rop!
posted by functionequalsform at 8:06 PM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Keep her separated from your cat regardless of the other issues; that's SOP when introducing cats to a new home. Good luck.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 8:11 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by Optimus Chyme at 8:11 PM on April 13, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, functionetc! I've been googling around but there are so many shelters, and none in my immediate area, and no-kill is definitely mandatory. This cat is so sweet and friendly and I can't keep it, so I need a good gameplan in case it's not chipped.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 8:12 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 8:12 PM on April 13, 2010
Yeah, Barc is awesome. I personally volunteered there for many months and eventually found my little guy there too.
I live in the general vicinity and wouldn't mind walking in with you, iffin you'd like, as they know me. Otherwise, tell Rop I sent you. :)
posted by functionequalsform at 8:43 PM on April 13, 2010
I live in the general vicinity and wouldn't mind walking in with you, iffin you'd like, as they know me. Otherwise, tell Rop I sent you. :)
posted by functionequalsform at 8:43 PM on April 13, 2010
Post flyers at all the local veterinarian offices too*. And any local pet stores. I also once found a lost dog flyer tucked in my front door, and apparently all my neighbors had one too. Lots of work, but I kept that flyer on my fridge for months. (Never saw the dog though, sadly.)
*You might call all of them first and ask if they know of any missing cats. If one of my animals went missing, I'd alert my vet, in case someone brought him or her in.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:13 AM on April 14, 2010
*You might call all of them first and ask if they know of any missing cats. If one of my animals went missing, I'd alert my vet, in case someone brought him or her in.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:13 AM on April 14, 2010
Response by poster: Followup: I took Interloper Cat to the vet just to see if he was chipped, and it turns out he wasn't. And the vet said that he had most likely been born feral and never had an owner- I guess he was just naturally friendly- and had bite marks under his fur (neither of which I could see) and that, because he was over a year old, unvaccinated, not neutered, and had been fighting, that they'd have to call animal control, who would most likely have him put down. I told them no way and said I'd keep him. But I really can't, so for now he is happily living at the deli down the street from me, who luckily needed a deli cat and didn't ask a lot of questions. Not exactly best case scenario, but better than it could've been.
Thanks for the advice, everyone-
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 6:12 PM on April 14, 2010
Thanks for the advice, everyone-
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 6:12 PM on April 14, 2010
Lucky! That's a great scenario. I've done that once. I brought a small kitten home. Probably about 2 months old. It threw up a pile of white worms on my couch 30 minutes later, I took it to the nearest shelter and have no idea what happened afterwards. I am not doing that again. That's why I'm saying you are very lucky to not get any diseases to your cat and find a home for the new one.
posted by stevedowell at 7:58 AM on April 21, 2010
posted by stevedowell at 7:58 AM on April 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Vaccines aside, if your cat is acting up because of the newcomer, you should continue keeping them separated anyway.
posted by Tequila Mockingbird at 7:28 PM on April 13, 2010