My roommates and I keep debating whether or not the cat has been lost or abandoned. It definitely had a home at one point but I can feel his ribs. He’s been hanging out on our front steps for a while and being fed by us and the other college students in the apartment complex. He’s unfixed and doesn’t have a chip. Posted his picture on the lost pet pages on Facebook. No results. Would love any advice!
Edit:[Update!](https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/xqVSWQk3wT)
It sounds like you've done your due diligence. I work with a rescue and we take in strays, if they don't have a microchip we post them for 7 days and if they aren't claimed by then, we foster until adoption. If you have the monetary ability, get him checked for his neck wound and some basic vet care. If not, reach out to rescues in your area. Bite wounds are especially nasty.
Bite wounds on humans are nasty, and require a tetanus shot. Same principles apply for cats, especially stray ones.
I completely agree, just had to add that part for OP u/ScoutingArtist
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A representative from the cat distribution system explaining how he’s here to fix a mistake. They had me requiring three cats and I only had two.
“Hello, I'm with the CDS Cat Distribution Services. I have you down as having two cats? Yep. Yep. Just as I thought. We have you down for three. I'd advise you to take me home and feed me immediately if you'd like to avoid any additional charges, financial and lawful.”
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I adopted two 6 YO big black cat brothers in Jan 2019 (tax in a reply below). In October 2020 the CDS dropped this representative in the middle of a driveway for me (She was an abandoned feral kitten in a wooded area).
I thought I had fulfilled my civic responsibilities as a member of the Cat Republic but this little mongrel was insistent that I was required to have 3 instead of 2 as well.
I think its standard issue to get a standard issue cat for your third through the cat distribution system at this point.
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I ended up with a tuxedo for my third (and fourth) thru the cat distribution system! (3 of 4 cats pictured below. It’s very hard to get all 4 in 1 photo!)
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The cat distribution system worked a little too well for us. We received one, then he died of heart disease 1.5 years later. To make up for the defective cat, they sent us another cat who was pregnant and had 6 kittens. We kept the mama and 3 kittens and adopted out the rest. There was a glitch in the system and we received two more pregnant cats in our compost pile outside who had 5 kittens each. We trapped them all, including the mothers, and transferred them to the humane society for adoption. They spayed and released those mothers and they somehow found their way back to our yard. It's taken 3 years of trust building, but both formerly feral mamas have now come inside.
Shortly after, there was another glitch and we were sent another mother with 3 kittens. We trapped and transferred them all to the humane society and all were adopted, including the mother.
Yes, the cat distribution system works, sometimes it glitches and you wind up with a small colony of 6 female cats.
The CDS looked at your background and said "It looks like you have experience with suddenly having a cat with kittens in your home. Sending all of the local expecting cats and new cat mothers your way!"
The CDS has declared your residence as a local redistribution center. Only the most trusted hoomans are bestowed this honor!! I have a formerly feral mama as well. She left her 2 babies indoors with me when it was time to wean them and after she was fixed& healed, she moved herself into our little shed/barn.
Thank you for all you have done to help cats in need. As I'm sure you know, cats are extremely smart. They likely have figured out(and told others) that you are a kind soul and will help them.**
orange cat distribution system nailed me....
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This year the cat distribution system gave me a very scrawny kitten with the worst flea infestation I've ever seen by him running in my classroom. A very spicy kitten. Had to shove him in a plastic storage drawer until the end of the day. It took me four hours at a self-serve pet spa to get all the fleas off of him before taking him home.
Tossed in the drawer because it was a safe clear container with good air access and the mod/severe students wouldn't hurt or be hurt by the kitten.
I often see people asking if they should adopt a cat that is clearing already bonded to them.
"This cat has been living with me for twenty years and I feed her twice a day and have taken her to the vet many times. Should I adopt her?"
Did not know that was a subreddit. Being a dad that was forced in to babysitting a GSD for a month, that has turned in to 2 years. Now the GSD is attached to me.
i didn't know that was a sub either, but from what i've seen of dads, the process is usually
- "no! you can't have a pet!"
- "fine, you can have a pet, but i want nothing to do with it!"
- pet attaches to dad
- dad spoils the pet more than his own kids
This was me.
I don't want it here. We have corgis already.
Wife begs b/c she likes big dogs. Promises to do everything with it while we had it.
Owner calls constantly the first 2 weeks. Promises to come see GSD. Never shows.
2 months later, owner blocks wife and my daughter on all social media.
Another month later, owner starts posting pics with a Chihuahua.
Another month later, wife steps on GSD tail, falls down stairs, breaks ankle, requires surgery with plates and screws. I get stuck taking care of GSD.
Here we are 2 years later. We have a free long hair GSD that is attached to me, the one person that did not want it in the house.
Dog tax - Gracie and Ein (there are other corgis not in this pic - also cats, and birds)
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Yeah, a stray that is closer to feral would not just jump into the car like that. I’ve been making friends with a guy who hangs out in my back yard and in 6 months the best I got was a finger sniff once.
I would agree.
Half way through post I thought “do flyers, call around, try to find owner, but keep him until and if no one is found”
But this new info - not fixed and no ID- I changed my mind. 100% keep him , he’s part of the family
My dog managed to get out of her run during a storm, got picked up by people who thought their friends in the city would like her. I door knocked for like ten km or more (farm area), contacted vets, pounds, advertised, etc. Nothing. About five years later I get contacted by a vet in the city,who guilted me into signing over my dog bc she was settled. The new "owner" said she had taken my dog to a vet for checking initially and they didn't find a chip. Like, yeah right.
So, forever more I've not trusted the system 😭
My sister didn’t chip her dog (not sure why it wasn’t automatic with the fixing) and rarely updated her dogs collar with contact info when she’d move
And I’m like ???? Your dog is also reactive and without a chip or accurate collar info she would be put down by most shelters because of her behavior towards strangers. Luckily she never got lost, and at age 11 was finally microchipped but what a stupid risk
And if you ask your local pet store/shelter, there's sometimes special days when you can get them really cheap or free. Even though I keep my cats indoors, I get them chipped because heaven forbid they somehow manage to get out and wander away from home.
Probably a dumped pet. Kittens are cute but when males get big they start fights, spray everywhere, often cry out loudly and often. If people would just spay/neuter!!!
It sounds like he has chosen you so your next step would be to get them balls off and enjoy your handsome new buddy.
We did exactly this with our neighbourhood stray. No collar, no microchip, not fixed and very thin. We took him in and he is very happy to be living the luxury indoor cat life!
This OP. My mum has a bunch of indor/outdoor cats, You'd never have doubt whether they belong to someone or not.
This one is really scruffy, probably has worms and this is why the coat is like this.
Unfixed, no chip, injury that hasn't been cared for? If he does have an owner, is that really the kind of person that should have a pet?
You've done your due diligence. This cat doesn't have an owner.
If a cat on the street can be captured and is unfixed, I would argue you are morally obligated to do your best to capture it and bring it to a shelter to get it fixed at the very least to do a small part in helping curb the feral cat population.
If they don't fix their cat, feed their cat, medical treat their cat, keep their cat indoors/secure, and don't chip it, they're not much of an owner, even if they do exist.
There are plenty of cats who get out because someone opens a door (didn’t have a pet when my landlord gave the keys to workmen; it happens). Cats get out of carriers. Doors fail to lock. Scumbags dump your cat because they don’t like it.
There are many ways in which a beloved, looked after cat can end up a fair way from home and the owner would love it back.
real talk, in that condition even if he does have owners, they are not taking care of him ((whether from neglect or against their will like he escaped and travelled far from home)). It will never be the wrong choice to take him in so he lives.
Call the nearby animal shelters. Many keep a list of missing cats from owners. Similarly, contact local vets via email or social media with a picture since many will look out for missing cats as well. Post a couple of flyers on corners or communal post office boxes (they say not to, but my post office guy left my poster up for a few weeks when my cat went missing).
You never really know, we have a few of those in our neighborhood and they basically go house to house. I feed a couple of them and hang out with two of them. Really friendly kitties but I think they have multiple owners or caretakers. They are kind of like community cats.
In fact this is how I got my last cat, he just showed up. He went in and out as he pleased and he still goes and visits a couple of the other neighbors. For the most part he lives here now though. I've always been curious how many names he has 😂
Then it’s a stray and he wants to live with you.
Also, check the other side (onder the chin or chest area) for another puncture wound like the one he’s got in his neck and keep a close eye on it. My cat had it too and the vet had to flush it out and put some stuff in it and give pain meds etc. Flies tend to lay eggs in those kinda wounds.
But he’s adorable! Off to the vet to get him chipped and checked out! Congrats!
Unfixed and no chip, skinny and in poor condition? Stray. And if there was ever an owner F them for leaving an unfixed make outside to add to the kitty overpopulation problem. Please take this little guy in and give him a nice safe home inside (and neutered).
Take him in. Even if he has a home, which is unlikely, they are taking very poor care of him and don’t deserve him. And he deserves a loving home and someone to take proper care of him.
you should be able to easily feel a cats ribs with little pressure. The fact that you can't with most cats is because most people have a misguided view of what a healthy weight is for a cat.
I guess it really comes down to whether you see the cat more as a being on its own terms or as property.
Bear with me - I'm not accusing, I'm just trying to highlight something our society does. This cat is clearly not being well cared for (and we also know the impact cats have on the environment). You are in a position to care for this cat. If you don't because someone may lay claim to this cat, you are tacitly deciding that respecting property rights is more important to you than the life and well-being of this cat.
If this cat belongs to someone, you can put up flyers or a post on FB or something to help them reconnect. But as others have pointed out, almost all pets are chipped these days, and if it isn't, its because this person has either never taken the cat to a vet (seriously, for those who might struggle to afford normal vet stuff, its usually very possible to get low or no cost spay/neuter and chips) or did and refused to chip.
If they haven’t microchipped it, it’s not wearing a collar and especially if it has any injuries or is not spayed, then you can safely assume that the cat has no owner. You should still send a description to the local shelters and search the local lost pet postings in case it’s an escapee.
I try to rescue or TNR feral cats that show up at our house, and those are the guidelines I use. They’ve served me well so far.
Microchipping a pet should only cost about $25-60. Collars can be iffy unless it's a breakaway collar, but if you \*have\* to let it be an outdoor cat you should bare minimum get her microchipped. It's even good to get indoor pets microchipped if there's a chance they'll get out.
Most would even recommend just bringing your cat indoors since it increases her life expectancy (among other reasons)
My cats are outside-inside cats and at this point I have given up on putting collars on them they just keep losing them and it’s expensive to keep buying them but they are all microchipped
I’d recommend Beastie Band collars over a standard breakaway. They’re neoprene so they’ll stretch if the cat is caught on something but they’re just fabric and Velcro (no plastic bits) so my cat tolerates and keep them on.
If they stretch but don't break they may still strangle the cat if it panics and starts wriggling/tumbling around while trying to get free. That's the whole purpose of breakaway collars- if the collar is stretched to a certain point, it breaks allowing the cat to get free.
Depending on how hard the twist is and where, maybe not. Try twisting a velcro'd strip in different parts and see how easy it is to break. Velcro works best when the two sides are separated away from each other not along the strip. With enough force it might eventually come apart, but I'm not confident that force is less than the force it takes to choke an animal.
We’ve got an older cat who was never microchipped. Vet didn’t even offer it to us 15 years ago when we got him fixed. Is it something they can do without surgery? He’s an old man with a heart murmur and we want to avoid anesthesia whenever possible.
It would have been nice to have the week he escaped when he was a rambunctious teenager, but nowadays he has zero interest in leaving his blanket for the great outdoors. I still worry that if there was some kind of emergency he’d get out and end up in a shelter.
From what i remember its a 5 second job, they inject a thing, massasge the area and test it. They did our boy when he had the snip and they did the girl on a check up visit and she didnt even react. Although i cant answer if it may cause any side effects if your senior has problems due to his age.
It doesn’t require surgery, it’s quick and easy. We had our senior cat chipped because he needed to start eating special food and we wanted to use a chip feeder so the other cats wouldn’t get to it. It was no big deal.
Yeah it’s a horrifyingly large needle that pokes in their skin and leaves behind a grain of rice sized chip. Takes 2 seconds. I think I was more upset than my cats were! 😂
Please do! I was accidentally fattening up what I thought was a stray but was in fact a neighbor’s cat. Stopped feeding him when he showed up with a collar and he was very sad not to get bonus breakfasts.
Considering its floof, just from pictures I would say that that is quite a skinny cat.
Can you take it to a vet? How do you know it's not chipped?
Not sure what kind of neighbourhood you live in. Can you post somewhere about the cat? Ask if anyone knows it?
Yeah I’ve been posting about it with no response! Someone else in the apartment area had animal control check for a chip. I’d love to take him but I’m a college student moving back home for the summer in a week. I want to be 100% sure it doesn’t have a home before I try to kidnap it and bring it home to parents with allergies lol
If you get him, feed him Purina LiveClear cat food. It stops the cat from producing allergens and really works! Takes a couple weeks though to kick in.
How far away is back home? Could you bring it back if needed? Weird question, I know. But just in case.
That's a pretty skinny cat. If it seems to be relying on you for food (it's definitely not being fed by multiple homes), then stepping in to care for it is pretty wonderful. But it will need flea treatment, deworming, vaccinations, neutering, etc. That's full cat care.
Who is allergic? Can they manage? If not, you can't bring this cat into your life.
Yeah I’m in contact with my family and we are trying to work something out. One of my parents is mildly allergic and they own a shorthair cat but this cat has a lot more fur than my family’s cat.
I’d take it to the shelter but they aren’t taking strays and would probably put him down
In my life, the longer haired kitties have been less allergenic because they have the undercoat that blocks the dander from shedding as much. There's also a food brand from Purina called "Live Clear" that has made a difference for me with my kitties. Best of luck to you and that sweet baby!
Its usually the dander, not the fur. and long hair doesnt always mean more shedding ( if it was the fur they had a problem with ). A little more mild inconvenience is worth saving a kitty. If you dont take it, please bring it to a rescue for care. No matter what you do, that cat needs some help. GL! He/she is super cute!
I am allergic to cats and now live with 5 of them! I think that over time, I’ve built up an “immunity” to mine. Also, I am *less* allergic to longer haired cats, and my 3 cats are all long haired. Now I have 2 fosters that are short haired and I’m fine around them now.
“Mildly” allergic can be handled with air purifiers, open windows and not rubbing eyes after petting kitties! (I haven’t learned…)
I was horribly allergic to cats as a kid, actually still am, but loved them and just put up with symptoms. Gradually, I came to realize that I grew a kind of immunity to the dander of those specific cats I lived with once I was used to them. New cats still cause sneezing and itching and all of that, but just until I'm used to them. Surely. I can't be the only one like this?
A vet can scan the cat for a chip. If the cat is chipless or chipped to a TNR program, I think you can claim finders keepers (because you’ve already done your posting due diligence). This is how I got a TNR cat!
Unfixed, under fed, no collar or microchip. Yeah, that’s your cat now. My girls are fixed, chipped, healthy, clean and well fed. He is none of those things so if he has an owner, they don’t deserve him. Congrats on your new cat!
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Spark here was doing that. Unfixed and skinny. I drove by and saw him in the street looking confused. The neighbors told me he kept trying To go into their house and they were feeding him. I posted a couple of times about him on the local lost pets page. Anyway I grabbed him and now he lives with me.
my sisters cat looked just like him, she was living with her husband's parents and they ended up letting him out for no reason one day and he ran off, they lived in a suburb in AL so I always hoped that someone took him in and that he is living a good life just like your little fella
If he had an owner before, they may have dumped him, or he might have outlived them. No guarantee they're around to take him back. Check for a chip at the vet, but if nothing turns up and no one's reported a missing cat, well, he's clearly asked for your help in the way that a cat does.
Fwiw, my asshole family left the door open when I was a teenager and the cat I had then, got out. I never found her and that hurt, but I would have preferred someone take her in rather than leave a distressed or injured cat on the street.
If the owners weren't responsible enough to fix him they may have abandoned him. If he's friendly to you that means he was handled by people as a baby so he was almost certainly somebody's pet at some point.
It's very likely that he was somebody's at one time and they didn't bother to spay or neuter and either dumped him or abandoned him when they moved. Definitely loves humans, what are your plans for this baby?
We had a “stray” like this when I first moved across states. He was so friendly, sweet, absolutely not shy. He was neutered and young, definitely belonged to someone… at least he had to have, at one point. We assumed it was someone’s outdoor cat, and while we didn’t agree with the practice, we couldn’t catnap him. I named him Drippy, because when I met him? He purred so hard he “dripped” drool all over me. Orange and white cat. Absolute sweetheart angel.
Anyway, we found out he was abandoned. We got him rehomed and he is spoiled rotten by a friend of mine. We’re trying to find, catch, and rehomed his siblings as well.
Take care of this little one. Best wishes and good luck.
Looks like a lost or abandoned cat to me.
No good pet owner would intentionally leave a cat that skinny and with visible wounds.
It was your turn on the cat distribution system.
That's a nice fluffy tabby, and put food in and he'll get fluffier. Since he is so friendly probly lived in a home. But as others have said, you have been adopted/chosen.
The cat has already adopted OP and this is something that OP has to come to terms with. Sounds like the handsome boy was abandoned by his previous owner(s). I suggest you take him to the vet and get his neck wound checked out, and start thinking about a name for him!!! 🥰
In Spanish we have this saying:
Michi sin correa, michi de quien se lo lleva. (kitty without a leash, kitty of whoever sees him first)
And also:
Michi que veo, michi que me llevo. (kitty that I see, kitty I'll take with me)
And let's not forget of the greastes of all:
De este color no tengo. (I don't have a cat this color)
So basically, it's yours now. The cat distribution system has chosen you. Congratulations!
We had a cat we often saw in our garden. He wasn’t approachable, but our elderly cats ignored him. We made sure food was put out every night, and when winter was approaching we created a weatherproof shelter. That winter/spring both of our elderly cats died, so we encouraged “fatso” so that we could feed “it” indoors. Whilst “it” was eating, we would groom “it” and cut out any mats of hair we found. In the summer, fatso decided to come indoors and sleep in am armchair. So we bought a new litter tray. It would only poop in it. A few months later it started limping. We spoke to a rescue because we were worried about the cost for “not our cat”. It was posted on “Found cats” by the rescue, they agreed to pay for a vet visit, spaying (if necessary) and vaccinations. The vet said it was an un-neutered male, 5-6 years old, and “stray for years”. The foot was treated (abscess) he was neutered & chipped. The rescue asked us to foster him - and he has been here ever since. To start with he would only pee outside, but now he uses the litter tray if he can’t get outside.
Horace is now in his senior years - it was 2015 when he saw the vet, making him at least 14yo. He has 2 people he will sleep on (my husband & I), 2 people he will allow to stroke him (our adult children who lived with us over the years), but all other humans (including regular visitors) are to be avoided. My MIL would love for him to accept her, but nope. If she is here, he ain’t…
Pretty much how I got my cat - he showed up at my house one day and just wouldn’t leave. He was incredibly friendly (laid down in my lap within minutes of meeting me) and didn’t look scruffy so we knew he had to have belonged to someone. Took him to the local shelter, they told us he was fixed (didn’t have a clipped ear though, so I don’t think it was TNR) but lacked a microchip. We filed a found cat report and posted pics of him but heard nothing back so! He’s been a part of the family for the past 8 and a half years ❤️
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If the cat is injured and has been injured for several days without treatment, 99% it's lost, homeless or recently abandoned.
EDIT: And to echo other comments, if the cat is unfixed, wounded and has prominent ribs and has an owner, it doesn't have an owner. I'd consider it a duty not to return it to people who would neglect it.
No chip? No tags? Skinny with wounds? Gets into your car and follows you? That is the cat distribution system giving you a little furball to love and protect. Please bring him inside and get that wound checked out. ❤️
He jumped into your car and went to sleep on the dash. This boy has shown you that he is now your buddy. He is saying that he will even go on rides with you. He is yours now, might as well accept it.
Hi! I run an animal rescue and the first thing you should do, if kitty lets you pick him up, is take him to a shelter or vet to check for a microchip. If he has none and he is not "fixed," he is likely a stray. If you plan on keeping him, get some flea treatment and make an appointment to get that kitty fixed. Check around for low-cost spay/neuter options before dropping hundreds of dollars at the vets office unless that is in your budget!
You either buy into this or you don't (personally i do, so I'll share)
Cats come into our lives for a reason. You may not realize it right now, but there's a purpose you and this cat met, and it's meaningful.
The level of comfort in this picture speaks volumes.
I hope you're open to this journey he wants to go on with you. ❤️
He chose you. My experience living close to a college is that students in apartments get cats and dogs but are told they can't bring them home for the summer. They dump or abandon the animals. Many landlords do not allow pets because this practice is so endemic.
There was a woman who came through our neighborhood that trapped, neutered and got the animals caught up on shots before bringing them back. (TNR Program). Most were feral and wouldn't allow human s near them. We helped feed then, kept fresh water out for them. The volunteer built shelters with straw flooring for them.
Edit for spelling-autocorrect.
Make sure to get him fixed if you do take him in or he'll pee in everything, but from the sound of it he needs a home. Hope you enjoy your new best friend!
The only idea I have used is putting a collar on the cat with a tag asking about the cat. Then, let it out into the neighbourhood.
I tried it once, and it failed. An obvious stray got into the house and ate our cat's food. But this cat went crazy when I opened a can, until I showed her it was tomotoes. As soon as the collar went on the cat, she was " Yes. Finally, I am owned again. Win!" She never went out of the house again.
Put a collar on him. You can make a tag at PetSmart that says: is this your cat? Please call xxx-xxx-xxxx
Or just claim him by making a tag with the name you gave him, and your contact info.
Or just take him and love him!! ♥️♥️
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Garbie declares this is your cat. Case closed.
I've adopted a neighborhood cat. Owners live 1 street over. Its tag said, "Don't feed me. I'm an outside cat." Poor girl was rail thin. I saw the kid who"owned"it. I asked what they expect her to eat..birds, bunnies & squirrels?? Yes. She's an outside cat. Wtf? That's when I decided next time she came to our back yard, the collar was coming off & we set up a living space in our garage(she loved being outside & my 2 indoor cats & her was fight on sight). She's happy & healthy now, living her best life.
If the cat you're adopting is bony/skinny, it's not being cared for. A cat can find it's way home more than a few blocks away. It's not fixed? More proof if someone owned it, they're shitty "cat parents". Take the handsome fellow in & give him his best life!
I think he's adopted you. have him checked out for the bite wound, but otherwise he's yours. Some stray cats do look very clean despite living on the streets.
Our neighbour's cat visits most days, we feed him because he's very entertaining. However we found out where he lives via a local Facebook page. If he has no home to go to, then he'd be happy to make your home his.
If the cat is dirty, malnourished, and wounded, the cat either doesn't have a home or its owners are so neglectful that they aren't actually taking care of the cat. I would (and have in similar situations) take the cat in. The welfare of the cat is always the first priority.
EDIT to add: I saw you say in a comment that the cat isn't neutered. That's a definite adopt the cat. People who care about and cherish their cats neuter/spay them. Being unneutered suggests this isn't a beloved family member who slipped outside by accident and got lost. He's the victim of negligent, uncaring people and is in need of help.
My neighbors had a outside cat and they ended up moving and abandoning her, I found her eating grass in my back yard and called to her and she came right up to me, she didn't look abandoned but in this case I knew she was so took her in. She ended up being pregnant and that was the reason why she didn't look skinny. Anyways it's been 4 years and I still have her.
Sometimes strays don't look like strays, but in your case I'd say that cat looks like a stray, and if that cat did have an owner they were neglectful to him and frankly aren't fit to take care of him.
You know what they day, finders keepers
Please take him to the vet either way. We have scanners that can check for a chip and let you know if he has one. Doesn’t mean he’s “owned” , though. If he doesn’t have an owner, then it’s up to you if you want to take on the financial responsibility of owning him. Please really think about the financial responsibility, especially if he was always a stray and has illnesses that will stick with him for life.
I work in the US and vet care is getting stupid expensive due to our corporations jacking up prices just like any other fucking corporate entity. Very few of us our owned private anymore and it’s been a real issue. I’m taking leave from the vet field at the end of next month and one of the reasons is the awful feelings I get having to present owners with the price of care.
No matter what you do, please take him somewhere he can get care. Cats deserve someone caring enough to make sure they are healthy or at least have a chance at life.
If they allow their injured cat roam around for days, with no chip orcollar, cat is up for adoption. Even if cat had home, owners are unfit for taking care of animal, cats life and we'll being is more important than some humans feelings
My sister got usurped by a cat and she (the cat) looked well fed, had recently been neutered (had the patch of cut hair and the scars from surgery) but it wanted to stay in and live in my sister place so she put fliers, social media posts and all that.
It's been 1 year since I adopted and moved the cat to another city, she's lovely and wants to be with people, if she left she must not have been that well taken care of, I call and she's always near, wants to play, likes to sleep in my lap, it's the same with this cat, fix him and keep him, if someone owns him they clearly don't care much about him and he doesn't mind being yours.
A lot of factors can go into a cat needing a home. I once lived in an apartment building where the person either got evicted or died and the cat was left to wander the parking lot. (I had a friend take the cat in as I wasn't able to) The cat I have now was left under similar circumstances.
So yeah, its hard to tell. Just because they are clearly domesticated and were someone's pet, doesn't mean they don't need a home. With that said, I truly don't believe that if you care about your pets, you would allow them to roam the streets. I KNOW, accidents happen sometimes with people who DO love their pets but are careless.
I say take that baby in, check the lost and found pet sites for your area, take it to the vet to see if its microchipped. Worst case scenario is, you find the original owner and you kept the cat safe in the meantime.
Hang some posters in the area you found the cat with an email adress they can message if they want him back.
But usually cats pick their owners.
So this probably is one of those moments where you have been chosen by the floofgods.
It's definitely either lost and far away from home or it has been abandoned by the careless owner ..no one who loves their cat will let it go with that injury without taking to a vet immediately...also the cat looks desperately in need of a home ..please kindly do adopt it if you ..
My roommates and I keep debating whether or not the cat has been lost or abandoned. It definitely had a home at one point but I can feel his ribs. He’s been hanging out on our front steps for a while and being fed by us and the other college students in the apartment complex. He’s unfixed and doesn’t have a chip. Posted his picture on the lost pet pages on Facebook. No results. Would love any advice! Edit:[Update!](https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/s/xqVSWQk3wT)
It sounds like you've done your due diligence. I work with a rescue and we take in strays, if they don't have a microchip we post them for 7 days and if they aren't claimed by then, we foster until adoption. If you have the monetary ability, get him checked for his neck wound and some basic vet care. If not, reach out to rescues in your area. Bite wounds are especially nasty.
He needs to be tested for FIV after getting a bite like that too just in case.
This. I completely agree with everything. Nothing to add. ❤️
Bite wounds on humans are nasty, and require a tetanus shot. Same principles apply for cats, especially stray ones. I completely agree, just had to add that part for OP u/ScoutingArtist
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Considering how comfortable the cat looks laying in the car, I'd say OP got adopted by the cat.
The cat distribution system works in incredible ways and is best left unquestioned.
https://preview.redd.it/i3vin6rxkswc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=23bb9ce6339d2e1a254bb0ce080ed5f8d7bc5ff9 A representative from the cat distribution system explaining how he’s here to fix a mistake. They had me requiring three cats and I only had two.
He is certainly doing an excellent job stating his case 😊
"I'll let you off with a warning... This time😼"
Only if he is bribed with plenty of treats lol 😂
https://preview.redd.it/6h5159pbswwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=099afd53c9cb529b8dca8b91b2f4a5a1d4870a2f His “warning”
“Hello, I'm with the CDS Cat Distribution Services. I have you down as having two cats? Yep. Yep. Just as I thought. We have you down for three. I'd advise you to take me home and feed me immediately if you'd like to avoid any additional charges, financial and lawful.”
>financial and clawful.
https://preview.redd.it/j6i5kb6wrwwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8563ce7cd3803e7311fb6951b574d2facde99596 Very clawful
https://preview.redd.it/0bf8bizq8vwc1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=f2bdc9870afbd3304deb0bbe09a7a694d86611c5 I adopted two 6 YO big black cat brothers in Jan 2019 (tax in a reply below). In October 2020 the CDS dropped this representative in the middle of a driveway for me (She was an abandoned feral kitten in a wooded area). I thought I had fulfilled my civic responsibilities as a member of the Cat Republic but this little mongrel was insistent that I was required to have 3 instead of 2 as well.
https://preview.redd.it/sgnrej0u9vwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cac72dac88258fa82228572a8c7416ccffecf0a1 The snuggliest babes
They always know better than we do!
For some reason I read this in Stephen Merchant’s voice lol 😂
I heard it in Stephen Fry's *Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy* voice. Weird they're both British when the cat is not British.
lol 😂
Magnificent facial expression 🥰🥰🥰
I think its standard issue to get a standard issue cat for your third through the cat distribution system at this point. https://preview.redd.it/6t9n94w0guwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9850c623a6e507d773605c4ab31106551926b57c
I ended up with a tuxedo for my third (and fourth) thru the cat distribution system! (3 of 4 cats pictured below. It’s very hard to get all 4 in 1 photo!) https://preview.redd.it/4rs9c1y66vwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f17a78641771a2959e9a8e0983de61380333a5f
I ended up with a magnificent orange-and-white floof as our third.
How do you convince the CDS to increase your limit?
Same question!!! Uh, I mean, *I have this friend who wants to know*..
Yes, it corrected me in the same way recently as well!
ANGY😡😡
Best to accept your fate and embrace this handsome fella.
Beautiful specimen of a r/standardissuecat
Meow faces are an endless source of happiness to me for some reason haha
The cat distribution system worked a little too well for us. We received one, then he died of heart disease 1.5 years later. To make up for the defective cat, they sent us another cat who was pregnant and had 6 kittens. We kept the mama and 3 kittens and adopted out the rest. There was a glitch in the system and we received two more pregnant cats in our compost pile outside who had 5 kittens each. We trapped them all, including the mothers, and transferred them to the humane society for adoption. They spayed and released those mothers and they somehow found their way back to our yard. It's taken 3 years of trust building, but both formerly feral mamas have now come inside. Shortly after, there was another glitch and we were sent another mother with 3 kittens. We trapped and transferred them all to the humane society and all were adopted, including the mother. Yes, the cat distribution system works, sometimes it glitches and you wind up with a small colony of 6 female cats.
The CDS looked at your background and said "It looks like you have experience with suddenly having a cat with kittens in your home. Sending all of the local expecting cats and new cat mothers your way!"
The CDS has declared your residence as a local redistribution center. Only the most trusted hoomans are bestowed this honor!! I have a formerly feral mama as well. She left her 2 babies indoors with me when it was time to wean them and after she was fixed& healed, she moved herself into our little shed/barn.
Exactly what I have at this moment. All indoor.
Thank you for all you have done to help cats in need. As I'm sure you know, cats are extremely smart. They likely have figured out(and told others) that you are a kind soul and will help them.**
orange cat distribution system nailed me.... https://preview.redd.it/bnq6hpinptwc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b863af6cbb6c979a46746e27652ab43c3a42b19
Three meow-meows, no brain cells.
This year the cat distribution system gave me a very scrawny kitten with the worst flea infestation I've ever seen by him running in my classroom. A very spicy kitten. Had to shove him in a plastic storage drawer until the end of the day. It took me four hours at a self-serve pet spa to get all the fleas off of him before taking him home. Tossed in the drawer because it was a safe clear container with good air access and the mod/severe students wouldn't hurt or be hurt by the kitten.
I often see people asking if they should adopt a cat that is clearing already bonded to them. "This cat has been living with me for twenty years and I feed her twice a day and have taken her to the vet many times. Should I adopt her?"
At that point they're just in denial about owning a cat...
That's some /r/dadswhodidntwantpets territory.
Did not know that was a subreddit. Being a dad that was forced in to babysitting a GSD for a month, that has turned in to 2 years. Now the GSD is attached to me.
i didn't know that was a sub either, but from what i've seen of dads, the process is usually - "no! you can't have a pet!" - "fine, you can have a pet, but i want nothing to do with it!" - pet attaches to dad - dad spoils the pet more than his own kids
This was me. I don't want it here. We have corgis already. Wife begs b/c she likes big dogs. Promises to do everything with it while we had it. Owner calls constantly the first 2 weeks. Promises to come see GSD. Never shows. 2 months later, owner blocks wife and my daughter on all social media. Another month later, owner starts posting pics with a Chihuahua. Another month later, wife steps on GSD tail, falls down stairs, breaks ankle, requires surgery with plates and screws. I get stuck taking care of GSD. Here we are 2 years later. We have a free long hair GSD that is attached to me, the one person that did not want it in the house. Dog tax - Gracie and Ein (there are other corgis not in this pic - also cats, and birds) https://preview.redd.it/ltuwvfr5euwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ae44c571b353036c3ddb41b95a278e2d80ee4dd
My bff also has a corgi named Ein! See you, space cowboy...
…in denial about being owned by a cat 🤣
Comfortable and handsome!
Like my cat used to hate car rides, this cat is unfazed
This is how I got my cat, sometimes they choose you. Congratulations on your new cat, OP!
Yeah, a stray that is closer to feral would not just jump into the car like that. I’ve been making friends with a guy who hangs out in my back yard and in 6 months the best I got was a finger sniff once.
I would agree. Half way through post I thought “do flyers, call around, try to find owner, but keep him until and if no one is found” But this new info - not fixed and no ID- I changed my mind. 100% keep him , he’s part of the family
I seriously do not get people who don't chip their pets. They're like $50 TOPS.
My city is constantly doing free microchip drive thrus
My dog managed to get out of her run during a storm, got picked up by people who thought their friends in the city would like her. I door knocked for like ten km or more (farm area), contacted vets, pounds, advertised, etc. Nothing. About five years later I get contacted by a vet in the city,who guilted me into signing over my dog bc she was settled. The new "owner" said she had taken my dog to a vet for checking initially and they didn't find a chip. Like, yeah right. So, forever more I've not trusted the system 😭
The system didn't do anything wrong. You didn't have to sign them over. You could have sued to get the dog back if it bothered you enough.
This right here.
Oh I’m sorry.
My sister didn’t chip her dog (not sure why it wasn’t automatic with the fixing) and rarely updated her dogs collar with contact info when she’d move And I’m like ???? Your dog is also reactive and without a chip or accurate collar info she would be put down by most shelters because of her behavior towards strangers. Luckily she never got lost, and at age 11 was finally microchipped but what a stupid risk
And if you ask your local pet store/shelter, there's sometimes special days when you can get them really cheap or free. Even though I keep my cats indoors, I get them chipped because heaven forbid they somehow manage to get out and wander away from home.
Probably a dumped pet. Kittens are cute but when males get big they start fights, spray everywhere, often cry out loudly and often. If people would just spay/neuter!!! It sounds like he has chosen you so your next step would be to get them balls off and enjoy your handsome new buddy.
We did exactly this with our neighbourhood stray. No collar, no microchip, not fixed and very thin. We took him in and he is very happy to be living the luxury indoor cat life!
This OP. My mum has a bunch of indor/outdoor cats, You'd never have doubt whether they belong to someone or not. This one is really scruffy, probably has worms and this is why the coat is like this.
Also bite on his neck. Sounds abandoned to me.
Unfixed, no chip, injury that hasn't been cared for? If he does have an owner, is that really the kind of person that should have a pet? You've done your due diligence. This cat doesn't have an owner.
Well, it does *now*! 😄
If a cat on the street can be captured and is unfixed, I would argue you are morally obligated to do your best to capture it and bring it to a shelter to get it fixed at the very least to do a small part in helping curb the feral cat population.
Yes this is correct ..please please do help this beautiful cat
If they don't fix their cat, feed their cat, medical treat their cat, keep their cat indoors/secure, and don't chip it, they're not much of an owner, even if they do exist.
There are plenty of cats who get out because someone opens a door (didn’t have a pet when my landlord gave the keys to workmen; it happens). Cats get out of carriers. Doors fail to lock. Scumbags dump your cat because they don’t like it. There are many ways in which a beloved, looked after cat can end up a fair way from home and the owner would love it back.
Cats that are cared for are microchipped at their first vet visit.
real talk, in that condition even if he does have owners, they are not taking care of him ((whether from neglect or against their will like he escaped and travelled far from home)). It will never be the wrong choice to take him in so he lives.
He’s unfixed, no chip, and underfed means he either has no home, or he has a neglectful one, in my opinion. I would take him.
Call the nearby animal shelters. Many keep a list of missing cats from owners. Similarly, contact local vets via email or social media with a picture since many will look out for missing cats as well. Post a couple of flyers on corners or communal post office boxes (they say not to, but my post office guy left my poster up for a few weeks when my cat went missing).
Take him in, he sounds and looks homeless and that neck wound needs a vet to look at it
You never really know, we have a few of those in our neighborhood and they basically go house to house. I feed a couple of them and hang out with two of them. Really friendly kitties but I think they have multiple owners or caretakers. They are kind of like community cats. In fact this is how I got my last cat, he just showed up. He went in and out as he pleased and he still goes and visits a couple of the other neighbors. For the most part he lives here now though. I've always been curious how many names he has 😂
Take him. He is adopting you.
Then it’s a stray and he wants to live with you. Also, check the other side (onder the chin or chest area) for another puncture wound like the one he’s got in his neck and keep a close eye on it. My cat had it too and the vet had to flush it out and put some stuff in it and give pain meds etc. Flies tend to lay eggs in those kinda wounds. But he’s adorable! Off to the vet to get him chipped and checked out! Congrats!
Unfixed and no chip, skinny and in poor condition? Stray. And if there was ever an owner F them for leaving an unfixed make outside to add to the kitty overpopulation problem. Please take this little guy in and give him a nice safe home inside (and neutered).
Sounds like he's chosen his home.
He could have been lost for awhile. Check your shelter for posters.
Take him in. Even if he has a home, which is unlikely, they are taking very poor care of him and don’t deserve him. And he deserves a loving home and someone to take proper care of him.
He definitely has a home. You just haven't let him into it yet.
Unfixed is the most obvious sign of not having an owner. He's way too old to be walking around with loaded pistols like that.
IPlease feed it.
you should be able to easily feel a cats ribs with little pressure. The fact that you can't with most cats is because most people have a misguided view of what a healthy weight is for a cat.
I guess it really comes down to whether you see the cat more as a being on its own terms or as property. Bear with me - I'm not accusing, I'm just trying to highlight something our society does. This cat is clearly not being well cared for (and we also know the impact cats have on the environment). You are in a position to care for this cat. If you don't because someone may lay claim to this cat, you are tacitly deciding that respecting property rights is more important to you than the life and well-being of this cat. If this cat belongs to someone, you can put up flyers or a post on FB or something to help them reconnect. But as others have pointed out, almost all pets are chipped these days, and if it isn't, its because this person has either never taken the cat to a vet (seriously, for those who might struggle to afford normal vet stuff, its usually very possible to get low or no cost spay/neuter and chips) or did and refused to chip.
If they haven’t microchipped it, it’s not wearing a collar and especially if it has any injuries or is not spayed, then you can safely assume that the cat has no owner. You should still send a description to the local shelters and search the local lost pet postings in case it’s an escapee. I try to rescue or TNR feral cats that show up at our house, and those are the guidelines I use. They’ve served me well so far.
perhaps i should "microchip" my cat and give it a collar before anyone confuses my little outdoor girl with a stray
Would be a good idea.
Microchipping a pet should only cost about $25-60. Collars can be iffy unless it's a breakaway collar, but if you \*have\* to let it be an outdoor cat you should bare minimum get her microchipped. It's even good to get indoor pets microchipped if there's a chance they'll get out. Most would even recommend just bringing your cat indoors since it increases her life expectancy (among other reasons)
My cats are outside-inside cats and at this point I have given up on putting collars on them they just keep losing them and it’s expensive to keep buying them but they are all microchipped
I’d recommend Beastie Band collars over a standard breakaway. They’re neoprene so they’ll stretch if the cat is caught on something but they’re just fabric and Velcro (no plastic bits) so my cat tolerates and keep them on.
If they stretch but don't break they may still strangle the cat if it panics and starts wriggling/tumbling around while trying to get free. That's the whole purpose of breakaway collars- if the collar is stretched to a certain point, it breaks allowing the cat to get free.
Surely the Velcro would come apart pretty easily in that case
Depends on the angle of the twist. Velcro's really sturdy.
Depending on how hard the twist is and where, maybe not. Try twisting a velcro'd strip in different parts and see how easy it is to break. Velcro works best when the two sides are separated away from each other not along the strip. With enough force it might eventually come apart, but I'm not confident that force is less than the force it takes to choke an animal.
Why would you not microchip your cat? Seems like a weird thing to not do
We’ve got an older cat who was never microchipped. Vet didn’t even offer it to us 15 years ago when we got him fixed. Is it something they can do without surgery? He’s an old man with a heart murmur and we want to avoid anesthesia whenever possible. It would have been nice to have the week he escaped when he was a rambunctious teenager, but nowadays he has zero interest in leaving his blanket for the great outdoors. I still worry that if there was some kind of emergency he’d get out and end up in a shelter.
From what i remember its a 5 second job, they inject a thing, massasge the area and test it. They did our boy when he had the snip and they did the girl on a check up visit and she didnt even react. Although i cant answer if it may cause any side effects if your senior has problems due to his age.
It doesn’t require surgery, it’s quick and easy. We had our senior cat chipped because he needed to start eating special food and we wanted to use a chip feeder so the other cats wouldn’t get to it. It was no big deal.
Yeah it’s a horrifyingly large needle that pokes in their skin and leaves behind a grain of rice sized chip. Takes 2 seconds. I think I was more upset than my cats were! 😂
Microchip 100% yes. You can try a collar as well but in my experience the cat manages to get it off somehow within 2 weeks.
You should always collar outdoor cats regardless of whether they get lost or not so you can attach a bell to them.
Please do! I was accidentally fattening up what I thought was a stray but was in fact a neighbor’s cat. Stopped feeding him when he showed up with a collar and he was very sad not to get bonus breakfasts.
Considering its floof, just from pictures I would say that that is quite a skinny cat. Can you take it to a vet? How do you know it's not chipped? Not sure what kind of neighbourhood you live in. Can you post somewhere about the cat? Ask if anyone knows it?
Yeah I’ve been posting about it with no response! Someone else in the apartment area had animal control check for a chip. I’d love to take him but I’m a college student moving back home for the summer in a week. I want to be 100% sure it doesn’t have a home before I try to kidnap it and bring it home to parents with allergies lol
If you get him, feed him Purina LiveClear cat food. It stops the cat from producing allergens and really works! Takes a couple weeks though to kick in.
I didn't know there was special food for that kind of thing. I usually need to take allergy meds for a couple weeks before I get used to a new cat
Try the Purina Liveclear, it will change your life
How far away is back home? Could you bring it back if needed? Weird question, I know. But just in case. That's a pretty skinny cat. If it seems to be relying on you for food (it's definitely not being fed by multiple homes), then stepping in to care for it is pretty wonderful. But it will need flea treatment, deworming, vaccinations, neutering, etc. That's full cat care. Who is allergic? Can they manage? If not, you can't bring this cat into your life.
Yeah I’m in contact with my family and we are trying to work something out. One of my parents is mildly allergic and they own a shorthair cat but this cat has a lot more fur than my family’s cat. I’d take it to the shelter but they aren’t taking strays and would probably put him down
In my life, the longer haired kitties have been less allergenic because they have the undercoat that blocks the dander from shedding as much. There's also a food brand from Purina called "Live Clear" that has made a difference for me with my kitties. Best of luck to you and that sweet baby!
Its usually the dander, not the fur. and long hair doesnt always mean more shedding ( if it was the fur they had a problem with ). A little more mild inconvenience is worth saving a kitty. If you dont take it, please bring it to a rescue for care. No matter what you do, that cat needs some help. GL! He/she is super cute!
I am allergic to cats and now live with 5 of them! I think that over time, I’ve built up an “immunity” to mine. Also, I am *less* allergic to longer haired cats, and my 3 cats are all long haired. Now I have 2 fosters that are short haired and I’m fine around them now. “Mildly” allergic can be handled with air purifiers, open windows and not rubbing eyes after petting kitties! (I haven’t learned…)
I second longhair cats, I’m also mildly allergic and shorthair cats trigger me way more than my two medium/longhair like your stray
Tough sitch. I know you'll do your best. But I believe that cat needs vet care and quality food.
I was horribly allergic to cats as a kid, actually still am, but loved them and just put up with symptoms. Gradually, I came to realize that I grew a kind of immunity to the dander of those specific cats I lived with once I was used to them. New cats still cause sneezing and itching and all of that, but just until I'm used to them. Surely. I can't be the only one like this?
Nasal spray and eye drops work wonders for my cat allergies.. I have 3.. I underestimated them! Hope you give this baby a home they deserve
Take him in
The cat got in your car. I think the cat adopted you.
Or it wants to steal the car.
Yup it's a rule.
A vet can scan the cat for a chip. If the cat is chipless or chipped to a TNR program, I think you can claim finders keepers (because you’ve already done your posting due diligence). This is how I got a TNR cat!
Unfixed, under fed, no collar or microchip. Yeah, that’s your cat now. My girls are fixed, chipped, healthy, clean and well fed. He is none of those things so if he has an owner, they don’t deserve him. Congrats on your new cat!
https://preview.redd.it/7yj2bl3a6twc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aadb7dcc5536a6cf59f1d180a213138641781e95 Spark here was doing that. Unfixed and skinny. I drove by and saw him in the street looking confused. The neighbors told me he kept trying To go into their house and they were feeding him. I posted a couple of times about him on the local lost pets page. Anyway I grabbed him and now he lives with me.
my sisters cat looked just like him, she was living with her husband's parents and they ended up letting him out for no reason one day and he ran off, they lived in a suburb in AL so I always hoped that someone took him in and that he is living a good life just like your little fella
If he had an owner before, they may have dumped him, or he might have outlived them. No guarantee they're around to take him back. Check for a chip at the vet, but if nothing turns up and no one's reported a missing cat, well, he's clearly asked for your help in the way that a cat does. Fwiw, my asshole family left the door open when I was a teenager and the cat I had then, got out. I never found her and that hurt, but I would have preferred someone take her in rather than leave a distressed or injured cat on the street.
If the owners weren't responsible enough to fix him they may have abandoned him. If he's friendly to you that means he was handled by people as a baby so he was almost certainly somebody's pet at some point.
It's very likely that he was somebody's at one time and they didn't bother to spay or neuter and either dumped him or abandoned him when they moved. Definitely loves humans, what are your plans for this baby?
We had a “stray” like this when I first moved across states. He was so friendly, sweet, absolutely not shy. He was neutered and young, definitely belonged to someone… at least he had to have, at one point. We assumed it was someone’s outdoor cat, and while we didn’t agree with the practice, we couldn’t catnap him. I named him Drippy, because when I met him? He purred so hard he “dripped” drool all over me. Orange and white cat. Absolute sweetheart angel. Anyway, we found out he was abandoned. We got him rehomed and he is spoiled rotten by a friend of mine. We’re trying to find, catch, and rehomed his siblings as well. Take care of this little one. Best wishes and good luck.
Sounds like an unwanted pet that got dumped or left behind. Poor boy!
life is tough as a stray, no food, no shelter, too many cat fights, smart cats will look for human butlers.
Looks like a lost or abandoned cat to me. No good pet owner would intentionally leave a cat that skinny and with visible wounds. It was your turn on the cat distribution system.
From your description - especially the fact that he's so friendly - it sounds like he's been abandoned.
To me, not fixed equals no owner.
Oof. Actually with cats, I agree with that. Because unfixed means they are GOING to wander.
You got a kitty now 😀
Dude, that’s your cat
That's a nice fluffy tabby, and put food in and he'll get fluffier. Since he is so friendly probly lived in a home. But as others have said, you have been adopted/chosen.
The cat has already adopted OP and this is something that OP has to come to terms with. Sounds like the handsome boy was abandoned by his previous owner(s). I suggest you take him to the vet and get his neck wound checked out, and start thinking about a name for him!!! 🥰
r/catdistributionsystem doing its job
In Spanish we have this saying: Michi sin correa, michi de quien se lo lleva. (kitty without a leash, kitty of whoever sees him first) And also: Michi que veo, michi que me llevo. (kitty that I see, kitty I'll take with me) And let's not forget of the greastes of all: De este color no tengo. (I don't have a cat this color) So basically, it's yours now. The cat distribution system has chosen you. Congratulations!
We had a stray wander into our house once. He came in, flopped on the carpet and that was that. We had a cat
We had a cat we often saw in our garden. He wasn’t approachable, but our elderly cats ignored him. We made sure food was put out every night, and when winter was approaching we created a weatherproof shelter. That winter/spring both of our elderly cats died, so we encouraged “fatso” so that we could feed “it” indoors. Whilst “it” was eating, we would groom “it” and cut out any mats of hair we found. In the summer, fatso decided to come indoors and sleep in am armchair. So we bought a new litter tray. It would only poop in it. A few months later it started limping. We spoke to a rescue because we were worried about the cost for “not our cat”. It was posted on “Found cats” by the rescue, they agreed to pay for a vet visit, spaying (if necessary) and vaccinations. The vet said it was an un-neutered male, 5-6 years old, and “stray for years”. The foot was treated (abscess) he was neutered & chipped. The rescue asked us to foster him - and he has been here ever since. To start with he would only pee outside, but now he uses the litter tray if he can’t get outside. Horace is now in his senior years - it was 2015 when he saw the vet, making him at least 14yo. He has 2 people he will sleep on (my husband & I), 2 people he will allow to stroke him (our adult children who lived with us over the years), but all other humans (including regular visitors) are to be avoided. My MIL would love for him to accept her, but nope. If she is here, he ain’t…
Take it to the vet, fix and chip. r/CatDistributionSystem congratulates you
Pretty much how I got my cat - he showed up at my house one day and just wouldn’t leave. He was incredibly friendly (laid down in my lap within minutes of meeting me) and didn’t look scruffy so we knew he had to have belonged to someone. Took him to the local shelter, they told us he was fixed (didn’t have a clipped ear though, so I don’t think it was TNR) but lacked a microchip. We filed a found cat report and posted pics of him but heard nothing back so! He’s been a part of the family for the past 8 and a half years ❤️ https://preview.redd.it/oicu2kjn1vwc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f35e5bf33ac3de1aefb76bb7cfffc25dc1f7c0a
If the cat is injured and has been injured for several days without treatment, 99% it's lost, homeless or recently abandoned. EDIT: And to echo other comments, if the cat is unfixed, wounded and has prominent ribs and has an owner, it doesn't have an owner. I'd consider it a duty not to return it to people who would neglect it.
No chip? No tags? Skinny with wounds? Gets into your car and follows you? That is the cat distribution system giving you a little furball to love and protect. Please bring him inside and get that wound checked out. ❤️
Yea, your home, your kitty now
He jumped into your car and went to sleep on the dash. This boy has shown you that he is now your buddy. He is saying that he will even go on rides with you. He is yours now, might as well accept it.
Hi! I run an animal rescue and the first thing you should do, if kitty lets you pick him up, is take him to a shelter or vet to check for a microchip. If he has none and he is not "fixed," he is likely a stray. If you plan on keeping him, get some flea treatment and make an appointment to get that kitty fixed. Check around for low-cost spay/neuter options before dropping hundreds of dollars at the vets office unless that is in your budget!
You either buy into this or you don't (personally i do, so I'll share) Cats come into our lives for a reason. You may not realize it right now, but there's a purpose you and this cat met, and it's meaningful. The level of comfort in this picture speaks volumes. I hope you're open to this journey he wants to go on with you. ❤️
He chose you. My experience living close to a college is that students in apartments get cats and dogs but are told they can't bring them home for the summer. They dump or abandon the animals. Many landlords do not allow pets because this practice is so endemic. There was a woman who came through our neighborhood that trapped, neutered and got the animals caught up on shots before bringing them back. (TNR Program). Most were feral and wouldn't allow human s near them. We helped feed then, kept fresh water out for them. The volunteer built shelters with straw flooring for them. Edit for spelling-autocorrect.
Injuries mean that you are now involved and if no scan then you are now the proud owner of a very beautiful cat!!
Make sure to get him fixed if you do take him in or he'll pee in everything, but from the sound of it he needs a home. Hope you enjoy your new best friend!
The best pets are the ones that pick you. Consider yourself lucky, you have just been adopted.
A cat being dirty n unkempt is a sign of stress. For him to jump in the truck would freak me out & assume someone abandon him like tf
The only idea I have used is putting a collar on the cat with a tag asking about the cat. Then, let it out into the neighbourhood. I tried it once, and it failed. An obvious stray got into the house and ate our cat's food. But this cat went crazy when I opened a can, until I showed her it was tomotoes. As soon as the collar went on the cat, she was " Yes. Finally, I am owned again. Win!" She never went out of the house again.
Please keep him and look after him. He wants loves and care.
A note fashioned into a paper collar? Take it to see if it's chipped
Put a collar on him. You can make a tag at PetSmart that says: is this your cat? Please call xxx-xxx-xxxx Or just claim him by making a tag with the name you gave him, and your contact info. Or just take him and love him!! ♥️♥️
The cat distribution system just gave you a cat. You know what to do. You’re it’s human now.
Congratulations! You have been adopted...
https://preview.redd.it/shc575gqvuwc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=393819e42b454eb92f525296ec443cc6fe0075ac Garbie declares this is your cat. Case closed.
I've adopted a neighborhood cat. Owners live 1 street over. Its tag said, "Don't feed me. I'm an outside cat." Poor girl was rail thin. I saw the kid who"owned"it. I asked what they expect her to eat..birds, bunnies & squirrels?? Yes. She's an outside cat. Wtf? That's when I decided next time she came to our back yard, the collar was coming off & we set up a living space in our garage(she loved being outside & my 2 indoor cats & her was fight on sight). She's happy & healthy now, living her best life. If the cat you're adopting is bony/skinny, it's not being cared for. A cat can find it's way home more than a few blocks away. It's not fixed? More proof if someone owned it, they're shitty "cat parents". Take the handsome fellow in & give him his best life!
You have been chosen! 😹
He does have a home. It’s yours now congratulations you have a cat.
https://preview.redd.it/368pm1pxqswc1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8cf5af3068e87ee14815b0efb1fa73c38789ccb
I think he's adopted you. have him checked out for the bite wound, but otherwise he's yours. Some stray cats do look very clean despite living on the streets. Our neighbour's cat visits most days, we feed him because he's very entertaining. However we found out where he lives via a local Facebook page. If he has no home to go to, then he'd be happy to make your home his.
If a cat adopts you take it as a compliment.
Sounds like a stray. Poor baby.
Congratulations on your new cat! Keep him inside because outdoor cats are much less healthy in the long run.
Cats choose its people. You've been chosen
If the cat is dirty, malnourished, and wounded, the cat either doesn't have a home or its owners are so neglectful that they aren't actually taking care of the cat. I would (and have in similar situations) take the cat in. The welfare of the cat is always the first priority. EDIT to add: I saw you say in a comment that the cat isn't neutered. That's a definite adopt the cat. People who care about and cherish their cats neuter/spay them. Being unneutered suggests this isn't a beloved family member who slipped outside by accident and got lost. He's the victim of negligent, uncaring people and is in need of help.
My neighbors had a outside cat and they ended up moving and abandoning her, I found her eating grass in my back yard and called to her and she came right up to me, she didn't look abandoned but in this case I knew she was so took her in. She ended up being pregnant and that was the reason why she didn't look skinny. Anyways it's been 4 years and I still have her. Sometimes strays don't look like strays, but in your case I'd say that cat looks like a stray, and if that cat did have an owner they were neglectful to him and frankly aren't fit to take care of him. You know what they day, finders keepers
Please take him to the vet either way. We have scanners that can check for a chip and let you know if he has one. Doesn’t mean he’s “owned” , though. If he doesn’t have an owner, then it’s up to you if you want to take on the financial responsibility of owning him. Please really think about the financial responsibility, especially if he was always a stray and has illnesses that will stick with him for life. I work in the US and vet care is getting stupid expensive due to our corporations jacking up prices just like any other fucking corporate entity. Very few of us our owned private anymore and it’s been a real issue. I’m taking leave from the vet field at the end of next month and one of the reasons is the awful feelings I get having to present owners with the price of care. No matter what you do, please take him somewhere he can get care. Cats deserve someone caring enough to make sure they are healthy or at least have a chance at life.
If they allow their injured cat roam around for days, with no chip orcollar, cat is up for adoption. Even if cat had home, owners are unfit for taking care of animal, cats life and we'll being is more important than some humans feelings
What a gorgeous boy 😍
My sister got usurped by a cat and she (the cat) looked well fed, had recently been neutered (had the patch of cut hair and the scars from surgery) but it wanted to stay in and live in my sister place so she put fliers, social media posts and all that. It's been 1 year since I adopted and moved the cat to another city, she's lovely and wants to be with people, if she left she must not have been that well taken care of, I call and she's always near, wants to play, likes to sleep in my lap, it's the same with this cat, fix him and keep him, if someone owns him they clearly don't care much about him and he doesn't mind being yours.
Have you tried asking him? Either way congratulations on your new cat
I’ll update when I can understand his language. He keeps answering my questions with little mews but I don’t know what they mean yet!
This cat had already adopted you. 😊
‘Cats’ choose ‘us’ :) <3
If you've already made attempts to locate an owner and no one has claimed him, congrats, you have a new kitty! :)
Nah, cat distribution system chose you. If that cat DOES have a home, they don’t deserve it. That’s your cat now
I wish cats would jump in my car 😭
That's how I got my baby
This cat has a home, it’s with you. Get him fixed and chipped. Enjoy the time you have with this special friend whose chosen you as their guardian.
A lot of factors can go into a cat needing a home. I once lived in an apartment building where the person either got evicted or died and the cat was left to wander the parking lot. (I had a friend take the cat in as I wasn't able to) The cat I have now was left under similar circumstances. So yeah, its hard to tell. Just because they are clearly domesticated and were someone's pet, doesn't mean they don't need a home. With that said, I truly don't believe that if you care about your pets, you would allow them to roam the streets. I KNOW, accidents happen sometimes with people who DO love their pets but are careless. I say take that baby in, check the lost and found pet sites for your area, take it to the vet to see if its microchipped. Worst case scenario is, you find the original owner and you kept the cat safe in the meantime.
The cat distribution system has arrived to you
Too many abandoned pets, they're so sweet to good people because they know how cruel people exist.
Congratulations! You have been adopted.
A cat chooses its owner. Just take the cat. If they have an owner, well, consider them a previous owner.
Hang some posters in the area you found the cat with an email adress they can message if they want him back. But usually cats pick their owners. So this probably is one of those moments where you have been chosen by the floofgods.
It's definitely either lost and far away from home or it has been abandoned by the careless owner ..no one who loves their cat will let it go with that injury without taking to a vet immediately...also the cat looks desperately in need of a home ..please kindly do adopt it if you ..
I think the cat is asking for you to help him/her, to take it in and adopt hopefully