Today my boyfriend and I took in a stray cat which has been hanging around the road for months, coming and going but never for more than a week. Looking noticably knotted, thin and missing a few claws our maternal side took over. We have booked 'it' (i havent wanted to pester it with trying to sex it!) in at the vets tomorrow for a full check up but if no chip shows up i'm unsure of the options we have regarding what to do with the cat.

Keeping it would really be the last ditch option, we already have 3 young cats and a puppy and without even thinking of the extra costs of this poor thing it doesn't seem to keen on company and it is proving less and less easy for us to go near it (going to need lots of plasters after getting it into a crate tomorrow )

What are my options to re-homing a stray? This poor thing can't be any older than 6 months and I couldn't possibly leave it outside - unless of course that is what everyone believes best.

Any advice is welcome, and thank you!

This may be stating the obvious, but why not just take the cat straight to your local Cats Home, or rescue centre? Why are you getting too involved and also the financial side of vets bills? You sound a very caring, kind person, but surely if you don't want it as you have enough animals of your own, the best idea would be to let the Cats Home sort out a new home for kitty?

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Kizzi's Mum

google lost & found or misiing ___( colour) cats in __(whereever!) then images - you may find it or similar

i got this tip while looking for my missing ginger - no luck as yet, but like that many of the results are mine!! &

a male (entire) look-a like was found - i made contact - she had googled the above & saw mine was a girl - so dangly bits was a decider ( she was happy to keep friendly kit, so i didnt need to offer..)

national missing pets register, animalsearch.co.uk, mymoggy.com - all free to load photos of found cats - mymoggy also match up found details with any missing - so i'd defo do this one

Thanks for the replies

LibraLass - i'm going to do that today, it was getting on 7.30 - 8ish when we got 'it' back home so everything was a bit confusing. Having never taken in a stray but not wanting to leave it I wasn't sure of the options I had
Although it is black and i've heard they apparently aren't favourable colours (two of mine are tuxedo and they're beautiful so I don't get that!) it has the biggest eyes and is still very young so i'm sure a rescue home won't have too hard a time

Broccoli - thank you I will have a scout around on those as i'd rather find it's owners than take it to a rescue if i can

Did take her (yes, its a girl ) to the vets this morning, £20 is nothing compared to if she passed some scary disease onto my other animals
All is fine with her and my work colleague who regularly takes in and nurtures strays is going to look after her.

I've checked all the above websites and no cats seem to match her too well although its quite hard with her being a black cat with no distinguishing features
I've contacted local vets and they are keeping an eye out oh, and she has no chip - shame really if she does have an owner out there.

Many thanks for the great help

You might find this fact sheet helpful

This is some very useful information if you have found cat.

If you have a cat living with you or visiting and you think it is either lost, abandoned, the owner has moved and left it behind, or it appears to be just roaming around; DO NOT ASSUME IT HAS NO OWNER (OR ASSUME IT HAS).

• If the cat will let you approach him, make up a paper collar with a note on saying: "If this is your cat please call this number...", so that you can ascertain whether the cat is definitely stray. Place it round the cat's neck and secure the two ends with a small piece of selloptape (don't put sellotape right round the whole thing as that can be dangerous if the cat gets caught up anywhere). If no-one calls in 48 hours you can be fairly sure it is most likely lost or stray, then proceed as follows...

• If the cat is hungry, please feed it, and make water available, not cows milk (many cats and kittens are lactose intolerant)

• If you cannot take it into your home, please make sure there is some shelter for it outside, which is dry and waterproof. This can be as simple as a cardboard box covered with a bin liner or cling film, and weighted down against the wind, or tucked under a bush for stability. Ideal bedding to put inside is a thick layer of straw, which acts as a heat-conserving 'nest'. If straw is not readily available, a jumper or towel will do, but this will need to be changed regularly as these retain moisture and can encourage mould or mildew.

• Contact your local animal rescue groups, in case they have been reported as lost - contact details for rescues across the UK can be found here: Cat Rescue Shelters, Adoption Centres and Rehoming Groups across the UK

• Give the cat's description to local vets in case the owner contacts them, and if possible, take the cat to a vet who will check for a microchip - for details of vets in your area go to: Find a vets near you. UK Veterinary Surgery Web Sites. Every UK Vets' Practice Listed

• Phone the RSPCA helpline to register the cat's details, as they match up lost & found cats across the UK: 0300 1234 999

• Check the "Lost a Pet" galleries (searchable by area) to see if the cat has been reported lost, here: Lost pet, lost cat or lost dog? Animal Search UK - FREE Website and search services to locate your missing pets

• Check the lost & found notices in your local paper

• Make up a small notice saying "Cat Found" with a description, which can be displayed in local newsagents, shops etc. It is a good idea not to give a full description of the cat, so that if someone contacts you saying the cat belongs to them, you can check those extra details with them to know if they are the genuine owners, and not just someone after a "free cat"

• If the owner cannot be traced, and you are not able to take the cat in yourself, contact your local rescue centre as above, so that they can arrange to take the cat into care, and find him or her a new home

EVEN IF THE CAT LOOKS IN PERFECT HEALTH, PLEASE THINK HOW YOU WOULD FEEL IF YOU LOST YOUR CAT AND SOMEONE DID NOT BOTHER TO REPORT IT. It may simply be lost and could have been lost months previously. It is not unknown for cats to get into cars, removal vans, and so on, and be transported miles from their homes. Rescues have hundreds of cats on their lost/found register and the number increases on a daily basis. Most of the cats who go missing must be out there somewhere and, although many are reunited with their owners, many are not and most of these may have been taken in or being fed by well meaning people, but are never actually reported. Depending on the condition of the cat and the safety of the location rescues can decide what course of action to take to ensure the cat receives all the help it needs.

If the cat is timid and you cannot catch it most rescues have traps, at least then the little one can be taken to the vets to scanned, have an MOT, flea and worm treatment etc, if unneutered Cats Protection can give vouchers for the cost of neutering. If feral you could ask rescues to try to find suitable homes for them. Although many cats people call feral are in actual fact "garden cats" - that is a cat that was once domesticated but then let down by society, these cats usually tame down very quickly once in a home.


Also check out the following sites to see if the cat has been reported lost:

Cats for Adoption from Cat Rescue Centres across the UK, on Cat Chat

Animal Lifeline UK: Helping Rescues with Homechecking, Fostering, Transport, Fundraising, Rehoming and more!

MyMoggy.com Lost Cats, Missing Cats and Found Cats of the UK. contact Sue at mymoggy.

Missing Cats and Lost Cats Missing Pets Register - search by county for missing cats

A Missing Pet, found cats and found dogs and lost pets advertised.

Lost pet, lost cat or lost dog? Animal Search UK - FREE Website and search services to locate your missing pets

LOST MY CAT - FOUND CATS HOMELESS DATABASE NATIONAL REGISTER

LOST & FOUND PETS

Found and lost pets!

petsmiles.com: Found


Also don't forget to check ad websites, such as.....

Free Ads & Online Classifieds, Buy & Sell Classified Ads in United Kingdom | Friday-Ad.co.uk

AdTrader - Free Local Classified ads with images

Freeads.co.uk - Classified ads , place Free Ads

Classifieds.co.uk - classified adverts, place classified adverts

Preloved | UK free ads - buy and sell with local classifieds

United Kingdom jobs, cars, property, free classifieds and more - Gumtree.com

and also your local rescue shelter/s websites too!

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