Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone,

There is a very friendly stay cat hanging around and for the past month or so I've been feeding him. I'm beginning to feel bad when I walk inside my home to my two cats and leave him out.

What is the best thing to do for this cat? He's been around here for at least two years and my next door neighbor feeds him also. She's either pregnant or fat. I don't know the gender.

Should I let him be? Take him to a shelter? Take him in? I've got two inside cats of my own. Would there be health risks? I kinda don't want another cat right now.

Please give me your thoughts on this. Thanks!!
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Rob Talkington

Hi Rob,

The very best thing would be to take this cat to a vet, have him tested for feline leukemia and FIV, and have him neutered if he is intact. Then you can either let him continue to live outside or take him in. He might not want to be an indoor kitty after being outside for so long.

A shelter would most likely put him to sleep so I wouldn't take him to one. It would be better for him to live his life outside.

If your finances are limited, you can look into low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area. Your local shelter might be able to refer you somewhere if they don't do surgeries there.

Thanks for being willing to help this kitty. Because he is so friendly chances are that someone dumped him or left him behind when they moved.

Regards,
PHKitkat

She's either pregnant or fat. I don't know the gender.

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Yes, definately take him/her to the vet. If it is a she, the vet can confirm and talk about options regarding the pregnancy.

I am hoping she is not pregnant and you can take care of that worry down the road fast with a spay or neuter depending on the sex of the cat.

You can also talk to the vet about giving a basic set of shots to the cat to help protect the cat. Outside cats face more dangers from Rabies, etc.

If you have a change of heart and want to take the cat in (great!), be sure it has a clean bill of health before it comes in contact with your current indoor cats. If there is any chance they'll come in contact, you'll want to vaccinate both that cat and your current cats against common diseases (Rabies, Feline Leukimia, Feline Aids) as the outdoor cat will probably want to be an indoor/outdoor cat and you don't want it bringing anything home to your indoor only cats.

Spay/Neuter and vaccinations are all things to talk over with the vet.

Good luck and bless you for worrying about this cat!
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)