Need Cat Advice

[Arthur]

Hi, if you are reading this thread, the update for this is in my latest post. =)

- - - -

Hi,

Today my Dad brought a cat inside. It's a male young tabby cat with long hair - he looks like this.



He is fixed, very friendly, but he is scared. Currently, he is with me in my part of the house, but my girls aren't happy.
The orange boy is ignoring them, but my youngest, Willow, and eldest, Baby, are acting very agitated. My middle cat Flossy hasn't reacted at all yet. She has just sat upon the bed and watched. She is very laid back, though.

Now, I don't think he's a feral cat. He is beautiful, sweet, and for the most part, very clean. He has no mats or tangles.
His eyes are clear and clean, as are his nose and ears. His paws are a bit dirty, but that's to be expected.
However, he is crying a lot, and pushes his nose against the doors. Right now, he is under my bed.

So I guess what I'm asking..

What should I do? Should I keep him?
Would it be cruel to keep him inside, where though he is safe, is unhappy?
Or would it be best to leave him free, where he could possibly be harmed, poisoned, ran over, abused, or worse..But happy, and free.

I just don't know. It's very sad.

Poor little thing, I just want him to be safe. He is far too sweet and lovely to be left out in the cold.. but am I doing the right thing...?

[Silivren]

Honestly he sounds like someone's pet. I'd keep him inside but I think you do need to put up ads that you found a cat. He seems way too clean and neat and friendly to be a stray AND he's fixed. I just think it seems like he's a pet that got out.

Edit - Also maybe check your local vets office for lost pet ads or have them see if he's micro chipped. We found a gorgeous white Persian once that was and had escaped from her owners.

[Arthur]

Normally I'd agree but the town I live in is full of drug dealers and scum. There have been numerous cats thrown out on the street when their "owners" moved or got taken away. I will talk to my parents about it, but I really don't know if that's a good idea...

They think he's a catch and released, because strays who get fixed (at least around here,) Have to get a ear notch to signify that they're stray and fixed..

):

[Silivren]

Hmm possibly. I still highly recommend a vet visit. He could have something you can't see that can spread to your other kitties. There's lots of things strays can pick up outdoors and he does need to be vaccinated if you're going to keep him, but if that's the kind of town you live in... Well I wouldn't let him outdoors that's for sure. He could get seriously hurt.

[Boven]

Hmm possibly. I still highly recommend a vet visit. He could have something you can't see that can spread to your other kitties. There's lots of things strays can pick up outdoors and he does need to be vaccinated if you're going to keep him, but if that's the kind of town you live in... Well I wouldn't let him outdoors that's for sure. He could get seriously hurt.

I agree. You want to make sure he's not FELV positive and a risk of infecting your other cats. As someone said earlier, the vet should be able to see if he's chipped, too.

[Arthur]

Thanks guys. I'll keep them separated until I can get this done.

[Snowwalker]

I agree. #1 is take the kitty to the vet for a good checkup. #2 Is contact any vet service, spca in town to alert them you found a cat. #3 is put up a few fliers in the area, just in case people are looking. If nothing comes of these three thing, then... I'd feel free to keep your new friend there. Aside from literally going door to door, what else can you do? And as you mentioned before, people frequently leaving could very well mean there's no one out there to find.
As for the kitty seeming scared and not happy... That's to be expected with some cats. It doesn't mean he won't be happy once he calms down. If you have trouble introducing him to the other cats, you can use a cat carrier, put him in it, and set him out where they can come investigate if need be. I've generally found it just takes time for the old cats to accept the new cat around.

[Arthur]

Hi there,
Thanks for the advice!! However, It has been quite a while since I made this post.. So I will post my update! (Should have done it a while ago..)

He was checked out and is fine. He's clean of earmites and fleas, but he had a tick. That was taken care of. He has no problems =)
No one came forward for him. I'm assuming what happened is his owners either left, leaving him out in the cold, or they got arrested and he got tossed out. (This has happened here..)

He's still a little shy around the girls (Remember, He is fixed. But so are the girls!) but he's happy. He sleeps on the bed, in the window, on the dresser, he loves playing with the rattle fish I have. He eats and drinks well and regularly, he uses the litter box perfectly. He doesn't cry, hide, or try to get out the doors anymore. He sits in the window calmly, he doesn't claw the screens at all!
I've seen cats that came from outside do this.. But he doesn't. =)

(His nervousness and scared behavior only lasted for around a day.)

He really, really loves attention, getting pats, all that. He soaks it up lol.

So I guess this would be me saying he lives with us now.

We've named him Rusty..

And here is a real picture of him sitting on my bed.



^.^

[Rhyela]

Yay, I'm so glad it worked out and that you got to keep him! He is a VERY handsome cat. That color combination is gorgeous. Three cheers for Rusty!

[Snowwalker]

Aww, he looks like a maine coon like my cat, Frimmy. I'm glad to hear he's got a happy home. If he is a coon, they are wonderful cats