so i was riding my bike tonight and passed by a dead end with the fattest white cat you ever did see, very friendly though. so i stopped to pet him, and remember my friend telling me about a stray in that area that so i checked to see if he had any tags or any of that, and it didnt... so next i checked the nearby neighbors doorways and porches only to find one empty dirty bowl, so i guess they started to take care of them but then got lazy or don't do it often... anyway, i fed it canned turkey and filled its bowl for the night, but i noticed it was drooling all over the place before i gave it anything, like drooling REALLY bad, so i'm pretty sure that its a stray. my question is should i let it go the natural way, free, and just let whatever happen, or take it home and then to the spca or what, or go and kinda feel it out again? what should i look for when i go back like healthwise? it meowed when i walked up like my Eleanor does whenever i leave and come back home... so i assume it gets very lonely and depressed during these nights, but yeah thanks for any help, me and kitty will appreciate it.
Healthwise just make sure it doesn't have fleas or worms or scabs, if you have a cat at home it will infect it easily. I am always picking up stray animals and that's really all I check for. I do however keep it away from my other animals until I go to the vet. My one kitty drools too...heh, I think it's kind of cute. If you are going to keep this cat though, I'd get that checked out.
i'm sayin like more obvious serious health problems that not a lot of cats have, like a tumor or something...
well i dont wanna look at a kittys bum unless i have to... though i probly wouldnt mind taking a gander at your bum...
Heh, you don't have to look at it's butt that's the vets job. And, uh, thanks for saying my butt is worth a gander, lol
Strays have made a happy life for themselves. Sleep when they need to, Find food when thier hungry. They feel like, Hey. You fed me. Thanks. I won't forget you. Then, they come back when their hungry again. Beyond that, they have thier own lifestyle. I respect that.
if the cat was fat, it must have been taken care of, somewhat....stray animals don't get that fat....i would put up a notice in the paper lost and founds...also, check to see if it is declawed, if it is it may have a hard time living out in the wild
Even though the people on it are kind of holier than thou...go to www.thecatsite.com and post about this in the forums. They should help you.
I strongly disagree with your statements Matt. Please do not take offense, and please do read my reply. This all relates to a very important topic- pet overpopulation. Stray cats do not make a "choice" and they are not making a "happy life for themselves". I have seen first hand, through my working at animal shelters and with veterinarians, what the horrors of life on the streets can be for cats and dogs, and it is very sad. Any animal would be happier living in a warm, safe environment, where he or she receives consistent care, food and water and those who are lucky enough to be companion animals have a much happier and healthier life than that of a stray. The United States faces a pet overpopulation crisis as ten to twelve million animals are euthanized each year simply because there are not enough homes for them. Euthanasia is the single largest cause of death for dogs and cats in the U.S. We classify 10 million to 12 million of them as "surplus" and kill them. That’s a million a month. These numbers do not include the millions of dead dogs and cats whose bodies are scraped off the streets, the estimated 35 million to 60 million feral cats, the hundreds or thousands we abuse, neglect and abandon to suffer from starvation, exposure, and disease before dying. Only the most "fortunate" victims make it into good shelters to be counted and killed; most are socialized to humans, less than 2 years old, and in good condition. The number of dogs one unaltered female and her offspring can produce in 6 years is 67,000. The average number of litters an unaltered female dog can produce in one year is two. The average number of puppies in an average litter is 6-10. A dog can come into puberty as early as 5 months. The number of cats one unaltered female and her offspring can produce in 6 years is 420,000. The average number of litters an unaltered female cat can produce in one year is three. The average number of kittens in an average litter is 7-10. A cat can come into puberty as early as 4 months. Female cats do not go out of heat until they are bred. While a female dog or cat can only have one litter at a time, male animals can impregnate many females each day. Some disheartening stats: (Humane Society of the United States) Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year: 6–8 million (HSUS estimate) Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year: 3–4 million (HSUS estimate) Number of cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year: 3–4 million (HSUS estimate) Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from shelters each year: Between 600,000 and 750,000—15–30% of dogs and 2–5% of cats entering shelters (HSUS estimate) Number of animal shelters in the United States: Between 4,000 and 6,000 (HSUS estimate) Percentage of dogs in shelters who are purebred: 25% (HSUS estimate) Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3 Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4–6 In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats. Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2 Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6–10 In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs. An interesting article: Cat overpopulation is arguably one of the largest global problems facing animal advocates, as the figures increase annually. In 1996, Sarah Hartwell of the Feline Advisory Bureau wrote: "Britain has an estimated 7 million pet cats and 1 million ferals. By comparison, the United States has approximately 60 million pet cats and 60 million ferals." Where do all these feral cats come from? Hartwell goes on to say, "Feral populations are swollen by the breeding and dumping of unwanted pets; 5 million cats and dogs are 'dumped' annually according to the US Department of Agriculture while American surveys suggest that between 36 percent and 60 percent of unneutered pet cats go feral within 3 years." That unexpected litter of kittens that your neighbor can't get rid of? Your sister's insistance on letting her cat have just one litter so the kids can see the miracle of birth? The man at the office who believes spaying is unnatural and would never do it to his cat? These are the people who are contributing to the feral cat overpopulation problem. DON"T BREED AND BUY WHILE HOMELESS ANIMALS DIE!!! Here are some links to interesting and informative websites: http://www.hsus.org/ace/11829 http://www.hsus.org/ace/11830 http://www.itsmeowornever.org/homeless.html http://www.hsus.org/ace/11797
The drooling can be a symptom of many things... a couple I can think of are head trauma and decaying gums or just a sore mouth in general. My cat once fell off a 6' entertainment center and since she's a fatass, she landed on her head. She drools now all the time because she got brain damage from it. We pick up stray dogs and cats all the time and adopt them out. We've actually kept one of the cats that we caught on the freeway. We just took her to the vet for a typical check-up; that's your best route I think.
i'm kinda late posting, but i wanted to first of all agree with dandelion. i've worked in a shelter, and i can tell you that stray animals have a hard, generally short life. having said that, i would be very careful taking a stray cat home and introducing it to your other pet cats. the stray can carry, among other things, feline leukemia and aids, which are very contagious, and for which there is no cure. you would probably not be able to tell, just based on appearances if the cat has those diseases. if you're planning on keeping the cat, get her to the vet and have her tested asap, while in the meantime keeping her away from your other cat.
