Cats

[ronnietoon]

came home to see a cat fully grown i think that has been milling about my flat for about a month.

As a dog owner i know how people get attached to their pets, so on seeing a tag on it i invited it in making it comfortable so i could gain the owners phone/address which after tuna and milk for the cat there was no tag the collar was superficial.(if that makes sense)

in the end i had to chase it out of my flat and communal hallways because it seemed attached to me,so much so it jumped up on me and through thick jeans the claws penetrated my skin.

can they carry diseases?

[ronnietoon]

sorry outside and sorry if its hard to read

[boxtops]

It's unlikely, ronnie, although I caught ringworm from my kitten once - but I'm constantly scratched from my huge boys hurling themselves at me and sticking their talons in me....

However, if he's still around, you could do him a favour by taking him to the local vet - they'll be able to check if he's got a microchip, and hopefully reunite him with his owners. (I am forever grateful to the person who did this when my Rover went missing.) If he's got a collar, he's been loved.

...and I expect he'll be back, now you've offered tuna...

[nungate]

Not really, poor wee thing. You took it in and you fed it? And you throw it out? It's freezing out there, it trusted you and you threw it out!

[Buenchico]

Of course cats can carry diseases. So can dogs, ponies, rabbits, babies, toddlers, children, adults and any other living creature.

A super-cautious approach would be to check if your tetanus jabs are up to date (because tetanus is a soil-born organism and cats' paws tend to find their way into soil) but there's no greater chance of contracting tetanus from a cat than there is from accidental scratches from your dog's claws or from countless other sources.

Cats scratch and bite even the most loving of owners. (Er, sorry, 'owners' should, of course, read 'slaves'). But we don't all rush off to the nearest casualty unit!

[boxtops]

I'm not surprised it liked you, you made it comfortable and fed and watered it. I hope it comes back, so you can do it again!

[ronnietoon]

i will do boxtops no worries reuniting pets to there owners is something i wish everyone would do,

thanks for the advice about the tuna

[ronnietoon]

nungate i live in rented accommodation where people work all hours

[boxtops]

ronnie, you could always leave the dish of tuna outside your front door, then if he gets in the building again, he'll know he's got a friend :-)

[craft1948]

Just hope you don't become catatonic............

[ronnietoon]

Chris tetanus up to date cheers


craft....... i dont know what to say

[pastafreak]

It sounds as if he is trying to adopt you....as cats do.

[friedgreentomato]

Just wash the area (my hands and arms are currently a scratching post for my current owner!!)

You could phone the local cat rescue and see if they have any reports of lost cats.

[dotty.]

I will take the cat in, my 2 need taking down a peg or 2, they're altogether too clever. Was it a Tom do you think? I used to think it was easy to spot Toms as they were usually big and mean looking, that's before I adopted Lizzie, she's scary, weighs a ton and can glare for England. I hope the cat comes back, if you're lancashire way I'll take it off your hands until the owner is found.