Possible stray cat that I'm concerned about

[annavc]

There is a lovely little black and white moggie which is always hanging around on the street where I live. A lot of the time it is curled up asleep on someone's doorstep (often the same one but not always). Sometimes its just wandering around or sitting on top of a wheelie bin! Its very friendly and will lie down in front of you to have its tummy tickled when you walk down the round. My concern is that it appears to never be let indoors which is why I wonder if its a stray. The houses all have secure back gardens which aren't in any way accessible from the street but this cat is always on the street side of the houses.

Is there any way I can find out if it has an owner? If it does then I don't think they can care much about it as its always outside on the street.

[janeo]

Does it seem to be healthy & well fed? It may be that the owners are at work all day & put the cat out while they're out.

[drchasuble]

It's not in Brixton is it?

[annavc]

It does seem healthy enough and I thought exactly that but surely if you were going to put your cat out for the day - you would let it out the back in to the garden, safely away from the road rather than out the front on to what is quite a busy road. And before anyone says they might put it out the back and it gets round, there is no way it could - the whole street is one very long terrace - the only way from the back gardens to the front would be through a house. I've also seen it curled up asleep on the pavement well after midnight.

[annavc]

No drchasuble not Brixton, although it is south east london - Hither Green.

[drchasuble]

Phew.
It's just that my black and white mog stays out during the day and she is really friendly and meows at everyone so people are always ringing on my doorbell asking me whether she's hungry or ill or lost or whatnot.
She's just very chatty and prefers to stay out to avoid the dogs.
We also live on a terrace but she goes through all the other gardens and climbs over the end wall, which is over 8 foot tall and is topped with glass.

Does the cat you are concerned about have a collar?

[annavc]

No - there's no collar. My street , the houses kind of turn the corner at either end as well so there really is no way this one could get round if let out at the back.

I guess I'm just worried because its getting cold now and I don't like the thought of him being outside all the time. He spends a lot of time curled up on one particular doorstep so I thought thats where he lived but I've since seen him on about 4 different ones at opposite ends of the street so I don't know now!

[mandimoo]

you could make a cat box for it. cut a hole in the side of a cardboard box, place an old blanket or towel in it, and hey presto it'll have somewhere to sleep. mind you, so will any other stray in the area!

[drchasuble]

I'd probably just ask the people at the house where you see it most.
I think it's nice that people like my cat enough to worry about her and ring on my doorbell to make sure she's OK so hopefully they will think so too.

[Noweia]

Chances are that if it's well fed and looks to be in good condition, it's not a stray.

Cats can wander quite far from their house and it's hard to keep track of where they go. We had a cat that frequently visited our house, and we fed it at first because we thought it was a stray, but once we started asking around we discovered somebody in the next street owned it and everyone in our street fed it!

If the street side of the houses is warmer/more sheltered/ sunnier than the back then the cat will most likely be found there. You could try asking around and see if anyone in your row owns it!

[Mr.Nose]

wel my cat is always around my neihbours houses doin his busines (if u kno wot i mean) and believ me cats can jump realy high and scramble up walls and squeez through the tinyest of spaces his house may also hav a catflap wich he uses 2 gt out al the time or sumthing. i kno this sounds rediculous but put a note on th cat sumhow nd c if it has been anserd th nxt day (p.s sorry 4 any bad spelin)

[ganesh]

There must be a way from the back to the front of the houses even if there are loads of fences to climb,surely?I see lots that love to curl up on pavements near traffic and watch the world go by.
If it was a stray it would be hunting or hassling people to feed it wouldn't it?

[Athley]

If you are really worried and you seem to be knock on a few doors and just make some enquiries. Someone probably knows the cat or its history particularly if it is on people doorsteps.

I'm not sure why people put their cats out when they go to work. My cat prefers to be indoors having a kip on the sofa and some mornings won't go out if its a bit cold or raining. She also stays in all night and prefers that. I'm glad because I know she's safe and warm.

Good luck with your cat mission. Let us know how you get on :-)

[wolf63]

Athley - what you need to do is buy your cat a little jumper from somewhere like Pucci petwear, then your cat will go out in the winter. Her friends will beat her up, and all the big handsome Tom cats will snigger at her - but it will be nice and cosy.

As Mr Nose says - cats are capable to squeezing through gaps and jumping great heights. And it may be that all the cat has to do to get into his/her house is to sit on the window ledge and scream.

But you have to put your mind at rest because, like the rest of us, you love and care about animals. Investigate further by checking at the relevant house or at one of the neighbouring houses.

But remember our 'dumb' friends are much more intelligent than we give them credit for. I fell for my late cat's starving cat story many a time (the 3am wake-up call) -he would run down the stairs with his big belly bobbing off each stair in his race to get to his bowl which was full, but he wanted new stuff.

[mesmerred]

I agreed that if it was a stray it probably would be begging for food and certainly wouldn't look well cared for. I have taken in two strays and they literally wandered in looking for food. I think it would have followed a friendly person and found it's way into a house by now. I would start to make enquies with the neighbours first. You could ask your RSPCA officer for advice, particularly if it is out in all weathers.

[Athley]

wolf63 - thanks for your wooly jumper suggestion - but she still hasn't lived down the baked bean tin scenario yet. I need to really try to up her cred not nuke it!! Ha Ha :o)

[gloop]

A scrawny cat used to frequent our garden so we used to feed him. He seemed to eat ok and we presumed he was stray. We reported him in case anyone had lost a cat and found out he belonged to someone round the corner. Anyway they tried to take him back but he kept coming back to us and is still with us now. He's a lovely friendly cat (and sitting on my lap now!) and his owner kind of decided to leave him with us. I felt bad for them but you can't make cats do anything. He's not skinny now!