Cat Maintenance

[flobadob]

A little cat has shown up at our house recently and we've been giving it milk and some leftover food. It kept coming back and so I put a barrel with a cushion in it into a sheltered area and it slept in there last night, so now we're thinking we should maybe look after it better.

It's not going to be an indoor cat, but what's the best way to feed it and what kind of food?

[Mamyalynne]

I've never had a cat, but I don't think milk is a good idea.

[barry1010]

If the cat seems to be fed and healthy stop feeding it.

[david small]

It looks like you may have been adopted. Any proprietary cat food from a shop. Put a little in a bowl near the barrel. I concur about the milk, but our cat and many others like it.

[237SJ]

Have you looked on local social media to see if someone is missing it? It might belong to someone.

[ladybirder]

Mamya is correct, milk is not a good idea.
Does it have a collar on? Is it a male or female and has it been 'done'? I'd hate to think it was a un-neutered female out all night and being pestered by males and getting pregnant.
Me, I'd take it in but I'm soft where animals are concerned. At the very least I would give it some proper cat food.

[237SJ]

If you keep feeding peoples' cats they will keep coming back. It's not really fair on the owners. I see posts on Nextdoor all the time of supposedly 'lost' cats. The other day someone picked up a cat and took it to the vet's to see if it was chipped. It was just a cat from down the road that was on walkabout.

[dannyk13]

Do you live near any of these:-
https://www.freeads.co.uk/uk/buy-sell/pets/missing-pets/#.YYagXVV_rcc

[237SJ]

Or put a paper collar on it. https://www.cats.org.uk/croydon/news/paper-collars-for-stray-cats

[pixie374]

None. Cats always return if they get food... you are more likely just preventing him/her going home. I once found that 4 other neighbours were feeding one of mine- no wonder he was overweight!
Unless you think a cat is a genuine stray (unlikely nowadays) and have checked there is no microchip, or someone looking for them... never feed a cat.

[Electrochem]

Please don't give a cat cow's milk:

https://www.purina.com/articles/cat/nutrition/can-cats-drink-milk

I would try both wet and dry cat food and as others have suggested. A visit to a vet to see if has been microchipped and spayed would also be a good idea.

[pixie374]

And when last wormed, flead? Honestly, flob, if you are willing to take on full responsibility for a cat or two, including food, water, medical treatments, vets bills, please contact a rescue centre, who would love to hear from you. Don't steal someone else's. We all know it's easy, because they can be fickle and attach to safe places more than humans... but that isn't always the point.

[pastafreak]

I'm late to this, but agree with all that's been said. Begore you even start to consider adopting it, please get it checked to see if its microchipped. Too many people don't bother, yet they would still be devastated if their cat went missing.
Also, if it turns out to be a genuine stray and you take on responsibility for it, it should have access to an indoor space. Outdoor cats do not have to *live* outdoors 24/7. That's just my opinion though. The more time spent outdoors, the more likelihood of picking up fleas, ticks, worms and getting into altercations with other cats...particularly if male.

[AuntPG]

Flobadob, put dried cat food out for it. If it doesn't like the food it will go home -if it eats it all up then its more than likely a stray or been abandoned. Leave out water, not milk.

[pastafreak]

Rescues will say don't feed "stray" cats, and a cat not eating is no guarantee it's not a stray. If you can't get to a vet, local rescues will often come out to check for a chip.
From the rspca...

//Cats

It isn't always obvious if a cat has an owner or not but it's important to try and find out before feeding a cat who might be owned.

Cats willingly overeat

Many cats will take advantage of an extra meal even if they're well fed by their owners, it doesn't always mean they're hungry and underfed.

Feeding somebody else's cat can cause a number of problems such as giving the cat something it's allergic to, causing them to eat too much and could stop them from coming home to their owners for meal times.

Causing problems for cat owners

It can be very distressing and frustrating for cat owners when other people are feeding their pets. This means they have no control over what or how much is being fed and may mean their cat doesn't come home as often which can make caring for them properly more difficult.

If your cat has an allergy it may help for them to wear a 'Don't feed me' collar but do ensure any collar worn is a snap-safe quick-release type to avoid nasty injuries.

If you think the cat might be a stray

Sometimes owned cats can be mistaken for strays. It's important to try and find the owner of any cat you think maybe a stray including asking a vet to scan for microchip, creating 'found' posters and advertising on social media and other online resources such as Pets Located.//

[pixie374]

That's what I'm trying to say too, pasta. I have seen so many more occasions of a cat being stolen, than I've ever seen of strays.

And let's be honest, i think flob would have already mentioned his vets bill, if the cat was underfed, dehydrated, riddled with worms and fleas. If the cat looks healthy enough... leave it alone.

[ladybirder]

It would be good to get some response from flobadob. Perhaps too busy looking after the cat.

[pastafreak]

I keep mentioning the rescue that I got Toby from...well they are constantly reuniting "strays " with their owners. Sometimes after months. The majority are grateful...but some owners have moved on, gotten other pets...and no longer want the cat.

[pixie374]

Quite possibly, pasta, but not really for anyone else to assume?

Cats are semi-wild, they do wander, stray and do what they feel like at the time. Let them, don't take advantage of it.

[flobadob]

I've never heard that about the milk, I always thought it was a go to for a cat. We've been mainly giving it a drink of milk maybe twice a day but we haven't been giving it much food.

That's why I was posting, to see if we should start giving it proper food.

But I think for now we'll hold off and ask around to see if someone else owns it. For sure it looks very healthy and it is so tame that I assume it's not a stray.

Thanks for the responses.

[ladybirder]

Take it to a vet tomorrow and ask them to check for a microchip. It won't cost you anything except time.