My friend has been feeding an extremely thin stray cat.  She has phoned all of the rescue places and no one has room for it so it is destined to stay on the streets :(

I am more than happy to take this cat on but im a bit concerned about any health issues and anything it might pass on to my cats.  I spoke to the lady at the CPL today just to ask if they would have the cat vet checked then I would foster it / adopt it but she wasnt willing to do this.  I had a chat with her about FIV and she said she hasnt seen a case of this for over a year we also chatted about other stuff such as cat flu etc. So what do you guys think ? I havent seen the cat yet, its possible it could be old and thats why it is thin or it could be a genuine stray, or it could be ill.  Do I take it in ? I was planning on setting up my big dog cage in the spare room to introduce it to the mad house slowly and at the same time to keep it away from mine in case it has got something.  I cant really warrant spending a fortune on blood tests for it.

Ive told my friend to carry on feeding it because I am going away today and wont be back until late saturday. 

what do you think I should do ?

Claire

Hi - do you know how tame the cat is?

Personally I would say that the first thing to do is catch it and take it to the vet for a check up and to be nutured if necessary. From that point you have a choice of allowing it back on the street and carrying on feeding it or trying to integrate it in to your household. Most do intigrate eventually, it just takes time and a lot of patience. However at least if it has had a health check and been nutured its life prospects even on the street are a lot better.

I assume it is friendly as it has been going in her house.  If I were to get it nutured etc (assuming it hasnt already been done) is there a charity that would pay for this ?  I know I sound tight but although I could afford to take on another cat I dont really want to pay out for vet bills (but before I get jumped on obviously I would if I took the cat on and it got ill, I just dont want to pay out a fortune initally on a cat that isnt mine :(  )

Sorry but it is highly unlikley that anyone will pay for that. There is a charity that does pay for animals to be nutured, I think it is run by Celia Hammond?? However when a pensioner friend tried to get funding to get her pet dog (and only companion) nutered, they said there were simply not the funds available to do it on request!

It may be worth speaking to your vet though, they may do it cheeper, especially if you have a vet school nearby and dont mind a student doing it!

Im quite friendly with my vets (have been with them since I can remember and also did work experience with them) so maybe they will do it a bit cheaper.  I will see how things are when I get back from paignton, you never know my friend might decide to keep it :)

have a good weekend away. Im sure the vet will be sympathetic. A friend runs a cat rescue and as a 'bulk user' only really pays for the drugs plus a little bit. But then I think she averages 10 speys per month!

Be careful, the owners could be close by - worried about their cat who never comes home !. As it's being fed it has no need to return. A few months ago on this site there was another stray cat problem - do a search with 'Abandonned cat?' - the poster was NannyOgg. I always think the first thing to do, if the cat has no form of identification, is to put a paper collar on it giving yours or your friends phone number, asking the owners to let you know that the cat is theirs (or something similar). It might be ill and the owners may have medication for it - but if it's happy being fed by somebody else then it won't go home.

Val

Val

That is a good bit of advice :)

Lucy
xx

If you do take it in, you MUST have it tested for FeLV and FIV if you have other cats. It's done in a combo test these days and normally takes just minutes at the vets for a result. FIV is only spread via biting (deep wounds), but FeLV can be spread via just sharing food bowls (i.e. saliva). I've taken in a few rescues, couple of strays among them, and it's always worked out fine.  I just keep them isolated until tested. (The bathroom comes in very handy, LOL!) I'm a bit surprised at your vet's comment though, of course there is a LOT of FIV (and FeLV, even more so) about and ANY cat allowed unrestricted outdoor access is at risk.You can of course vaccinate against FeLV but not against FIV. But only those tested will of course be KNOWN to be positive as they can be symptom free for years.

What I would do would be to first try to locate an owner -sounds as if it is unlikely there would be one, but at least if you have tried you have a clear conscience if you take the cat in. Put up a notice in the nearest local shop or similar. You also ought to get it scanned to see if is microchipped.

Marianne PS Edited to say, sorry, just realised it was the CP lady that made the comment about FIV, not the vet!

Don't the CPL help out with low cost neutering like the NCDL does?

Hi - I am a fosterer & also quite involved with my local branch of CP. I'm surprised they will not help you out & B/T her for you. We offer neutering vouchers to help with the cost of neutering for people who can't afford to get their cats done, it's a good chunk towards the price of the op.
I would get her B/T'd though as FIV & FL are horrible, & although most cats are negative I have known a few positives.

Hi ClaireyS

A couple of years ago, my OH was driving down a road and a little black ball of fur ran into the road.  Luckily he stopped in time and went to see what had ran out into the road.  A little black kitten stumbled up to him.  OH had a quick look at the kitten and decided there and then that he had to take this kitten to the Vets asap.  It turned out that the kitten had flu, fleas, ear mites and was severly dehydrated.  The Vet thought the kitten may not survive the night but kept her in anyway to see how she went.
Anyway, the vet is right next to where I work and we had never used this vet before.  I went in a few times to see how the kitten was getting on and asked the vet to ask around for anyone who may have lost a black kitten.  I also looked out for posters, but there weren't any.  The vet said that no one had come forward.
The kitten pulled through thank goodness and we decided that she would come and live with us  The very kind vet just charged us for the medicine that she had given the kitten.  Between them, the vet and OH saved the kittens life, we now take my other three cats and dalmatian to the same vets.  Now the kitten - Lucky, is a healthy, albeit small adult cat.
Would your local RSPCA help out with discounted tests on the cat? You could also telephone the RSPCA and describe the cat as they have a lost pet line.  If you do take the cat to the vets, the vet will check for a microchip to see of anyone has reported the cat lost.
Speaking from experience, we would have spent as much money we had (which isn't much:-) ) to ensure the cat got the best treatment we could provide, but be prepared - the cat may be a stray, and if that's the case may go of wandering again!!!!!
Sorry for rambling, let us know what you decide.
DawnAnn

I took a stray cat in 7months ago. me and my partner brought out first house together and the cat always used to go to the previous house owners for food. She made a bed for the cat outside but wouldnt allow the cat in as she had 2 house cats. When we moved in the cat was always in our Garden and thought it was cruel (she was very nervous at first but we feed her for 2 days outside) then one day she just came into the house. We took her straight to the vets to be checked over and had her vaccinated and blood tested etc which we paid for ourselves i wouldnt have had it any other way....... She was also very thin and we have since found out she belonged to some people that used to live down our street but abused the cat and when they moved never took it with them. All tests came back OK and she live sin the house with us now and we have had her micro chipped. She is so affectionate and has never been aggressive towards us she loves cuddles and being stroked especially on her belly. She is a joy to us and we love her dearly. We have since brought a Bulldog Puppy and although she didnt come down for 8weeks she has started to come down now but she is perfectly healthly although nervous of new people.