What to do - stray cat question

[katerkat]

And, starting off, to a certain poster who shoots at strays with a BB gun, please don't answer this thread.

I live on a military base - pets are allowed in the fenced backyards, but nowhere else without a leash. However, the past couple of days (starting Saturday night), there's been a cat hanging around my house. It's not a "true" stray, it looks well fed and is wary but not freaked out by me. It's not wearing a collar though.

I'm trying to decide if I should try to catch it and put something in the base paper about finding it? I checked the paper, which comes out Friday, no one reported it missing yet. The base vet is only open Mon-Wednesday, so I can't leave it there. And Wedge and Tycho have been very POed that this cat has dared to step on their lawn, so I'm afraid to bring it into the house! I would, obviously, keep them separate until the kitty's owner is found. I have extra food dishes and a litterbox, so that's not a problem. Just mainly Wedge and Tycho's reaction.

The other trouble is base housing only allows two pets per house and is very strict about it, so I wouldn't be able to keep the kitty long, and if no one claimed it, I would have to give it up.

 

[katerkat]

Oh, I wanted to add - we haven't lived here long, so I don't know if this is one of my nearby neighbor's pets that maybe escaped the backyard? Or maybe even snuck out when the family left for the holiday weekend? I haven't seen anyone out looking for it, yet.

 

[Rajah]

I think if (s)he'll let you catch him/her, you should do so and post fliers around, and see if he/she is microchipped.

 

[yecats]

Well could be that the owner lets it out of its home now and again and it may know its way back. I have adopted two ferrell cats which live under my house (they know what there names are and come to them). As I have dogs and the fact that the cats will only tolerate us to a certain point, I don't attempt to get them in my house (it was hard enough trapping them to get them fixed then they ran away for 3 days after release, they were around but wouldn't come to us when called). Smart cats don't wonder far from home because they know where the food is. As he isn't starving you may want to wait a day or two before bringing him in but keep an eye out for him too. I say call the vet and inquire about his owner or ask a few of your base neighbors, odds are someone has seen him or knows who he belongs to.

 

[Maleficent13]

Just wanted to add my $0.02...and this is really intrusive and I'm sorry...but from what I understand, it's not entirely safe to be handling stray cats prior to March 27th . If you want to go the capture route, I'd make your DH do it.

 

[katerkat]

Originally posted by Maleficent13
Just wanted to add my $0.02...and this is really intrusive and I'm sorry...but from what I understand, it's not entirely safe to be handling stray cats prior to March 27th . If you want to go the capture route, I'd make your DH do it.

You're entirely right and I totally forgot about that! Good thing I didn't manage to catch it yet!

I think I'm going to leave out food so I know it's getting something to eat and ask my neighbors if they know anything about it.