Stray cat - WWYD

Give it a week and if the woman doesn't get back to you, take it to the vet and have it microchipped in your name. Keep it and give it a loving home.

Keep the cat as your own. The supposed owner has already proved to you that she doesn't consider the cat a priority since she didn't rush over to collect him as most people would if they were genuine. You have no evidence that the animal is even hers as the cat isn't chipped. Have the cat registered and chipped under your name and keep her. The woman sounds dodgy to me... He is yours to love and protect now. You are his mum now. It's very lucky that he wasn't chipped so there is no problem now. You have taken every possible step to find the original owner. That is the steps a cat charity would have taken before rehoming. Enjoy your new pet! And well done for not looking the other way when finding a stray.

grandtanteJE65

First find out whether you are legally permitted to keep the cat, when someone has claimed her.

If you are, go ahead and keep her, but do please have her neutered and vaccinated. Otherwise you put your two cats at risk of infections they may not survive, and you land up with a litter of kittens you cannot find homes for.

I myself would contact the lady who has been in touch, asking if she is going to come and see the cat and decide whether it is her cat, and if she wants it back. Make it plain you are willing to keep the cat.

If you return the cat to her, and it walks back to you - for any cat I have ever known could cover 3 miles in the course of a few days, if it really wanted to, you will be facing a new dilemma, which it might be well to broach if the former owner does want the cat. If she does, ask her what she wants to happen if it does make its way back to you.

She already said the cat has been neutered. Why don’t people read threads?

I would not be contacting the woman who tried to claim her - I don't think she owned the cat in the first place to be honest.

You have done everything you could possibly have done to find the owner. Allow a few days in case the woman does show up (even then ask for proof of ownership.)

Sounds to me like you own a beautiful new cat.

I think the reply from Gummie is good advice. If the woman you spoke to really is the owner and wants the cat back, then surely you would have heard from her since with an apology for not turning up. Get the cat microchipped and get any vaccinations done that are needed, but also get full itemised receipts from the vets, so that if the woman gets back in touch you can tell her you're not letting her have the cat back without being reimbursed. You don't want the health of your cats put at risk from the young one, so you're being a responsible cat owner by doing this.

I wish you well with whatever the outcome and either way I wish kitty well with old or new (you) owners! 🐱

You’ve got yourself a cat op. She’s chosen you.
The woman who contacted you maybe her cat came back and she couldn’t be bothered to get in touch to tell you.
The little kitty seems well settled where she is with you and you’ve done all the right things.
Now I’d get her chipped and vaccinated and enjoy this latest addition to your lovely four legged furry family.

When our last cat went missing he was gone for about three weeks. We leafleted the area and even put leaflets in shops in the town centre. He eventually turned up in the garden of the lady who ran the animal charity shop in the town where one of our leaflets was displayed. He was about to fish her pond and when she went to chase him away she recognised him, called his name and he went straight to her! She was on an estate on the opposite side of town. When she phoned us - our number was on his collar - we went to collect him in minutes, we were so relieved to have him back home! I can't imagine leaving it even an hour or two if it is genuinely your loved and lost pet, let alone days! I'd be adopting this cat if it was me.

Just a thought, the Vet says the cat is between 6 and 12 months old. If the lady lost her cat in February that is 6 months ago so the cat would only have been a kitten then not a fully grown cat. I agree with other posters if this lady had loved and cared for her cat it would have been chipped. If it was one of my cats I wouldn’t be able to wait I would be there in a heartbeat, with photographic proof and proof of vaccinations etc. keep her she has chosen you for a reason. You are blessed.

@Buttonjugs

She already said the cat has been neutered. Why don’t people read threads?

Why indeed?
I can't see anywhere where it says this little female cat is neutered - it's almost impossible to tell. You have to watch behaviour. When they come into season (what my DH calls Nightclub Behaviour) you know for sure. Cats are fertile throughout their lives unless neutered. It would be lovely if the OP came back to tell us what she decided.

So this cat is old enough to have kittens so that is your number one issue. Vet would have to do an exploratory look under anaesthetic to be sure. Number 2 after 7days with no chip you can adopt. My friend runs a cat charity and this week she had a phonecall for a very young cat approx 7months old was seen in a persons garden with 4 kittens aged about 4wks. This mum cat was obviously very poorly and my friend trapped cat and kittens. Mum cat was rushed to vets put on drip and kept overnight. Sadly she died the next morning and vets said she was already pregnant again! So many unwanted cats or cats whose owners dont neuter. Sad sad times. Well done for giving a home to this deserving cat.

I'd contact her again. My MiL & FiL had many cats (sequentially) & took Susie from a friend who had to go into residential care. They'd had her 3 months & she seemed perfectly happy, then she disappeared. It was a full 12 months' later (despite posters & asking vets etc) when someone saw a cat that looked like her & it turned out she had turned up just when Susie went missing, & with her unusual coloring it was obviously the same cat. The adoptive family gave her up & she lived with my in laws for a further 3 years without straying again although always allowed out, until her death (she was an elderly cat when they got her). Cats are unfathomable. Just cos she's left home, doesn't follow that she prefers your house. But you are to be congratulated in being careful who you hand her over to.

loopyloo

As of June 24th all cats in England should be microchipped.
You should take it to the vet and see if its owner is registered . If not adopt it!
Lucky you!

She has already taken it to the vet! She said so in her post!

Buttonjugs

grandtanteJE65

First find out whether you are legally permitted to keep the cat, when someone has claimed her.

If you are, go ahead and keep her, but do please have her neutered and vaccinated. Otherwise you put your two cats at risk of infections they may not survive, and you land up with a litter of kittens you cannot find homes for.

I myself would contact the lady who has been in touch, asking if she is going to come and see the cat and decide whether it is her cat, and if she wants it back. Make it plain you are willing to keep the cat.

If you return the cat to her, and it walks back to you - for any cat I have ever known could cover 3 miles in the course of a few days, if it really wanted to, you will be facing a new dilemma, which it might be well to broach if the former owner does want the cat. If she does, ask her what she wants to happen if it does make its way back to you.

She already said the cat has been neutered. Why don’t people read threads?

Buttonjugs,
Where exactly does it say she’s been neutered??
As you yourself say, why don’t people read threads?

loopyloo

As of June 24th all cats in England should be microchipped.
You should take it to the vet and see if its owner is registered . If not adopt it!
Lucky you!

Wise advice.

It has been a law in Spain for several years and the European Union as well.

It identifies the owner and contact details.

Please op come back and update us. Apologies if you have already. I’ve done the unpardonable and not read all the posts. I will later.

If all cats are supposed to be microchipped as someone posted perhaps cat has been abandoned rather than owner pay for the chip. Other "owner" maybe made contact as feeling guilty but then changed her mind. Get the cat chipped, will be registered to you.

Over the years we've had two missing cats, and turned heaven and earth to find them by knocking on doors and putting up posters/cards in shop windows. The first was reported as having been seen at the side of a nearby road, apparently dead and we immediately went to the spot and sadly it was her. Brought her home and buried in the garden. The second was reported having been seen in a nearby field. He had been gone for two weeks but we went to look for him immediately. It was him. He had become feral but we managed to catch him ( me suffering cuts from his panic) and with good care he became his previous loving self and lived a long life with us and his "brothers".

I would write this woman off as not caring sufficiently. The cat is settled with you. That's his life now. Get him checked over, wormed, jabbed and chipped. A tad expensive but animals are. Sounds like he's a lucky cat with you as his owner.

Some years ago we lived on a council estate and the couple whose garden backed on to ours had a cat and a German Shepherd. One day they had a massive row, smashed the house up, and disappeared, leaving the animals behind. A neighbour removed the poor dog and, after a couple of days the cat moved in with us. There was still no sign of the owners so I had the cat spayed. More time passed and then the woman returned and wanted her cat back. I pointed out that I'd had the cat for a while now ans had her spayed, so she said she would give me money towards the operation but her children wanted the cat. I spoke to the RSPCA but they told me that, because I hadn't previously reported the cat as abandoned, she would have to go back to her owner. After a couple of weeks the woman brought her back and said that as the cat didn't like being played with (I wonder why!) I might as well have her back. So I did.

She already said the cat had been neutered

I think the OP said the cat had been checked for a microchip, hadn’t got one. Don’t think neutering was mentioned?

X posts Crossstitch, sorry.

My cat adopted me. I wasn’t looking for a cat, or any pet come to that.
The actual owner (let’s call her Jane) lived a few doors away and had been advertising for her all over. Jane came straight away and took the cat home. Cat returned to me within the hour.
I tried not feeding her and taking her back every time. I saw the basket and full food bowl and scratching posts and cat flap.
One freezing night I saw the cat from my window huddled close to the wall on the roof of my outhouse surrounded by snow.
After a cuppa with Jane and a long chat we agreed that she had chosen me to be her staff and left Jane who was definitely a loving owner. I also found that Jane had taken in a friend’s dog while friend was in hospital and the dog had since become a permanent resident with Jane.
Six years on, Jane still visits ‘her’ cat, and brings “child support “ in the form of large bags of kibble - I she’s definitely recognised and becomes the centre of cat’s attention while she’s here. I’m ignored for some time after too 🤣but although the cat is free to return and the basket is still at Jane’s just in case.
So I now have a cat and a new friend 😎

I don't know who - or who-with....but register you cat ( with a vet, probably! ? ) - and get her chipped & collared/tagged
(with an elastic collar if she goes outside) & chipped.
Congratulations, YOU have now been adopted by a small, now-not-so-thin cat.

Please post again to confirm that you are keeping the cat and not handing her over to anyone. I worry that you will give her to the other women and that she is not really a cat lover.

Calendargirl

X posts Crossstitch, sorry.

No need to apologise, Calendergirl, but thanks for contacting me. No problem at all.

Well WoodLane, as most of the other comments have said, congrats to you, as you've made all the right moves, and have gained yourself a lucky new cat!

You've also had a bit of luck, as new arrivals can provoke some hissy fits, even a spat or two, but you seem to have avoided that. Our present cat seems to hate all others, though we heard he lived with three, perhaps that caused it?!

And for QuaintIrene, yes, that can happen, cats do indeed vote with their feet! We gained one some years ago, she'd got fed up being used as a toy by 2 little children, so came and found us. Our existing cat at the time soon got over the insult, as she (a Mastermind of cats), was able to lord it over a docile and much dimmer companion, who in turn was happy to have a quiet household. We made sure we fed the bossy one first (about 30 seconds difference), seemed to keep everyone happy.

Oh, PS, ignore any suggestion about re-contacting the woman who thought it might be hers. If she'd had a problem, she could have phoned.