Taken a cat on, help

[sparkle_beauty]

Hi, we've had a young cat in our garden the past couple of weeks and we have tried finding its owners, posters, RSPCA etc but no one has come forward. Tonight we've decided to take it in as I'm feeling sorry for it and its so skinny but I don't really know how to look after a cat??
Also I can't get any cat food until tomorrow night could it have dog food for now? X

 

[mizzy_dizzy]

It's much like having a dog , I'm guessing you have a dog as you have dog food?

Do you have any tuna or tin fish in brine maybe?

Things to look out for , like dogs ,
Worms ,
Ticks (if its been out in gardens and things there a good chance)
Fleas , young cats can die from becoming anemic from flea bites , again fleas and worms are often together ,
Lung worm , if been living in garden with slugs ,snails ,
Ear mites , black wax / dirt looking stuff inside of ears ,

A trip to vets for the once over and some kitten shots , and some Frontline, vet can also scan the cat for a chip , not likely but if its there and registered they should be able to find owner , if not put posters up in local area , supermarket , school , shop , vets , Waite a few weeks see if anyone comes foreword ,


If your not going to be letting him out for a while this will train him to retern to your house when you do let him out again then you will need a litter box and litter , litters easy to train , rub his paws in it he should use it , if not soak or pick up accident with kitchen roll and put in the box ,

Good luck with your little friend , he must have chosen you for a reason , maybe a for ever home or to help him find his ,

 

[TaraB]

I am so pleased that the little cat has someone who wants to look after him/her.

Cats are sooooo much easier than dogs to look after as they have more of an independence. I would keep him/her indoors for a couple of weeks for him/her to get used to new surroundings. Also I wouldn't advise on dog food, but you could give him/her some tuna if you have a tin, or even some ham or chicken, and even a raw egg for him/her to lap up. As soon as you can get some advocat or frontline and de-flea just as a precaution.

I would still keep some posters up in your area incase someone has lost a cat, but it's great that you want to take them in if they have no owner.

Oh you will need a litter tray if keeping them indoors so that they can use a toilet, and never put the litter tray near where they eat.

Hope this helps and hope you have loads of fun with your new addition

 

[sparkle_beauty]

Thank you, I have some tuna and ham so ill give her that today. She's so tiny and cute!
Ill ring the vets today and get her booked in xx

 

[Fionalex]

If you ring your local cats protection they may help with the initial costs.

Looks like its going to have a nice new home. Enjoy!

 

[sarahrose14]

If you ring your local cats protection they may help with the initial costs.

Looks like its going to have a nice new home. Enjoy!

Hi

You can feed it dog food as a one off but tinned fish would be better. Dog food doesn't contain tourine as dogs produce their own, cats get tourine from their food so it is added to cat food. So a dog can live off cat food but cats can't live off dog food xxx

 

[NiCshairstudio]

I'd take it to the vets first to check its not chipped, maybe the owners moved away and its made its way back to where he sees home? My cat did this when we were younger and my uncle found her skinny as anything a couple weeks later, brought her back to us and she never wondered so far again lol. Cats travel far so if they haven't moved that far (presuming this is the case) then she may have wondered to a part she recognised then got lost going home again.

If its not chipped, happy new cat, my cat would turn her nose up at dog food, she turns it up at most cat foods, but if they are hungry enough they will eat it, mines much like a dog and waits for me to finish my food then tries giving it a go, I've caught her doing this a couple times.

If you have chicken sandwich mean or a cooked chicken, cut some up, they like that, don't give them too much tuna, chicken, stuff like that, keep them as treats as they can become very fussy very fast and refuse to eat cat food, then its an expensive new cat.

My cats lovely, rarely wants fuss, tells you if she wants food or to go out, rest of the time lives on her blanket the corner of my bed (I personally don't like animals on my bed, but she was so scared when we first had our dog 7 years ago she moved upstairs and now lives in my room, cries to come in, so she got her own blanket that she cries for if its being washed, so she then had my £70 throw to lie on for a couple days) other than that I don't hear off her lol.

 

[NiCshairstudio]

They also like milk, one of our cats used to love milk but milk didnt love her, so my mom started watering it down, that works, or water poor lil thing must be so tired and warn out.

 

[Devonnaydf]

I wouldn't give your cat milk, it causes diarrhea!

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[Lousil]

Get the cat checked over is a good idea,

She will need wormed for sure and flea/ tick treatment.

You should never give a cat/kitten milk...especially cows milk.

As they get older the the levels of the enzyme needed to digest milk decrease rapidly...just like us.

You will need to get her aged,,,she may need kitten food to bulk her up again, it is richer in proteins than cat food.

If you can't get any cat food offer,cooked chicken, tuna, etc. little and often as too much all at once will make the cat ill.

If you have a dog keep them apart until the cat is vet checked in case she is carrying any disease.

Also get her sexed! just to be sure. She will need to be spayed.

Check her nipples for any signs that she has been feeding her own litter of kittens. Cat can have litters VERY young

For her litter tray (if you are using one) put soil in as she wont be used to the usual stone stuff we can buy and is unlikely to go to it naturally.

a vet will check her over for signs of disease, injury etc so this is the first step

Good luck!

Also watch bringing her indoors doesnt cause stress...give her time to come in herself if she wants. bring her in and locking her in could cause major stress

 

[mizzy_dizzy]

Any updates on this one? X

 

[sparkle_beauty]

Hi, sorry only just seen the replies.
We took her to the vets and she didn't have a chip, we've had two people come round thinking it might be there cat but it wasn't
She's now been flead and wormed and checked over. She was fine just a little under weight and she's about 18weeks old.
She wouldn't come in the house for long and kept sleeping in our recycling tub so I put a blanket in for her. She seemed to be putting weight on but I haven't seen her for the past two days I'm hoping she's found her way home x

 

[MummyCat]

Hi, sorry only just seen the replies.
We took her to the vets and she didn't have a chip, we've had two people come round thinking it might be there cat but it wasn't
She's now been flead and wormed and checked over. She was fine just a little under weight and she's about 18weeks old.
She wouldn't come in the house for long and kept sleeping in our recycling tub so I put a blanket in for her. She seemed to be putting weight on but I haven't seen her for the past two days I'm hoping she's found her way home x

Hopefully she's safe and she'll come back Xx

 

[Ruth Mills]

Cats can be very independent creatures... one possibility (if the cat hasn't come back) is that her owners may have gone away on holiday for a few days and not arranged anyone to look after her - but have come back now...

Not everyone is a responsible cat owner sadly. If going away for any length of time, it's essential to have someone to come in, at least every day, to feed the cat(s) for you and make sure they are OK... or to take the cat(s) to a cattery while away...