Should I keep the homeless cat?
I have this sweet young cat coming to my garden and into my house, i guess he's around 1,5 years. He likes to get petted and sometimes sleeps over. Since he seems really hungry, I started feeding him, lately on a regular base. I like him and would like to keep him, he is friendly and not afraid. But I have a few worries:
I threated my house against fleas, and it seems to be OK now, but after that it is as if he got more distant to me. I guess he got scared by the strange smell, and the thing I put on him, and also I couldn't let him in to the house while spraying.
Now he often stays away the whole night; -can it be that he has another house and just comes to me "for fun" ? He does seem really hungry though, and he is not fat.
-will he ever be able to become a "housecat" and not a "gardencat" if I for example move to a house without garden?
What about castration and all that; isn't it terrible for the cat? How much money can I expect to spend on the cat on a monthly or yearly base?
Answers:
The probability is that the cat has a main point of residence, and you are included on the cats rounds, in fact he more than likely calls on other houses as well. They are pretty quick at figuring out where the quiet places and food are. I have 3 cats all Maine Coons, and the silver tabby is well known in our part of town, often people will say, oh hi there, I had Ziggy around a couple of days ago, he was just visiting, looks for treats, and settles down a while. We had a small tabby do exactly the same here, and she would sleep over in a regular place, and eat as well with the other cats, and then move on. Eventually left for good when it got a bit noisier in the house, I know where she lives now, and there were small children in her house at the time she slept over, so it was probably staying out of the way of the kids, they like peace and quiet to sleep. If you are curious as to the origin, put a safety collar, if he lets you, on the cat, loosley remember in case it gets caught, and attach a brief note to it, maybe the owner will read it, if not, well then it could be a genuine stray, or abandonment.
The point you ask on house cat / garden cat, is most cats are up for roaming around and establishing a territory, he won't become a house cat unless you lock him in, and that would be a bit cruel after he has already taken to the big outdoors, unless you live in a busy traffic area and there is a high risk of being run over.
It's not cheap to keep a cat, but they are worth it, you can take out an insurance policy for him for future vet bills, it's pretty cheap to do, and saves being faced with a big bill if the need arises. as for neutering, don't do it until you verify the cats ownership. If as I said it is a stray, well it's not so bad for the cat, and makes things a lot easier for both of you in the long run. In truth it is probably done sooner than later as a young cat will recover better and quicker than the older cat. Much of the roaming around he is doing can be down to the fact he is intact and checking around for a mate, and marking out his territory, which believe smells terrible, and is very difficult to get rid of!
So there you are, food for thought so to speak, by the way get some dry cat food, they love that and it's good for their teeth, might need to try a couple of brands, and give him plenty fresh water, preferably not from the main supply as it is full of chlorines and stuff, although some cats will drink it I find they prefer water from the bathroom taps that come from the water tank on site, it's not treated as much as we are not supposed to drink it, which I'm sure you know anyway. You might know already that milk is actually bad for them, my cats don't like it anyway, so that can be left out. Maybe some of this might help. Adios
keep the cute little thing, come on i know you want to:)
Friend, if you can keep it, feed it, and walk it ,then, go ahead adopt it.
Yes , they need homes. Just get all the shots . cat food is cheap & you wont need to much kitty-litter , if it is spending most of it's time outside!
Good Luck!
if i were u i'd keep the cat...he seems to like humans!
Aw. Love him unconditionally. I know it's hard that he runs out a lot. My sister has a fat cat like that. Oreo runs in and out all the time. He comes home to eat and sleep and then he's back in the street. At least we know he's okay when he comes back in to eat. Sorry about the flea thing.
You are right on with the strange smell. Once that wears off the cat will act normal again. It doesnt cost very much money to own a cat. They get shots every year or so which is like $75. Then cat food ranges from $2-$? depending on what kind you buy. Same with litter. If this was my situation I would just let him roam free outside and inside as long as he is not causing a big mess. I would take him to the vet and make sure he's healthy. Also, I wouldnt get him declawed if he is going to be inside and outside. As far as neutering him, I would just because if you dont then he could get other cats pregnant and possibly cause unwanted kittens that wont be properly taken care of.
if you have the money and time yes but to save money
put flea tratment on him and deworm him on a month about $30 or $40bucks on food, litter flea and tick stuff
Cats are great..do it!
If you live in an area where there can be coyotes, foxes, or alligators, I would say you should keep him/her.
Not to scare you, but it's been known to happen! (though in general cats can climb into trees and stuff)
Awwww - keep the cat !
I would recommend that you got him castrated first though and that should stop the spraying.
Yeah keep the cat. He obviously likes your company and you like his! Cat food is quite cheap all depending on the brand. The only thing that is expensive is the vets bills for vaccinations etc.
Go on then but make sure its safe and has shots especially if theres young people around it.
YES================
NO put posters up in shops around and in the local vets if still go to the rspca people often go to them to see if they have had anyone phone with a cat if no one claims it then keep it but someone might be missing their cat
All my cats are neutered and they did very well -- actually came home the same day. A large bag of high quality cat food will last one cat a very long time. Keep it in an airtight container. I have 5 cats and we go through a large 16 pound bag every 3 weeks or so. I do believe cats can have more than one home--Another thing to understand about a cat is the independence factor if they like it outside they will find a way to get out. If you decide to keep him/her please consider neutering-there are far too many unwanted cats and dogs in the world.
ring your local rescue centre to ensure he is definately homeless and keep him if you can! cats don't cost all that much to keep on a monthly basis, just food, litter etc. I'd say about £20 per month. Annually he'll need vaccinations (approx £30) and to castrate a tomcat costs about £30. You might be able to get some financial help with funding his castration from cats protection league (in the UK) its better to castrate as a lot of people are not as kind as you and there are many many unwanted kittens.
He may never become a total housecat as hes used to his freedom but Im sure over time he will become more dependant on you and will show more affection. Good luck!
From personal experience, most stray cats are hard to turn into housecats, especially males. They already have the taste of freedom. Castration varies in price but is usally under 100 dollars. This doesn't guarrantee that he won't spray. That may already be a habit. It is very important for an outdoor cat to be tested for feline leukemia and then vaccinated if the test is negative. I spend 175 dollars per cat per year for vaccines, exam, and meds (flea). Keeping the cat free of fleas will keep him free of tape worms.
Keep him, you can look on the internet for reduced spay and neuter cost or you can go to your local animal shelter and they will help you get this done cheaply. He can breed with any female cat that is in heat, In the United States alone, more than 50,000 kittens and puppies are born each day. For every pet with a place he can happily call home, there are 4 companion animals who are homeless, neglected, or abused. Millions of these animals enter America's animal shelters and 30 to 60 percent of them have to be destroyed each year because no one wants them - that is 4 to 6 million animals.
In 7 years, one cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens.
Have him checked out at the vet, you will have a live long friend for about $100.00 neuter and shots, as for the fleas it will cost you about $6.00 for flea control at the below listed site, Please take him in, (O:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr.
A good place to research you possible new life time buddy is the link listed below.
http://www.peteducation.com/
I wish i had a quid for everytime my cat has been "adopted" by some well wisher. My cat is skinny. she gets fed twice daily with meat and has access to dried food all the time. In addition, she mouses and eats them. She does not wear a collar as she nearly hung herself once. One day, a neighbour who was moving tried to give my cat away to my husband.
Cats usually have a home and when people consider that if a cat is out, it is homeless, it is usually incorrect. You feeding the cat is enticement from it's home. Leave it alone. How would you feel if someone was enticing your cat - not good i bet.
I had another cat that disappeared for a few weeks and came back speyed. Not impressed. It was a pedigree cat.
NOT ALL CATS ARE STRAY - LEAVE IT ALONE
He may not be "homeless" and just playing the field?
Does he have a collar on? If not put one on him with one of those screw type ID tags on it with your name and address inside and see if anyone (a potential owner) removes it?
I have 3 cats, all spayed/neutered. 1 female goes away for weeks on end, comes back for 3-4 days hangs about all day long, isn't especially hungry..and then she buggers off again?
I don't know what her problem is, she is a lovely fussy cat (if a bit timid) maybe she has a 2nd home somewhere too?
Yes, keep the cat. He is obviously attached to you. You can get sofa covers for your sofa and then try letting him in. That way you don't have to worry about fleas.
Another way to treat the fleas that might be more agreeable to him is to get Revolution for cats from your vet. This is an ointment that comes in a tube like toothpaste. All you do is squirt the entire tube onto the back of the cat's neck where he can't lick once a month. The ointment will spread itself over the cat's entire body via the cat's body oil, which serve to protect his skin. This medicine kills fleas, flea eggs, heartworms, mites and a few other things as well. One 6-dose package costs $82.00. (That's a 6-month's supply.)
Maybe then he will decide to stay in your house.
Before deciding on whether or not to fix him, first give him a chance to decide if he wants to stay inside more often..
keep the lil kitty. Cat food is relatively cheap. Kroger has those Friskies cans 3 for $1 just get abit of that, sum biscuits and make sure u put sum milk and water. He doesnt seem lke he is going to be an "inside" cat all the time so u might not need the whole litter box thing, but get one in case. cats arent so troublesome, i had about 8 cats, got 4 at the moment. My favourite cat used to just come for food and sleep on my bed a little while then he used to do his "business" outside. Seems like thats what this kitty's gonna do. get him a basket to sleep in during the night and keep it on ure porch or sumthng.
kittys are sweet, keep the cute bugger, u will be blessed!!
First of all, if he does belong to someone else, they're not taking very good care of it if they let it roam free. There's too many dangers out there in the world for a cat. So I say you should keep it but keep it indoors. If you're worried about the odor from the flea treatment, open up some windows to get the smell out. You asked about the cost a taking care of a cat. I have 2 and it runs me about $150 a year to take them to the vet and get all their shots. They're strictly indoors but I still get them their shots to keep them healthy. Cat food cost me about $6 a month, litter is only about $5 a month. Then I'll buy them a toy here and there which is next to nothing. Take care of your pets is just like taking care of kids..they depend on you for everything. But they're totally worth it!!
If he hasn't been neutered it is more likely that he would be out at night. I don't think neutering is very painful. In my experience, they hardly seem to notice and recover quickly. He should become more of an "at home" cat after being neutered. When cats are used to going outside they usually want to continue having that freedom, but could probably get used to being inside. They can be insistent though. Most cats are terribly afraid of anything that has a spray can sound, if that is what you used, and that could have made him stay away. It shouldn't cost much to feed the cat and unless he has vet fees there shouldn't be much expense. I hope you continue to feed and care for the guy. Best wishes!
first of all check with your neighbors and make sure that this cat doesn't belong to someone else. then before brining it inside, make sure he doesn't have fleas, take him to the groomers for a flea bath and get him started on some flea meds. and take him to the vet for a check up to make sure he is healthy. then you can bring him inside.
you will need to provide quality food, I recomend natural choice complete care
http://www.nutroproducts.com/ncccia.asp.
litter- I recomend arm and hammer super scoop. and of course a litter box you'll have to get but I think you probably had that one figured. lol!
http://www.armhammerpets.com/superscoop..
http://www.vannessplastic.com/
get a bunch of toys, my boys favorite toy is this sponge ball from petco http://www.petco.com/shop/searchresults..
don't forget to get at least 1 scratch post, preferably more than one and different materials (rope, carpet, cardboard etc)
http://www.petsmart.com/global/search/se.
I would also recomend getting a drink well pet fountain
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b000f1c.
I hope I got the essentials, to start off with a bowl of water changed a few times a day should be good make sure the cat has water at all times. it's a good idea to save up and get a drink well pet fountain.
as far as vet bills, if you don't have a vet already, talk to friends and neighbors and see who they use and what their experience is like, check the place out for yourself, call them up and ask for their price for a regular visit, a follow up visit, how much neutering would cost, how much you would expect to spend in vaccines. you may even be able to ask them to give you an average yearly cost of the vet bills but keep enough incase of an emergency if your cat gets sick or injured.
make sure you establish with a vet from the start because most vets especially if you are an established client will accept a payment plan incase of something happening to your cat if you are in financial problems.
enjoy!
here is a good site about caring for a cat
http://cats.about.com/
just make sure that the cat doesn't already have an owner to begin with.
About $10 a month if you buy widely for cat litter(Fresh Step is best mixed with paws and claws litter.To feed them it takes about $5 a monthif feeding dry food and table scraps.For flea treatment get Revolution from the vet or online from Petmeds.com
So far it seems the cat's decided to keep you ;-))
Here's the thing; Cats make wonderful but very independent pets, and they're very intuitive. If your'e uncertain about keeping the cat, that ambiguity transfers to the cat and it will make it tentative and cautious in it's dealings with you. You've fed it and it accepts petting and friendship from you so the decisions already been made. It's up to you to define the terms of the partnership now.
The factors in transitioning an independent cat are
1/ Trust_ You already have the cat's trust
2/ Acceptance of habitat_ cats are territorial, so although it has accepted you as a friend, it is uncertain about the place (that's why the environment change brought about some anxiety in the cat). To introduce a cat to a new habitat you use a little animal psychology. Carry the cat to where you want it to consider it's safe place_ play with it while you allow it to explore, when it com es back to you to continue the play, you rub some butter, cream or bacon or beef fat on it's paws. Cats only groom when they are emotionally secure, but the greasy feeling on there paws drives 'em nuts so they will compromise. It'll groom because you have assured it that this place is safe, and from then on that place will always be safe. If you move, this is the same technique to use to introduce it to it's new home. It may take a few reps, because cats miss their old homes, and if they don't like their new home, they can and will kill themselves trying to get back to the old home.
3/ Personal Habits _ The main reason people end up rejecting feral (independent living) cats is House Training: Feral cats don't know the house rules about where to toilet and they end up soiling inside the house (cat doo smells reaalllly bad and most newbie cat hosts are driven crazy by this) but there's an easy way to fix this.
The simple method for house training is find where kitty goes to toilet, rub a piece of newspaper several sheets thick in the old doo, attract the cat's attention, by petting and play, NOT with food, get it to smell the odorized newspaper, and let the cat see what you're doing when you move the newspaper from where it goes to where YOU want it to go; this may be a litter box, a corner of the yard or even YOUR toilet. Leave the newspaper there until you are sure the cat has accepted the new toilet area and then get rid of the newspaper. Cl;ean the old toilet area with something that gives a clear NO signal to the cat eg really smelly household bleach or smelly ammonia.
4/ The pitter patter of little feet_ So far you imply that your cat's a him and not a her_ but yeah neutering is important, causes little psychological harm, (it makes boy cats fat, lazy and unwilling to explore, female cats become more aloof and less affectionate. Gender differences in cats are significant, that's why I talk about IT rather than him/her), and doesn't give you the stress of a popultatio that can show a growth rate of 2500 % compound interest. (If you kept all your cats' offspring in perpetua, a pair of cats would turn into a population of 62/64 cats in 2 years). SPAY OR NEUTER unless you REALLY like kittens.
5/ Understanding the relationship: If you live alone, and work all day, you should allow your cat more outdoor freedom, unless you live in the heart of a city: You don't btw, you wouldn't have asked your options if you did.
Independent as cats are, they often fall in love with people and if they do, and you are lucky enough for a cat to do this( and I think yours has, you can't have a more loyal friend and it will literally and i MEAN literally kill itself for you.
You don't own a pet: what you have is a friend, and a true friend at that.
KEEP THE DARN CAT
Cat's are very cheap animals (especially compared to Dogs).
They are also less sensitive to pain than humans. Getting it spayed/neutreed is better for it.
ahh i would keep the poor thing and if u take him i side and just stay with him he will get usee to being inside
Keep him and get him neutered. If he belongs to someone, they should have neutered him, there is way to many unwanted cats around. Keep him.
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I threated my house against fleas, and it seems to be OK now, but after that it is as if he got more distant to me. I guess he got scared by the strange smell, and the thing I put on him, and also I couldn't let him in to the house while spraying.
Now he often stays away the whole night; -can it be that he has another house and just comes to me "for fun" ? He does seem really hungry though, and he is not fat.
-will he ever be able to become a "housecat" and not a "gardencat" if I for example move to a house without garden?
What about castration and all that; isn't it terrible for the cat? How much money can I expect to spend on the cat on a monthly or yearly base?
Answers:
The probability is that the cat has a main point of residence, and you are included on the cats rounds, in fact he more than likely calls on other houses as well. They are pretty quick at figuring out where the quiet places and food are. I have 3 cats all Maine Coons, and the silver tabby is well known in our part of town, often people will say, oh hi there, I had Ziggy around a couple of days ago, he was just visiting, looks for treats, and settles down a while. We had a small tabby do exactly the same here, and she would sleep over in a regular place, and eat as well with the other cats, and then move on. Eventually left for good when it got a bit noisier in the house, I know where she lives now, and there were small children in her house at the time she slept over, so it was probably staying out of the way of the kids, they like peace and quiet to sleep. If you are curious as to the origin, put a safety collar, if he lets you, on the cat, loosley remember in case it gets caught, and attach a brief note to it, maybe the owner will read it, if not, well then it could be a genuine stray, or abandonment.
The point you ask on house cat / garden cat, is most cats are up for roaming around and establishing a territory, he won't become a house cat unless you lock him in, and that would be a bit cruel after he has already taken to the big outdoors, unless you live in a busy traffic area and there is a high risk of being run over.
It's not cheap to keep a cat, but they are worth it, you can take out an insurance policy for him for future vet bills, it's pretty cheap to do, and saves being faced with a big bill if the need arises. as for neutering, don't do it until you verify the cats ownership. If as I said it is a stray, well it's not so bad for the cat, and makes things a lot easier for both of you in the long run. In truth it is probably done sooner than later as a young cat will recover better and quicker than the older cat. Much of the roaming around he is doing can be down to the fact he is intact and checking around for a mate, and marking out his territory, which believe smells terrible, and is very difficult to get rid of!
So there you are, food for thought so to speak, by the way get some dry cat food, they love that and it's good for their teeth, might need to try a couple of brands, and give him plenty fresh water, preferably not from the main supply as it is full of chlorines and stuff, although some cats will drink it I find they prefer water from the bathroom taps that come from the water tank on site, it's not treated as much as we are not supposed to drink it, which I'm sure you know anyway. You might know already that milk is actually bad for them, my cats don't like it anyway, so that can be left out. Maybe some of this might help. Adios
keep the cute little thing, come on i know you want to:)
Friend, if you can keep it, feed it, and walk it ,then, go ahead adopt it.
Yes , they need homes. Just get all the shots . cat food is cheap & you wont need to much kitty-litter , if it is spending most of it's time outside!
Good Luck!
if i were u i'd keep the cat...he seems to like humans!
Aw. Love him unconditionally. I know it's hard that he runs out a lot. My sister has a fat cat like that. Oreo runs in and out all the time. He comes home to eat and sleep and then he's back in the street. At least we know he's okay when he comes back in to eat. Sorry about the flea thing.
You are right on with the strange smell. Once that wears off the cat will act normal again. It doesnt cost very much money to own a cat. They get shots every year or so which is like $75. Then cat food ranges from $2-$? depending on what kind you buy. Same with litter. If this was my situation I would just let him roam free outside and inside as long as he is not causing a big mess. I would take him to the vet and make sure he's healthy. Also, I wouldnt get him declawed if he is going to be inside and outside. As far as neutering him, I would just because if you dont then he could get other cats pregnant and possibly cause unwanted kittens that wont be properly taken care of.
if you have the money and time yes but to save money
put flea tratment on him and deworm him on a month about $30 or $40bucks on food, litter flea and tick stuff
Cats are great..do it!
If you live in an area where there can be coyotes, foxes, or alligators, I would say you should keep him/her.
Not to scare you, but it's been known to happen! (though in general cats can climb into trees and stuff)
Awwww - keep the cat !
I would recommend that you got him castrated first though and that should stop the spraying.
Yeah keep the cat. He obviously likes your company and you like his! Cat food is quite cheap all depending on the brand. The only thing that is expensive is the vets bills for vaccinations etc.
Go on then but make sure its safe and has shots especially if theres young people around it.
YES================
NO put posters up in shops around and in the local vets if still go to the rspca people often go to them to see if they have had anyone phone with a cat if no one claims it then keep it but someone might be missing their cat
All my cats are neutered and they did very well -- actually came home the same day. A large bag of high quality cat food will last one cat a very long time. Keep it in an airtight container. I have 5 cats and we go through a large 16 pound bag every 3 weeks or so. I do believe cats can have more than one home--Another thing to understand about a cat is the independence factor if they like it outside they will find a way to get out. If you decide to keep him/her please consider neutering-there are far too many unwanted cats and dogs in the world.
ring your local rescue centre to ensure he is definately homeless and keep him if you can! cats don't cost all that much to keep on a monthly basis, just food, litter etc. I'd say about £20 per month. Annually he'll need vaccinations (approx £30) and to castrate a tomcat costs about £30. You might be able to get some financial help with funding his castration from cats protection league (in the UK) its better to castrate as a lot of people are not as kind as you and there are many many unwanted kittens.
He may never become a total housecat as hes used to his freedom but Im sure over time he will become more dependant on you and will show more affection. Good luck!
From personal experience, most stray cats are hard to turn into housecats, especially males. They already have the taste of freedom. Castration varies in price but is usally under 100 dollars. This doesn't guarrantee that he won't spray. That may already be a habit. It is very important for an outdoor cat to be tested for feline leukemia and then vaccinated if the test is negative. I spend 175 dollars per cat per year for vaccines, exam, and meds (flea). Keeping the cat free of fleas will keep him free of tape worms.
Keep him, you can look on the internet for reduced spay and neuter cost or you can go to your local animal shelter and they will help you get this done cheaply. He can breed with any female cat that is in heat, In the United States alone, more than 50,000 kittens and puppies are born each day. For every pet with a place he can happily call home, there are 4 companion animals who are homeless, neglected, or abused. Millions of these animals enter America's animal shelters and 30 to 60 percent of them have to be destroyed each year because no one wants them - that is 4 to 6 million animals.
In 7 years, one cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens.
Have him checked out at the vet, you will have a live long friend for about $100.00 neuter and shots, as for the fleas it will cost you about $6.00 for flea control at the below listed site, Please take him in, (O:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr.
A good place to research you possible new life time buddy is the link listed below.
http://www.peteducation.com/
I wish i had a quid for everytime my cat has been "adopted" by some well wisher. My cat is skinny. she gets fed twice daily with meat and has access to dried food all the time. In addition, she mouses and eats them. She does not wear a collar as she nearly hung herself once. One day, a neighbour who was moving tried to give my cat away to my husband.
Cats usually have a home and when people consider that if a cat is out, it is homeless, it is usually incorrect. You feeding the cat is enticement from it's home. Leave it alone. How would you feel if someone was enticing your cat - not good i bet.
I had another cat that disappeared for a few weeks and came back speyed. Not impressed. It was a pedigree cat.
NOT ALL CATS ARE STRAY - LEAVE IT ALONE
He may not be "homeless" and just playing the field?
Does he have a collar on? If not put one on him with one of those screw type ID tags on it with your name and address inside and see if anyone (a potential owner) removes it?
I have 3 cats, all spayed/neutered. 1 female goes away for weeks on end, comes back for 3-4 days hangs about all day long, isn't especially hungry..and then she buggers off again?
I don't know what her problem is, she is a lovely fussy cat (if a bit timid) maybe she has a 2nd home somewhere too?
Yes, keep the cat. He is obviously attached to you. You can get sofa covers for your sofa and then try letting him in. That way you don't have to worry about fleas.
Another way to treat the fleas that might be more agreeable to him is to get Revolution for cats from your vet. This is an ointment that comes in a tube like toothpaste. All you do is squirt the entire tube onto the back of the cat's neck where he can't lick once a month. The ointment will spread itself over the cat's entire body via the cat's body oil, which serve to protect his skin. This medicine kills fleas, flea eggs, heartworms, mites and a few other things as well. One 6-dose package costs $82.00. (That's a 6-month's supply.)
Maybe then he will decide to stay in your house.
Before deciding on whether or not to fix him, first give him a chance to decide if he wants to stay inside more often..
keep the lil kitty. Cat food is relatively cheap. Kroger has those Friskies cans 3 for $1 just get abit of that, sum biscuits and make sure u put sum milk and water. He doesnt seem lke he is going to be an "inside" cat all the time so u might not need the whole litter box thing, but get one in case. cats arent so troublesome, i had about 8 cats, got 4 at the moment. My favourite cat used to just come for food and sleep on my bed a little while then he used to do his "business" outside. Seems like thats what this kitty's gonna do. get him a basket to sleep in during the night and keep it on ure porch or sumthng.
kittys are sweet, keep the cute bugger, u will be blessed!!
First of all, if he does belong to someone else, they're not taking very good care of it if they let it roam free. There's too many dangers out there in the world for a cat. So I say you should keep it but keep it indoors. If you're worried about the odor from the flea treatment, open up some windows to get the smell out. You asked about the cost a taking care of a cat. I have 2 and it runs me about $150 a year to take them to the vet and get all their shots. They're strictly indoors but I still get them their shots to keep them healthy. Cat food cost me about $6 a month, litter is only about $5 a month. Then I'll buy them a toy here and there which is next to nothing. Take care of your pets is just like taking care of kids..they depend on you for everything. But they're totally worth it!!
If he hasn't been neutered it is more likely that he would be out at night. I don't think neutering is very painful. In my experience, they hardly seem to notice and recover quickly. He should become more of an "at home" cat after being neutered. When cats are used to going outside they usually want to continue having that freedom, but could probably get used to being inside. They can be insistent though. Most cats are terribly afraid of anything that has a spray can sound, if that is what you used, and that could have made him stay away. It shouldn't cost much to feed the cat and unless he has vet fees there shouldn't be much expense. I hope you continue to feed and care for the guy. Best wishes!
first of all check with your neighbors and make sure that this cat doesn't belong to someone else. then before brining it inside, make sure he doesn't have fleas, take him to the groomers for a flea bath and get him started on some flea meds. and take him to the vet for a check up to make sure he is healthy. then you can bring him inside.
you will need to provide quality food, I recomend natural choice complete care
http://www.nutroproducts.com/ncccia.asp.
litter- I recomend arm and hammer super scoop. and of course a litter box you'll have to get but I think you probably had that one figured. lol!
http://www.armhammerpets.com/superscoop..
http://www.vannessplastic.com/
get a bunch of toys, my boys favorite toy is this sponge ball from petco http://www.petco.com/shop/searchresults..
don't forget to get at least 1 scratch post, preferably more than one and different materials (rope, carpet, cardboard etc)
http://www.petsmart.com/global/search/se.
I would also recomend getting a drink well pet fountain
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b000f1c.
I hope I got the essentials, to start off with a bowl of water changed a few times a day should be good make sure the cat has water at all times. it's a good idea to save up and get a drink well pet fountain.
as far as vet bills, if you don't have a vet already, talk to friends and neighbors and see who they use and what their experience is like, check the place out for yourself, call them up and ask for their price for a regular visit, a follow up visit, how much neutering would cost, how much you would expect to spend in vaccines. you may even be able to ask them to give you an average yearly cost of the vet bills but keep enough incase of an emergency if your cat gets sick or injured.
make sure you establish with a vet from the start because most vets especially if you are an established client will accept a payment plan incase of something happening to your cat if you are in financial problems.
enjoy!
here is a good site about caring for a cat
http://cats.about.com/
just make sure that the cat doesn't already have an owner to begin with.
About $10 a month if you buy widely for cat litter(Fresh Step is best mixed with paws and claws litter.To feed them it takes about $5 a monthif feeding dry food and table scraps.For flea treatment get Revolution from the vet or online from Petmeds.com
So far it seems the cat's decided to keep you ;-))
Here's the thing; Cats make wonderful but very independent pets, and they're very intuitive. If your'e uncertain about keeping the cat, that ambiguity transfers to the cat and it will make it tentative and cautious in it's dealings with you. You've fed it and it accepts petting and friendship from you so the decisions already been made. It's up to you to define the terms of the partnership now.
The factors in transitioning an independent cat are
1/ Trust_ You already have the cat's trust
2/ Acceptance of habitat_ cats are territorial, so although it has accepted you as a friend, it is uncertain about the place (that's why the environment change brought about some anxiety in the cat). To introduce a cat to a new habitat you use a little animal psychology. Carry the cat to where you want it to consider it's safe place_ play with it while you allow it to explore, when it com es back to you to continue the play, you rub some butter, cream or bacon or beef fat on it's paws. Cats only groom when they are emotionally secure, but the greasy feeling on there paws drives 'em nuts so they will compromise. It'll groom because you have assured it that this place is safe, and from then on that place will always be safe. If you move, this is the same technique to use to introduce it to it's new home. It may take a few reps, because cats miss their old homes, and if they don't like their new home, they can and will kill themselves trying to get back to the old home.
3/ Personal Habits _ The main reason people end up rejecting feral (independent living) cats is House Training: Feral cats don't know the house rules about where to toilet and they end up soiling inside the house (cat doo smells reaalllly bad and most newbie cat hosts are driven crazy by this) but there's an easy way to fix this.
The simple method for house training is find where kitty goes to toilet, rub a piece of newspaper several sheets thick in the old doo, attract the cat's attention, by petting and play, NOT with food, get it to smell the odorized newspaper, and let the cat see what you're doing when you move the newspaper from where it goes to where YOU want it to go; this may be a litter box, a corner of the yard or even YOUR toilet. Leave the newspaper there until you are sure the cat has accepted the new toilet area and then get rid of the newspaper. Cl;ean the old toilet area with something that gives a clear NO signal to the cat eg really smelly household bleach or smelly ammonia.
4/ The pitter patter of little feet_ So far you imply that your cat's a him and not a her_ but yeah neutering is important, causes little psychological harm, (it makes boy cats fat, lazy and unwilling to explore, female cats become more aloof and less affectionate. Gender differences in cats are significant, that's why I talk about IT rather than him/her), and doesn't give you the stress of a popultatio that can show a growth rate of 2500 % compound interest. (If you kept all your cats' offspring in perpetua, a pair of cats would turn into a population of 62/64 cats in 2 years). SPAY OR NEUTER unless you REALLY like kittens.
5/ Understanding the relationship: If you live alone, and work all day, you should allow your cat more outdoor freedom, unless you live in the heart of a city: You don't btw, you wouldn't have asked your options if you did.
Independent as cats are, they often fall in love with people and if they do, and you are lucky enough for a cat to do this( and I think yours has, you can't have a more loyal friend and it will literally and i MEAN literally kill itself for you.
You don't own a pet: what you have is a friend, and a true friend at that.
KEEP THE DARN CAT
Cat's are very cheap animals (especially compared to Dogs).
They are also less sensitive to pain than humans. Getting it spayed/neutreed is better for it.
ahh i would keep the poor thing and if u take him i side and just stay with him he will get usee to being inside
Keep him and get him neutered. If he belongs to someone, they should have neutered him, there is way to many unwanted cats around. Keep him.
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