Neighborhood kitty break-in

[Talon]

So this last holiday season we had an amusing run-in with a black cat. We were all set to leave the house for a party, when this cat jumped into our front door. After a bit of failed coaxing, I had to grab him and escort him out.

The cat was no stray. Didn't smell like one, looked well-fed, and was too comfortable around people. Plus I've seen a black cat at the house next door, pretty sure it's the same one. I don't know what he was doing outside though, it wasn't exactly warm. My mom actually suggested we leave him inside the house while we were gone. I felt bad about leaving the cat in the cold, but I'd feel worse having to clean up cat droppings.

Although now that I think about it, we could have let him hang out in the basement. A door separates the basement from the rest of the house, and there's this small cupboard-type opening in the side wall that leads outside. It could be used as a cat escape-hatch, and hopefully the cat's been trained to go outside for litter. Also as I discovered later, the cat was declawed, so not much chance of cat-scratch damage.

Yesterday again I happened to run into the little black furball outside my door again. From his rubbing against the door he obviously wanted in. Again I was torn, there was a fairly nasty wind that day. I played with him for a bit, but didn't let him in. Besides the litter issue, I didn't have time to be entertaining a feline houseguest. (though in retrospect I ended up not doing much of anything that day). That and my dad worried I wouldn't be able to get him back outside again.

So I just wanted to know what other CS'ers would have done in my position.

[nhollywood]

In my opinion, ask the neighbor if it is their cat. Otherwise, the basement idea sounds cool. Just make sure you don't mind having the cat around forever.

[BookstoreEscapee]

In my opinion, ask the neighbor if it is their cat. Otherwise, the basement idea sounds cool. Just make sure you don't mind having the cat around forever.

Yeah, I'd check with the neighbor.

If it is a stray...well, that's how we got our first cat. We were nice to it and it stayed for 7 years.

[Talon]

Yeah, I'd check with the neighbor.

If it is a stray...well, that's how we got our first cat. We were nice to it and it stayed for 7 years.

Both times the neighbors weren't home, or didn't appear to be.

But us keeping a cat won't work, I'm pretty sure both my parentals are allergic. Being unemployed and in college, aka broke, I can't take care of a cat either.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Both times the neighbors weren't home, or didn't appear to be.

But us keeping a cat won't work, I'm pretty sure both my parentals are allergic. Being unemployed and in college, aka broke, I can't take care of a cat either.

Hehe, my dad "hates" cats. They have two now. Little girl looooves him.

[Seshat]

If your neighbour is leaving the cat outside at times when it's not safe for kitty to be outside, that's probably an animal welfare violation.

Consider setting up the basement as a potential shelter for kitty, and consider making water and litter available, but *do not feed kitty* unless you want kitty to stay.

Let kitty shelter there on a miserable day once, trapping kitty in the basement. When neighbours return, check to see if its theirs. If it is, encourage them to keep kitty indoors in bad weather.

If kitty comes back to basement on a miserable-unhealthy-weather day, take kitty to the shelter/get the animal control officer to come out.

Neighbours will either pay to retrieve their cat (and get chewed out), or not. If not, an affectionate, gentle, loving, healthy cat is highly likely to be adopted.

If the cat is out at/near halloween, DO trap the cat in the basement! Black cats are in danger then, unfortunately.



We've taken/sent seven animals to our shelter since we moved in. Okay, six to the shelter, one to our local vet.
(The vet one was injured, and we intended to ask the vet to stabilise her for travel - but the vet said she'd see to the identification/adoption and not to worry about payment. We LOVE our vet!)

[Talon]

I think calling animal welfare is premature. That said, I think I will provide shelter next time, if there is a next time. No food though, in a house of mostly vegetarians, not much cat-meat anyway.

If the cat is out at/near halloween, DO trap the cat in the basement! Black cats are in danger then, unfortunately.

You're not joking are you? *facepalm*

[HYHYBT]

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/blackcat.asp

I wouldn't worry too much about the cat, if it seems to be currently cared for; if you take in a cat that belongs to someone else, that someone else won't know what happened to it and will worry. And cats aren't entirely stupid: if they don't want to be out in the cold, they won't ask to go outside when it's cold out. Hopefully the neighbors, if it's theirs, would put it in if they were going away for a longer time.

[Seshat]

You're not joking are you? *facepalm*

No, I'm not. I doubt there's actual 'ritual sacrifice' or any such thing happening - just criminal-minded people with no sense of empathy.

But around Halloween, they're more likely to target black cats. At other times of the year, it's whichever animal they can get their hands on.


Other than Halloween, only provide shelter if the weather is dangerous to an unsheltered animal - I agree with HYHYBT that you don't want to end up with the cat thinking your place is home.

I also agree that an animal won't ask to go outside when the weather is truly miserable: but some people will put an animal outside in miserable weather, or when miserable weather is coming up and they won't be around to let them back in.

[Red_Dazes]

You're not joking are you? *facepalm*

Sadly it's all to true. Black cats are at alot of risk around Halloween. I know when I was little one of our black cats was taken and killed. Really sad. Keep kitty inside if you see him wandering around at that time of year.