# What to do when rescuing a cat?



## Guest (Dec 24, 2012)

Ok i want to know what people would do if they found a stray cat! What would you do?

A majority here already have pets. Some tolerant of other animals. Some not. 

Ok so you find a stray cat about 8 month old in your garden.

You take it into your house with lets say a dog and 2 cats already. The stray is terrified of the dog and hates other cats. Making it impossible for you to keep.Plus your already tight budget makes it hard anyway.

You ring up your local vets and say you found a stray. They tell you they cannot take it but bring it in for vaccs and a health check (expecting you to pay)

You ring all the local rescue centres and they say they are too full and ring back in a few monthes! You try to sign it over to rspca but they also say they are full. You go onto several pet forums and ask for homes/fosterers but nothing is avialable.

Then what???

Do you take to vets to pts or let it back on the street. It cannot stay at yours because your other half isnt happy and putting pressure on you and the cat is terrified of most people and other pets.

What do you do?


----------



## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

Ditch my other half. Designate a cat only room. Sit tight until either it settles or a space becomes vacant at a decent rescue


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Howldaloom said:


> Ok i want to know what people would do if they found a stray cat! What would you do?
> 
> A majority here already have pets. Some tolerant of other animals. Some not.
> 
> ...


You don't take it to RSPCA unless you want it PTS. If I had a garden I would make a cosy space in a shed where he could go at night to eat and sleep while your own cats were indoors (assuming that your cats would allow him into the garden). Unless you could persuade your OH to sleep in the shed.


----------



## Ang2 (Jun 15, 2012)

Put the poor thing in a spare room. Take photos and advertise on all the forums with a desperate plea for a home. Ring all the smaller rescues/shelters and beg them to take him.


----------



## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_i have been feeding a stray /lost cat .for months now, he was so afraid of us at first, but comes to us now for food,but i cant pick him up,he doesnt come in, but does now come near the back door, and we can slowly stroke him, i have made shelter for him around the garden, but usually once he has been fed he shoots off, i dont know where he goes, he looks much healthier now, i have flead and wormed him, i hope to gain his trust so i can get him to the vet to check for a chip, if none is found i will have him neutered,maybe one day he will come in, but for now im doing the best i can for him, until he feels he wants to come in, we have 6 cats, and we have dogs,
as said you could make shelter for it, and feed it, make some posters, it may be lost._


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Firstly....you congratulate yourself on being a decent and generous human being and for trying to do the best for this little cat.
Then......
1. Try and have a conversation with OH and explain that this is only a temporary situation and beg them to be patient while you sort it out....maybe offer a bit of flattery along the lines of 'your kindness is one of the things I love best about you'
2. Contact local rescues again and ask to be put on a waiting list
3. Visit all local vets in person and ask the vet nurses/receptionists to keep an eye out for any suitable potential homes
4. Post on this forum, catchat, purrsinourhearts etc giving as much honest (but heart wrenching!! ) detail about the cat as possible, include photos showing cat looking at it's best. Do also consider posting on sites such as Gumtree, Preloved and even Freecycle....obviously you will screen any potential new owners carefully but you do want to reach as wide an audience as possible
5. Keep on updating threads/posts on a weekly basis

Meanwhile do kep doing all you can to socialise the cat and get it used to humans/dogs/other cats as this will make it easier to find a new home for it


----------

