# Possible stray stealing food. My cat doesn't seem to mind!



## MumOfFinn (Aug 19, 2013)

Hi all! 

I have a very friendly 11 month old male called Finn.
He appears to have several cat friends in our area that call for him to play chase and climb together. These cats are all healthy looking and unafraid of me and my boyfriend. Positive friendships.

Recently however I have seen a scruffy coated black and white cat hanging around the garden. We don't have a cat flap, we just leave our bathroom widow open for Finn or the back door if good weather and are in all day. About a month ago I thought I heard Finn come in the backdoor to the kitchen and start loudly scoffing his biscuits. He rarely eats the whole bowl as he gets meat regularly and Biscuits just get left down to nibble on between meals should he need to. I went to investigate and called out his name and he didn't meow in response as usual, when I stepped into the kitchen a shabby black and white cat fled out the door skittishly. I followed it into the garden where it just stood staring at me. When I tried to approach it it fled again.

I was concerned after this as to how often this cat had been doing this and was worried Finn wouldn't like it if he realised another cat had stolen his food and entered his territory.

The cat has been back and stolen food on several other occasions and I can never get close to it to even see what sex it is. It just sits and stares me out until I move towards it, even if i gently call to it makes a break for it.

We stopped leaving the door open to stop it gaining access but then one morning Finn came in through bathroom window we had left open and started mewing for me to feed him. I followed him downstairs and when we got to the bottom he stopped and started looking around with his body slightly lowered to the ground and I got the sense that someone or something else was down there too. Low and behold, black and white cat strolls casually out of my lounge! Upon seeing me it fleas into the kitchen, me and Finn follow it in, the biscuits are gone and it throws itself into the corner of the counter tops and hisses. Finn doesn't hiss or react aggressively. Just watches. I try to step towards the cat and it flies down the counter to the side of me knocking things over, speeds up the stairs and back out the open window. Finn doesn't appear to be bothered in any way by what he just witnessed.....I find it odd that he isn't bothered that another cat just came in and stole food.

I had named the black and white cat meanie cat as it is a total cat burglar! I'm starting to wonder though. It seems scared of me for no reason, other than I keep catching it in my house at random!

3 night later and my friend stays the night in our spare room I get up in the morning and meanie cat is sat on the roof outside the bathroom window watching me. I started shutting Finn in over night downstairs the last few nights with a litter tray so meanie cat can't get down to his food.
My friend gets up and tells me there was a random black and white cat in the bathroom in the night that ran away when she went to use the loo. My boyfriend uses the bathroom and meanie cat sits staring in at him from the roof also. He leans out the widow and meanie cat runs away.

After this I see meanie cat in the day time in our garden watching the back door. Then Finn appears in the garden (neither of them can see me from where I spy through the window watching what happens next) meanie cat comes further into the garden, Finn allows it do so. Give each other a sniff and then just sit and hang out together for a while. I go out into the garden to try and introduce myself to meanie cat, but once again it escapes over the wall. 

I see Finn and meanie cat on a few more occasions like this, peacefully co-existing in ours and next doors garden. Finn usually plays chase with other cats. He doesn't play with meanie cat but always approaches it, then carries on what he was doing. 

Today I leave the door open and come downstairs, I see through the lounge window Finn and meanie cat sat so close facing one another that their faces almost touch. Meanie cat is licking it's chops and cleaning face with paw as if he has just eaten. I check Finns bowl and both biscuit and meat bowl are clean empty. I go out into the garden and meanie cat has left, Finn is contentedly where he was when I saw him through the window. I refill Finns bowls for him but he doesn't seem to be hungry.

Finn has seemingly started leaving about a quarter if his food quite consistently which he didn't used to do. Is he leaving a share for this cat who is visiting?

What do I do? Leave it to eat Finns leftovers and ignore its visits? Stop trying to approach it and see what it does?

Due to its scavenging, the moth eaten appearance of its coat, apparent fear of humans and smallish thin appearance I'm starting to think it could be stray or feral. It could be a neighbouring cat, but I think it would be fatter if it was getting fed elsewhere. And why is Finn allowing it to eat his leftovers? I'm starting to feel sorry for it but it won't let me near it. 

Suggestions?


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## Brightonian (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi, I had this a few years ago however I had a catflap. My 2 cats weren't bothered either!

I too thought it was a neighbours cat initially and didnt really mind at first, it was the winter and thought that its owner was just being irresponsible in shutting it out. It wasnt bothering my 2 who had their own beds upstairs in my room and were warm and cosy 
I only noticed after coming down stairs one morning ( early ) to hear the flap go, but my cats were upstairs. 
My house at the time had a cat flap in the kitchen and utility area. The kitchen door leading to the dining room and open stairs was always left open for my 2 to have access to the loo, flap and bowls. 

I left it for a good while as no harm was being caused, but I had a change in heart when it started meowing loudly at the bottom of the stairs at 4am!

So, as it was winter and my 2 were happy snug upstairs, I set the cat flap to allow the cat to come in but not leave. Off to bed I went,lights out and waited.
Within 20 minutes the flap went. 'Ah ha!' I thought, I'll get you, get your collar details and have words with your awful owners!

What I saw next nearly bad me in tears, a HUGE long haired male B&W male scared out of his skin frantically trying to get the flap to work. He was very scared and cowered in the corner, covered in mud ( even at the roots of his fur) his whiskers had obviously been cut with a blunt instrument, generally dirty and with a wound. He soon calmed down and let me pick him up, cuddles and pet. He was so tired and must have been relived to be safe. My cats came down and gave him a sniff, no problem! Even my scardy cat bubbles. He had no collar and it was obvious he was a stray. I kept him in the utility room for the night ( just in case he had any bugs disease etc) gave him food, water and made a litter tray out of a box. 

The poor little thing became startled every time I went into the utility and kitchen, but a quick cuddle made things better. I took him to the vet the next I day to have him patched up, I had to sign him over to cats protection who would pay for treatment. I was asked at the time if after he is treated would I want him. At the time I said no, I explained that I go away for work and maybe he should have a home where someone is around more seeing as he had been on his own. 

I named him Henry and I felt bad leaving him in some ways, I felt like I should have done something so much earlier but I didn't know he was in such a state. 


I went away with work the following day and told a friend about Henry, she said maybe I should rehome him as he got on with my 2, knew the area and seemed kind. I decided from then that when I returned home I would call the vets and ask to rehome him.


On returning I called and asked to find out how he was, unfortunately he was put to sleep, he had a blocked bladder which they tried to operate on and it burst whilst he was under general, I was devastated and it made me feel so bad.
He was a lovely boy! The moral of the story is, please take him to the vet, they can check for a chip and go from there. 

A few months after this I had ANOTHER cat appear, this time I acted a lot quicker and he lived on.


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## Brightonian (Aug 6, 2013)

This is Henry x


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## Brightonian (Aug 6, 2013)

He was so dirty


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## MumOfFinn (Aug 19, 2013)

Thank you for the reply. Poor Henry! My old cat Casper had lived a very neglected life before coming to me and kept having bladder problems. he too had to be put to sleep after a failed bladder operation. It just kept ten locking no matter what we did and he was very unhappy and in pain all the time and we had spiralling vets bills.

I have left the door open all day today in hope of a visit from meanie cat. No sign yet though. I have decided I am definitely going to attempt to get a closer look at him/her just to try and assess what condition it is in and whether or not it is someone's pet or stray. I am thinking stray though. I am just not sure how I can capture this stealthy cat though. Your cat flap technique seems a good one but as I said I am cat flapless. If the cat is a stry and can be brought around to being petted and gets on with Finn I am fine with taking it on.

Out of curiosity, did you rehome the second cat that was visiting you?


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## MumOfFinn (Aug 19, 2013)

*Blocking, not ten locking! Silly auto correct on my phone!


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## Brightonian (Aug 6, 2013)

I decided not to as this one wasnt as friendly as Henry and was actually quite fierce, Henry was so lovely and bubbles and George liked him. The 2nd cat not so much! The 2nd one was in a much better condition and so could have just been a lost cat. I also thought to myself that where he was the 2nd cat to visit, would there be more? If so would I end up keeping too many! 

What about if you put some food out for it away from its escape route, or just inside a room where you could shut it in, then close the window and then go back to inspect the kitty? X


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## MumOfFinn (Aug 19, 2013)

Spotted again today! I saw through the window it walk over and greet Finn then began eyeing up the food bowl through open back door but was rather empty. I went into kitchen to fill the bowl with biscuits for it. The cat fled without me even fully entering the room. Was like it vanished as i didn't even see direction it fled in! I have put a bowl of food out on the garden table to see what it makes of this. Maybe it will realise it has been placed there by me for it to eat and come round the idea of me....that or we will have to get a flap put in. We want one for Finn anyway but just haven't got round to doing it with the weather being so nice that we can leave doors n windows open, and me having the summer holidays off work to be here a lot.


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## MumOfFinn (Aug 19, 2013)

Meanie cat came back just now and found my offering on the table! I saw him out the bedroom window above and managed to take a pic on my phone! I spoke to him through the window nicely he/she just stared at me and stopped eating. Then he went into the garden behind, I can see h loitering in the garden behind ours. I guess he/she is waiting to return when coast is clear!


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## MumOfFinn (Aug 19, 2013)

And this is a pic of my cat Finn, just so you can see the cats I'm talking about


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