We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.

  • 23 Replies
  • 5560 Views
*

joyfull

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: lincolnshire
  • 22168
    • Monarch Engineering Ltd
We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« on: May 07, 2011, 00:00 »
For the past month we seem to have been adopted by a lovely ginger cat (she has the most perfect lighter coloured circles on her tail). We have no idea who she belongs to but she seems to be fed and very affectionate (we have noticed we now have a lack of rats visiting the chicken feeders since she came calling  :D).
Her skin underneath her belly area is quite baggy - so could this indicate pregnancy or past pregnancy?
Also should I feed her? If so would dried feed be best then I could leave a little dish out for her along with water.
Sadly she can't come in the house as the dogs wouldn't like her and Jim is allergic to cats although he has made a bit of a fuss over her. She seems to be either stopping inside some spare lorry wheels or on our old bus - both places are fine by us so we wouldn't evict her from them until we come to restore the bus anyway - and then we could move her into an old lorry.
Sorry never had cats only dogs so this is all new to me.
Any advice welcome  :D
Staffies are softer than you think.

*

ANHBUC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North East England
  • 8045
  • "You looking at me?!!!"
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2011, 00:21 »
My female cat has had a saggy belly from when we got her aged about 3 years from RSPCA.  She has never had kittens so I think it is just a female trait.  We feed our old lady on dried food with access to plenty of water.  Think she is about 90 in human years now 19 in cat years.  Have been told that cats live longer now and can average 24 years.  Ours is chipped so you could check with the RSPCA and they might scan her to see if she is chipped.  They owner would be on the register if she has a chip.

Good luck with your new arrival.   :)
Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens!
Bagpuss RIP 1992 - June 2012, 1 huge grass carp (RIP "Jaws" July 2001 - December 2011), 4 golden orfe, 1 goldfish and 1 fantail fish (also huge)! plus 4 Italian quail, 1 Japanese quail, 1 Rosetta quail.

*

Kate and her Ducks

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Shropshire
  • 5318
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2011, 00:25 »
SHE is probably a he as only 1 in 1000 Ginger cats are female. My cat Oliver has a baggy belly too so it's not just a girl thing.

Hope you all have a great time together.
Be like a duck. Calm on the surface but always paddling like the dickens underneath.

*

SnooziSuzi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Newton Hall Allotments, Durham, UK
  • 2840
    • Facebook
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2011, 00:51 »
my cat Sox has had a saggy belly ever since we had her spayed and she has never had a litter.  her mother, on the other hand, who had 3 litters, didn't get a saggy belly when she was spayed so perhaps she's been done and hasn't had any kittens.

either way, have you looked in your local shop windows in case someone has put a 'lost cat' notice up?  if she's had a knock on the head or is completely out of her own territory she might be lost.

Kate:  I never knew that little gem of info you gave there, but now that I think of it, all of the ginger cats I have ever known were male - not one was female so there must be something in it!  :ohmy:

*

arugula

  • Winner - prettiest sunflower 2011
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Coastal Argyll
  • 24904
  • hic svnt leones
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2011, 07:18 »

Also should I feed her? If so would dried feed be best then I could leave a little dish out for her along with water.


That sounds like a sensible plan Joy, then as you say the food can stay down. I'm sure s/he will still want to hunt. :) Now you know better than anyone that pictures are compulsory! :D
"They say a snow year's a good year" -- Rutherford.

*

joyfull

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: lincolnshire
  • 22168
    • Monarch Engineering Ltd
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2011, 07:27 »
well off today to buy dry food today for the cat, I do hope it has been done if a girl but if I can't track down his/her owners then he/she will have a trip to my vets to get her scanned for a chip and if not got one then will be speyed if a girl (certainly no sign of any male bits  :ohmy: so can assume if a boy he has been done).
After all that I will then try to think of a name  :).
Camera is at work Argyllie so I will bring it home next week and try to get a lovely shot as he/she is a very beautiful looking cat  :D.

*

ANHBUC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North East England
  • 8045
  • "You looking at me?!!!"
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #6 on: May 07, 2011, 21:45 »
Any idea how old the cat is?  One of our neighbours lost a female ginger tabby a couple of years ago, it was very young.  They think someone took it for a ride in their car as this has happened to another cat in our road.  It was found over a year later over 50 miles away.  They have also had someone shoot their cat with an air gun.  I am glad i don't live on the other side of our road.  There are some really cruel people around.   :mad:

*

asd1

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: norfolk
  • 258
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2011, 22:20 »
tabby cats are known to have saggy bellys i have two cats (brothers) had them since kittens and the black one is slim built but the tabby is more chunky with a saggy belly

*

SnooziSuzi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Newton Hall Allotments, Durham, UK
  • 2840
    • Facebook
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #8 on: May 07, 2011, 22:29 »
funny you should say that... sox is a tabby cat and she does have a saggy belly...

*

maxyboo

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Location: Downham Market Norfolk
  • 680
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2011, 22:35 »
Joyfull, have you tried putting up notices in your area or knocking on doors asking if anyone is missing a ginger cat? I know you may not be keen to let her go but you say s/he appears well fed and  likes people. Have you been feeding her for the last month? Some cats just aren't very loyal and will go where the best food is! Certainly have a microchip check done. I hope you get to keep her if that is what you want.
Kate is right that female ginger are rare. I thought 80-85% were male. I have worked at an animal sanctuary for 4 years and have seen 4 or 5 females. We have 2 there at the moment. You might be able to sex the cat yourself if you do a search for sexing cats. Then take s/he to the vets and see if you were right! They may be able to guess the cats age by looking at their teeth etc but it is not particulalry reliable.
You will get all sorts of conflicting advice about food for cats. In your situation dry food sounds the most sensible and the best you can reasonably afford in my opinion. You could bankrupt yourself on the cost of some food! Make sure drinking water is available, NOT milk.
Good luck with him/her.

*

joyfull

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: lincolnshire
  • 22168
    • Monarch Engineering Ltd
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #10 on: May 08, 2011, 02:54 »
I only have one fairly close neighbour who is across the beck so going round there. Today was the first time I have put food out (not sure if he/she has eaten any as I have been out and just got back in) and also a dish of fresh water. He/she (no male bits visible) appears to be well fed (quite a chunky big cat) but we do get quite a lot of rats and mice plus voles etc being surrounded by fields and becks. He/she is very friendly and loves to be stroked, and at the moment seems to be sleeping inside a pile of lorry tyres.

*

maxyboo

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Location: Downham Market Norfolk
  • 680
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #11 on: May 08, 2011, 10:42 »
If you live in the middle of nowhere it's quite possible she was dumped. We see it all the time. If she has been living off rats and mice until now, the chances are she will be riddled with worms. Get the vet to shove a pill down her throat whilst you are there. Get some flea treatment too. Even if she doesn't come in the house. A long term flea infestation will make her feel dreadful.
Well done for looking after her like you are. She sounds lovely.

*

joyfull

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: lincolnshire
  • 22168
    • Monarch Engineering Ltd
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2011, 11:44 »
already have frontline in for the chickens so next time I see him/her will give a dose. Haven't seen the neighbours yet - just off there now  :)

*

joyfull

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: lincolnshire
  • 22168
    • Monarch Engineering Ltd
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #13 on: May 09, 2011, 21:10 »
the cat is called Ginger and she is a ginger she  :D. Next door (over the beck) were given 2 supposedly feral cats a boy (Marmalade) and a girl (Ginger) both ginger and both have been done but Ginger has been missing for about 3 weeks (although they think she keeps going back for food) which is about the length of time we started seeing her. They are quite happy for me to feed her and keep her for as long as she wants to stay (they also seemed to have gained a black and white cat which they think may have come from a local farm - wonder if that will venture over here too  :D).

*

Kate and her Ducks

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Shropshire
  • 5318
Re: We seem to have gained a cat - advice needed.
« Reply #14 on: May 09, 2011, 21:26 »
Nice to know where she came from. Treasure a Ginger girl!



xx
which livestock to chose - advice needed

Started by Chookster on Pets without Feathers

26 Replies
8708 Views
Last post October 01, 2009, 09:47
by Rubellite
xx
Cats and fleas!! advice needed

Started by boosmummy on Pets without Feathers

17 Replies
3948 Views
Last post January 14, 2012, 22:53
by salome2001
xx
Badly Behaved Livestock? Needed for Filming with Free Behavioural Advice

Started by Safepets on Pets without Feathers

3 Replies
1885 Views
Last post July 19, 2010, 21:02
by animal mad
xx
Frogs - Ideas needed

Started by bainsk8 on Pets without Feathers

14 Replies
3767 Views
Last post October 31, 2012, 13:57
by ANHBUC
 

Page created in 0.184 seconds with 39 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |