Tips On Helping A Stray Cat

Years ago my aunt, a massive animal lover,
started to receive late night visits from a
gorgeous ginger stray cat. Due to appalling
abuse by his former owners he had no teeth or
claws left and was extremely under nourished and
very scared. My aunt being very sensitive to
animals saw that he was so hungry that his fear
was overridden by a desperate need to feed. He
wouldn't let anyone else near him except for her
and if food was left out by someone else, he
would know and leave it to go off. She really
had a unique gift with animals. Eventually he
trusted her enough to let her stroke him, but
nothing more. He was happy to live a wilder life
if it meant he was safe from humans. We really
are a disgrace to this planet.

So how do you help stray cats? How do you gain
their trust?

First of all you need to know the difference
between a stray and a feral cat.
It's not always easy to tell because in time a
stray cat will go back to its natural instincts,
which is the same as a feral cats behaviour.
Obviously a stray cat will have been abandoned
by their owners or may have got lost. They might
have a collar, but if not you should be able to
tell by the quality of their coats if they have
recently become strays, rather than being a
feral cat. If you can, take a photo of it and
check with your local vets if anyone has lost
their cat. Don't just assume you can take
someone else's cat, in a lot of areas it is
illegal. Also there could be a legitimate reason
for them getting lost and there may be someone
trying to find them. Usually you can take
responsibility and become a stray cats owner
after about two weeks of notifying the local
animal shelters, vets etc.

A feral cat will be much less prone to engage
with you and will be more likely to be
aggressive, showing wild behaviour. You're also
less likely to see them for any length of time,
as any sign of a human being and they're off.
Can't blame them for that! Feral cats have been
born into the wild from either feral parents or
stray cats that have become pregnant. They tend
to live in casual family colonies and are able
to survive in urban and rural areas. They aren't
always popular as like other wildlife they will
rummage through your bins for food. Be warned,
your neighbourhood may not thank you for
starting a feeding programme for them.

So, if you want to help a stray cat the first
thing to do of course is feed them.

An adult stray that is under nourished will
build themselves up quicker on kitten food.
However go back to adult cat food as soon as you
see an improvement. They will need the vitamins
and nutrients from adult food once they have
recovered. Try wet food as well as dry. See what
their preferences are. Buy new cat bowls as they
won't like the scent of other pets if you have
them. Always provide fresh water every day. Feed
them at night to begin with and leave dry food
out in the daytime in case they start to come to
your garden more often. They need to know they
have a secure place to come to. After a while
try to be present when you know the stray is
going to turn up. Put the food down, keep back
and speak in a soothing tone. Don't try to
stroke the cat at this stage. Let it feed and
leave if it needs to. The main point is to
gradually gain trust. You know you can never
rush a cat. On the next occasion offer some cat
biscuits from your hand. They might not take it,
but keep persevering and try again next time. If
no one claims the cat and you decide to rehome
this stray then capturing it in the most humane
way is your next step. You may not be able to do
this, so it's advisable to contact your local
animal centre and they may be able to send
someone to assist you. Once you've done that
take the cat to the vets for a thorough check
up. Deworming, flea and ear mite treatments and
neutering must all be done. If you have other
pets keep the new cat separate in one room until
they've settled down and slowly introduce them.

Once you've decide to take responsibility of a
stray cat and have brought it home, be prepared
for the settling in period to take some time.
You don't know what they've gone through, be
patient. They will probably want to stay by your
side as much as possible. In time this should
calm down but remember they may be a little
suspicious of this new home. Pamper them with
new cat toys, cat bed and stand. It may be a
good idea to try a feline facial pheromone spray
or diffuser to help calm them down.

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Alex Kelly

As a pet owner, my articles are based on issues
I feel are important for fellow animal lovers.
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