[Shaun]

I'm posting this because I'm not entirely sure on what to do...and I was just looking forward to some feedback.

Out the back of my house there's a large quarry which connects onto all back-yards of our terrace...and it's a large playground, really, for the neighbourhood cats. Our family has 4 cats, and has had...3 before these.

Now, a couple of years ago a (seemingly) stray-cat kept coming down to our house for food, and would steal from our cats But it turned out it was incredibly old and my mum decided to look after it, and unfortunately it passed away a couple of weeks later.

Onto the point of this topic - because I'm so wary of stray cats now, I've noticed at the top of my street, a couple of different occasions now, there's a very thin-looking cat who lingers outside a neighbour (who I know nothing about)'s house...and will 'meow' whenever I approach it, and is generally friendly.

I'm wondering whether or not it's a stray (has been abandoned by the neighbour?) and debating whether or not to look after it for a while...it has a collar on, too, so I assume it's been owned for a while. Obviously if it does have an owner, taking it in would worry the owner quite considerably.

I was just wondering what you think to, or would, do...

[Annie]

I would kinda make a trail of cat biscuits to your house and then offer some meat in jelly to it... if it likes it... it may come back and just stay.

Doesnt sound like its 'owner' looks after it anyway.

Yeah or just steal it

[BigSister]

I would go round peoples houses Shaun asking if anyone had seen or knew the owners, or if they were around or on holiday i mean near your house or a few streets away
If they doesnt work try putting a few leaflets through peoples house with a dessciption of the cat on it

[MarkWaldorf]

That happened here. This cat kept waiting in my next door neighbour's garden and would constantly wait for food, so eventually they took it in. Then whilst word got around a woman came and claimed it was hers. The cat still wonders about meowing today. I hate people who can't look after a pet right.

But I agree with what Rebecca said.

[Fom]

If the cat is old it might just naturally be skinny... my cats skinny because she is reaching the end.

[pinkmichk]

if it looks skinny and you have seen it a few times how about contacting rspca then they can do some inquiries of if it is a stray or been disowned by the neighbour its the route i'd personally go

[Z]

Well, we took in a cat that had no collar on because it kept coming to our house, we put a collar on it, then we got an angry phone call a few days later from the cat's owners who had been away on holiday. But why wouldn't they put a collar on it? Why would they let it outside? Who was looking after it? Irresponsible...

Yeah if I were you I'd take it in, the worst that can happen is its owner sees you've stolen their cat and gets angry at you (but then you were doing the right thing and they've been irresponsible)

Are there contact details on the cat's collar?

[serensilver]

i think it would be better if you looked after it and fed it because just think how you would feel if the cat died of neglect!!

i know i would be kicking myself thinking why didn't i do something!

let us no how you get on!