{"id":76,"date":"2017-10-30T02:15:46","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T02:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lchumanesociety.com\/wp\/public\/site\/?page_id=76"},"modified":"2023-11-14T14:21:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T20:21:32","slug":"pets-candy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/pets-candy\/","title":{"rendered":"Stray Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"290\" height=\"218\" src=\"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/csm_IMG_1121_a0d3c8b812.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/csm_IMG_1121_a0d3c8b812.jpg 290w, https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/csm_IMG_1121_a0d3c8b812-250x188.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to tell if a cat is stray<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you see a new cat around or even one you keep seeing but your neighbors don\u2019t know their owner, it can be tricky to tell whether the cat is a stray, owned, or feral.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be particularly difficult to spot the difference between a stray and a feral cat. Feral cats live outdoors away from people and are not domesticated. Some things to look out for to identify a stray cat rather than a feral cat include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Appearance<\/strong>. A stray cat might look a little skinny or underweight. If the cat looks well-groomed and healthy, try asking neighbors or checking lost and found groups as they may have an owner<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Company<\/strong>. Stray cats are usually alone (whereas feral cats tend to live in colonies). They may be shy and timid at first but might come to you over time whereas a feral cat is unlikely to come near you at all<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Location<\/strong>. Stray cats tend to stay near houses and people, so you might find them in your garden or trying to get into your house<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>They\u2019re new<\/strong>. A stray cat may have just appeared and seemed confused. Feral cats will usually be very familiar with the area they live in<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What do I do if I&#8217;ve found a cat?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most cats are, by nature, inclined to roam the area surrounding their home. You&#8217;re likely to come across a stray cat on your travels, although it might be tricky to find out whether it is a stray cat, a feral or is in fact an owned cat with a sense of adventure. So what should you do if you&#8217;ve found a cat?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What to do if you find a stray cat<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the cat seems friendly enough to safely get them into a cat carrier yourself, take them to the nearest vets for scanning in case they are just lost. You can also take the cat to a nearby animal shelter as they will be able to check to see if there are any matching reports of lost cats in the area and possibly scan the cat for a microchip. If the cat is just visiting you occasionally then a paper collar is a great way to potentially find out if there is an owner.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Printable paper collars for cats<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;ve found a cat and you&#8217;re unsure as to whether it has an owner, use our handy paper collars. These are good to attach to a cat to contact a possible owner if there is one. Here&#8217;s what to do:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1VC5YAe44Nx0siquXlZXonWLxkHlP2i52\/view?usp=sharing\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Print out the template<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Write your contact telephone number in the space provided and cut out one collar<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure the fitted collar allows for two fingers to be placed between the collar and the cat&#8217;s neck, to make sure the cat isn&#8217;t harmed<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you get no response from the owner of the cat paper collar, post a photo of the cat on Facebook at Lost and Found Pets-Livingston County\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1350175045721932\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1350175045721932\/<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN<\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stray cat<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stray cats are socialized domestic cats who don&#8217;t appear to have an owner. Be wary; even if they &#8216;stray&#8217; they might be a neighborhood cat who&#8217;s worked out that if they look hungry they can bag themselves another meal!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stray cats are likely to be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More friendly &#8211; if they&#8217;re a little shy they will often approach cautiously with some time and encouragement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found alone<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without an ear tip &#8211; won&#8217;t have their ear &#8216;tipped&#8217;, even if they have been neutered<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appear near houses &#8211; either in people&#8217;s gardens or near homes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microchipped &#8211; if they are a missing pet, they may have a microchip<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent in their appearance, looking lost and disorientated<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feral cat<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feral cats are the same species of cat as our pet cats but are not socialized to humans or the domestic environment. This means they behave like wild animals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feral cats are likely to be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not friendly &#8211; unsocialized to humans, feral cats find people threatening and can be hard to spot. They won&#8217;t come close, even with encouragement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Living alone or with others &#8211; sometimes, they might live in a colony with other feral cats<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ear tip &#8211; they may have their left ear &#8216;tipped&#8217; to show they have been neutered and returned<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Away from houses &#8211; they&#8217;ll avoid human contact and often have a hiding spot away from populated areas<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not microchipped &#8211; most feral cats don&#8217;t have a microchip<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Permanent &#8211; they are more likely to have set up a permanent home or shelter<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>REMOVING a feral male from its colony will only cause another male to come in with more females.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0You can find your local branch by typing in your postcode on our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cats.org.uk\/help-and-advice\/lost-found-and-feral-cats\/found-a-cat#\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> page<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Should I feed a stray or lost cat?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be really tempting to feed an unfamiliar cat if you think they are lost or a stray, but it\u2019s best not to. Some cats might be on a special diet or have a medical condition that needs a particular type of food. Feeding them something different might seriously upset their tummy or stop them from getting all the important nutrients they need.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeding an unfamiliar cat can also keep them coming back to you. If they are owned, this will upset their owner as it means the cat won\u2019t be leaving in a hurry to return home! If you already have a cat, it will be unsettling for them too, and might cause them to become stressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h4 class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u00a0<\/h4>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to tell if a cat is stray When you see a new cat around or even one you keep seeing but your neighbors don\u2019t know their owner, it can be tricky to tell whether the cat is a stray, owned, or feral. It can be particularly difficult to spot the difference between a stray and a feral cat. Feral cats live outdoors away from people and are not domesticated.&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/pets-candy\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_about_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_gallery_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_contact_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_events_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_video_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_portfolio_piece":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-76","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/76","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/76\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7987,"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/76\/revisions\/7987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lchumanesociety.dog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}