found who owns the stray cat!

[JemBob]

I havent just forgot about him saw him today and followed him home he isnt neutred...and I saw the women who owns him he is still really thin what would be the next course of action cause he really smells and looks really dirty!

[Hreow]

Perhaps gently ask her what is wrong with the cat? Could possibly be old age, I've known one cat who couldn't look after herself properly and didn't eat much. She was 22 and probably near the end of her life. Still liked laps and purring, though. Imagine an entire male would smell a *lot* worse than she did.

[Donna]

Next time you see them could you not say "oh I thought he was a stray as he looks so thin - is he yours?"

[Booktigger]

Yeah, that is a good plan. I 'catnapped' a cat once as he was really bony and out in the cold - looked for his owners the day after, and turned out he was at least 15, and they just put his thinness down to age. I told them that they dont get thin just off age, health normally has something to do with it. A few months ago I was stopped in teh street by his owner who told me that they had taken him to the vet and he had a thyroid prob.

[Kazz]

Well my Oscar was 23 when he was PTS last year and had Chronic Renal Failure (kidney trouble) he went really thin regardless of the food I fed him :roll: and as he was mainly white he often loked grubby to dirty. He went under cars etc etc - he was groomed by me everynight but he still had some days he looked like no one loved him :roll: which was far from the truth.

I would not have taken offence if someone had knocked on the door and asked if I owned a white and ginger cat and said something like.....

"they were concerned he spent time in their garden (or something) and they were just checking he was okay."

Especially if they said they also had cats, I would then have got into a chat with them about cats and if you approach it like this you may find out if he is ill or something.
So you could try that approach or try to wander over if they are doing the garden or something and get chatting that way. Be nice and easy about it - I must admit being the owner of old cats isn't easy and you can be very protective of them. But goodon you for caring enough to check on him.

Karen