I'm in love with a kitty cat...

[XxMontanaxX]

We have this cat that has been comming around lately. He lives at the house at the bottom of the hill from me, where there is an overpopulation of cats that live there, that lay in the road, have babies, and get hit by cars. He is the only one that comes up that I've seen. We've started feeding him for the past month too.

I don't even know if he is a he or not, we are just guessing. We seen a cat that looked just like him in our newspaper where the animal shelter posts pictures of their animals, and then that cat that looked like him was named Mr. Wilson, so we've named him that. I think it's a cute name, hehe.

Mom tells me not to get too close, because he most likely never had shots. I've tried to get closer to him a few times now, and I get closer each time. So he's not like wild or anything, just scared. His personality so far I've noticed is curious, but cautious.

Does anybody know how old he looks like? And does he look semi healthy for a kitty? I've never had one before. A cat has been the one animal I've wanted since I was little, but my family is allergic. Does anybody know anything else I can do for him besides feed him?

Today though, I got some pictures. Isn't he gorgeous?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

He's like a little tuxedo cat. I love those! white whiskers on a black face are just adorable!

He looks fairly young .... maybe 1 or 2 and he's healthy from what I can see. Just keep feeding him and see what happens. If he sticks around and no one you know owns him - get him neutered.

 

[seniorcats]

That's a nice looking kitty. You can make sure he has fresh water outside all the time. Can you take to a freee or low cost spay neuter clinic?

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Aw, he's so cute! His face looks adorably lopsided because of his markings. Does anyone have advice for her on telling if he's a boy or a girl just by looking? I think girl cats have two openings under their tails. That's how we sexed a bunch of kittens a few years, anyway. I feel dumb for not knowing if this would be accurate or not...

 

[EileenH]

Gorgeous kitty! My guess would be 1-2 years old as well - he has grown into his ears already, so he's an adult. He looks pretty young and looks healthy from the pictures. His coat is shiny & nice, and his eyes are clear, so he does not have a upper respiratory infection that is pretty common in stray cats.

The shape of the head looks like a boy to me, but it's hard to tell (boys have "blockier" eads than girls usually.)
If it is a boy, and not neutered, it -er- won't be hard to tell. You'll see the testicles pretty easy. However. if it is a boy & neutered, that makes it harder.

The difference between neutered male & female cats at a glance: the males have two holes too, but they are farther apart. The females are pretty close to each other.

It's not not having shots that you need to worry about for yourself - except for rabies vaccines, most of the vaccines that cats are given are for species specific problems. What you *do* want to watch out for is that you don't get bitten by him. Even if he doesn't mean it, if he is wary and scared, and you try to pick him up, he might bite.
Cats have bacteria in their saliva and you will definitely get an infection.
If you take it slow and win his trust, he might not even be a biter. I took 4 cats that were strays, and many of my friends have too.
Time and patience are what he needs most, aside from food & water.

Good luck!

 

[Leaf]

Male cats that havent been fixed usually have visable "pom-poms"

I like cats, I love cats.. I have three cats... I always deem stray/feral cats as no/nos until I can have them tested for feline leukemia.



I absolutely don't agree with feral colonies but if you want to help that cat you could trap him, have him vetted and fixed. There are low cost programs everywhere.

Regular feedings and stuff may keep him closer to your home and a nice dog house (with a hole cut in the back so he doesnt get cornered by other animals) would be nice to have as well.

He is a beauty!

 

[EileenH]

"Male cats that havent been fixed usually have visable "pom-poms""
Hee Hee very well put!

If they are neutered when they are very young, they're not always visible; I had my first boy neutered @ 3 months and you can't see a thing. But my other boy wasn't neutered until he was about 2 years old (he was living in a hoarder's house amongst 200 other cats until that time), and you can see his "pom poms".

I alsodon't agree with feral colonies; if there is any way way to gain thecat's trust andfind and take him in, that is optimal. It's a hard life for an outside cat, IMO.