Why do people try to keep someone elses cat?

jugsjugs, In the first place, I do not think the lady here had any intention to keep your cat and since it had wandered into her premises, the least she could do is to feed it first. As your cat, together with other pets do not have a micro chip looking for their owners would be quite a daunting task. There may be missing announcements in the local papers but I just find that these columns are hardly read or even noticed to begin with. Like me, I would just have to treat it like an abandon pet, which is rather prevalent nowadays. Keeping it will be a consideration but not without giving it a full check at the local vet. So, as you can see keeping it is really not intentional when the animal is without a tag or micro chip.

Hii jugsjugs well it happens here sometime.Sometime some other cat come to my home and as there are lot of stray cats its hard to understand if cat is stray or there is some one to take care of her.If cat is hungry i give it something.But i never feed someone else cat.If i know who's cat it is i wont do that definitely. Cat having diabetics?This is something i heard firs time.I thought it happens to human being only.

Maybe they are cat lover too.But that is unfair, if Alady knows you as the owner of that cat, he should let you know. I just keep stray cat to believe that they are just stray cat and no one owns them. When someone let me know that I keep their cat, they have to prove to me that they are thems before I give it. On your part, it should be Alady should let you know about your cat so that you are not messing your day looking at them and be worried severely.

People keep other people's cats because they are lonely and perhaps the cat likes them also. The person knows they are doing wrong but they don't care. They will take the chance and see what happens. Maybe it is even alittle exciting for these lonely people as well. I understand your concern but the only other thing to do is keep the cat inside all the time or put a notification around their necks.

For me they want to have a companion even if it is a cat they satisfied of cat because they same as the person to accompanied with.

I had never thought of the health issue. Your right, they might give him something the animal can't have. I wouldn't want to feed someone else's cat because I wouldn't want the owner to worry. If you feed a cat, it will usually stay around and I wouldn't want to put anyone through that. If I were sure that it was a stray or something I might feed it, never thinking about the health issues. Now I would think twice before I fed an animal that wasn't mine.

Wow jugs, really good point. We have the neighbors cats coming in the yard several times daily. More so since my dog is outside more. I think that they want to be friends but since I don't know the cat, at all yet, I am reluctant. Last night the kitty came scampering down the driveway. He had never came that close before but I think it was because my small dog was there. About the same size as this young cat. My Dad was sitting outside and told me to get some food for the cat. We have a back of Friskies handy so I put out a handful. My dog took to them and had to shew her away. The cat hasn't been back. No last night and not yet today but since you make the point that you do and is an all important one, i am going to scoop up the Friskies and toss them. The kitty may have an unexpected bad reaction to it and i wouldn't want to bring any harm to the cat. I will not attempt to feed any stray cat wandering into the yard, ever again since reading this discussion. Thank you! I presume that people tend to feed other peoples cats is because when they wander into their yard, one wants to be friends with the cat so you offer him food and drink. Without considering that this may not be to the best interest of the cat. We have never tried to keep someone else's cat as we know our neighbors and look around and watch for where the cat may of came from. We have all neighbors cats coming into the yard, daily. We have big lawns, front and back with birds that I think attracts the cats as well. Unless the cat is sickly,injured or super skinny, I do not think that we would try to keep the cat nor feed him after this discussion. Plus since we have my little dog now, we wouldn't want her to pick up any weird disease. Perhaps others try to keep someone else's cat because when they go to make friends with the cat who has wandered into their year, they feed it, the cat eats and then the person assumes the cat is a stray, hunger and unloved, because it wandered into their yard.. I would ask the woman not to feed your cat and explain to her about your diabetic cat. Maybe she just needs an eye opener like that. Such as myself because I never thought of this aspect before and is a seriously good point. Thanks again!

I had a boy disappear, but he always answered to his name. When he didn't com home one night - we drove around the neighborhood calling his name, the next morning he came home. We suspect the people didn't know he was someone's cat until he tried to answer our calls.

i think in some cases they mean well..i know i would feed any dirty,skinny cat that showed up here (if they looked in obvious distress and lost)as they often are when they escape.. but when one does show up,i make the effort to locate it's owner. a shiny,well fed cat is usually somebody's tho,and unless they start looking bad andhanging around,people shouldn't just take it.

I feel like you, but sometimes the person means well. They feel the cat might be homeless, but if you know they are not, you should not feed them. I know we have a lot of cats come up to are house, and they will eat from our cats bowl, we do not know if they have a home.

Hi, jugsjugs. Because, they want a cat of their own to love. And they want a cat to play with. I think that Alady should have asked you what type of food that you normally feed your cat. She may be just so used to having her own cat and she wants to be able to take care of yours.

I don't know why, myself. You would think people would know better. I know you said this woman knew the cat belonged to you. It puzzles me is why she would feed him, anyway. In the case of other cats, I guess people assume they don't belong to anybody and they just start feeding them so they will stay. This would be risky if they were diabetic or had other health problems, though. I have known of cases where people would drop cats and dogs off somewhere and they would end up being strays. That has happened around here a lot and that is so sad!

I don't think they would have tried to keep it, but maybe they did not know where the cat came from.

This lady might be your friend or neighbor, she is trying to take care of the cat, well she should have taken your permission, my view lol.. Thanks for this post. God bless you. Cheers Happy posting. Prof

I don't try to keep someones pet, but I do have 2 neighbors who have their dogs running around and I use to treat them occasionally. Both neighbors knew this and it wasn't until the one neighbor asked me to stop because her dog was getting too fat, so I did. Have you considered asking this lady not to feed your cat? Because unless the owner says otherwise, if the animal comes to my home, I do treat them because i love animals and I like to spoil them.

As long as you allow your cats outside they can be fed by others. I know many people put out food for strays and family cats can get into this also. I try never to leave food out because it attracts skunks, and other wild animals.

The fact is, if you the pet owner isn't responsible, then you are going to lead people around you to believe the animal is owned. Quite often cats aren't kept indoors, they don't have collers or tags visable. They have nothing idintifying them as yours. People don't take out the time to do this, so others assume the cat's a stray. Those who have animals with special needs (such as Diabetes) should also have medical alert tags added to the lists of tags the animal should ware. (Even if you chose to microchip your pet) you should also have collers, tags, and documatation that idintify's your cat is yours in the event it gets out. And, keep it indoors..... Both our cats have tags (maybe not up-to-date) but they do, as well as unique collers with a bell and a catch-clip. we fixed it so they can't get them off by scratching, but... regardless of this.... we have nermous ways to prove the cat is ours and should they become ill, I would get a medical alert tag for them too to warn people not to feed them.

I have mixed feelings about people feeding cats that they must KNOW belong to someone else because they aren't exactly thin, do you know what I mean? I had a cat that I realised had more than one home (mine was the original home as I had him from being a kitten) as he was running towards me down the street and another lady was calling it something else, walking in the opposite direction. Now, this cat of mine was a "free spirit" and I do think he tried his luck with other homes. I was most upset when he hesitated before running to me, though! He was a lovely cat and I miss him every day. Mum has a neighbour who lives 2 doors away. She is lovely BUT feeds every cat that just so happens to be passing. It doesn't matter if it is a stray or not. The RSPCA actually advises people NOT to feed strays even though some may tug at the heartstrings. Mum now has a stray cat terrorising her own because it gets fed at the neighbour's then wanders to Mum's house coming through her window to help itself to her cats' food. I mean, it could be lost and belong to someone away from Mum's street so if the neighbour is feeding it all the time then it has less chance of finding its way back home. What the neighbour should be doing is finding out (via the vet) if this particular cat has a microchip fitted; if not then keep it!

They are just not thinking ,I think. My cat often helps himself to the food my neighbour throws out for the fox. It is maddening because cats arent supposed to eat cooked meat on the bone although he hasnt actually been ill because of it. This neighbour of yours is a silly person to do so and I wonder if she /he thinks it gives him part ownership because it doesn't . Its his /her choice to buy the food and you havent asked him to do it. I think if it was my cat, I would just ask her to stop doing it.

I hate to tell you this, but you are all looking at this the wrong way. People only think that they own cats. The truth is that the cats are in charge. They are very independant, clever and manipulative creatures. What the cat wants, the cat gets. Cats are very good at finding food for themselves, making friends with humans, finding cozy places to eat and the best food in the area. They do what they want, when they want, how they want. They have lots of peple running around after them, stroking and feeding them. At breakfast they live at your house. Luchtime they live with a neigbour. Teatime someone else. You only find out about it if someone tells you or if the cat becomes gigantic. Give the cat in your life a little more credit. S/he has convinced someone she is a poor starving creature in need of food, love and attention. Very clever.