Who's this little orange kitty??!!

[wolflady]

Hi everyone! Well, you all know that the stray cat that I cared for for the past couple of years finally found a home. She is doing very well, by the way...and living it up like the princess she knows she is!

Well, Sunday night, my husband and I got home late, and Marius was just going crazy at our sliding glass door. We turned on the backyard lights, and there was a fuzzy orange kitty(looks very much like noahsmommy's Noah!) coming up to the screen and doing headbumpies, and then flopping down on the concrete and rolling around being cute. Marius knew this wasn't Crookshanks (where did she go?? ), so I imagine that having a strange kitty hanging around Crookshanks' kitty house outside was making him uneasy.
It's hard to tell if this is someone's pet, because the coat seemed in fairly good condition. I did put some food out, and he (I think it's a he, but it's hard to tell with all that fur! LOL) ate it really fast. Since he was coming up to the screen and rubbing, I assumed he was friendly, so I opened up the door, but he just ran. So, it appears that he's afraid of people.

Little orange kitty was back in the yard again last night, and I found out that he has been sleeping/lying in the house I bought for Crookshanks! How funny is that? I wonder if Crookshanks told all of her stray kitty friends to come to our backyard because they would be safe there! LOL LOL
The question is...what should I do? I have no idea if this is someone's pet. If it is, it makes me mad that people can just let their cats run with no collars or identification of any kind, because soft-hearted people like me feeling inclined to feed and care for the little lost ones.
However, since he seems afraid of people and being touched...is he a stray? Where did he come from?? Should I just play it by ear and try to gain his trust?

**hugs**
Karen

[lailamara]

How can you resist. We had an old black longhair kitty living two houses over. They left him out in the cold all the time. And the winters in Toronto are very cold !!!!We heard him yowling to be let in at all hours. They rarely did. We even went and told them that their cat wanted in. We couldn't stand it anymore so let him into our house to warm up and we fed him. Then he brought his house mate a plump grey cat...They lived with us part time. It's not that they were abused but that's not how I'd ever treat a kitty of mine. We went travelling for many months and they had moved away..taking the kitties with them. I was broken-hearted. The black kitty was 17 years old and deaf. The owner didn't even know that.
I always wondered what had happened to him. He was such a charmer. I said if he found his way back here we were going to keep him.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

You might try posting notices around the neighborhood to see if anyone responds. He must have been somebodys at one time or another if he's so friendly - poor kitty. Otherwise, just do what you think is best and if the owner really cares they will come looking.

Yep, I think word has gotten around that you have a very nice, kitty friendly backyard.

Hey, I hear Edwina is looking for a brother/sister. Maybe you can send him home with Sara this weekend.

[NoahsMommy]

Its Noah!!!

hee hee

[wolflady]

lailamara, how awful that your past neighbors didn't treat their kitties too well
I'm so glad that you cared for them when they lived in your neighborhood though. They probably got much better treatment and care from you then they did from their own owners! How sad. **hugs**

Yeah, I'll probably ask around the neighborhood to see if this little guy belongs to anyone. If not, I may have just gotten a new backyard baby! LOL LOL Hmmmm...maybe I should come up with a name for little orange fluffy kitty! Any ideas? LOL

I will keep you all posted!

[wolflady]

Originally posted by NoahsMommy
Its Noah!!!

hee hee

LOL LOL It could be Noah's twin! He seems to be a young cat, and he's smaller than Marius...but that orange fluffy fur is so adorable!

[Pam]

I guess he saw the "Vacancy" sign when little Crookshanks left. I think you might be getting a reputation as the Kool Aid mom of the kitty world. Keep us posted and try to get a picture if you can.

[jenluckenbach]

I think you have a new kitty project on your hands. Work with him, show him people can be trusted. He deserves a nice home.

[L. Wayne]

I thought Mopsy would for ever be a stray or a feral, until she decided that it was safe to come to me. Personally, considering that the kitty is not at home, nor wants to be there, provided that it is nearby, would indicate that there is something at that place which runs kitty off. I am adopting this philosophy when it come to taking in any strays. Cats have an uncanny ability to realize where they can live in relative peace and safety, and if the kitty comes to your back door, then I would attempt to bring it inside. You can use food, or what ever it takes to get kitty inside where there is more love, which is what it is looking for.

............wayne

[wolflady]

Good point, Wayne! LOL LOL I think I will try to gain this kitty's trust.
Fluffy orange kitty was in my backyard again last night. He has definitely taken up residence of Crookshanks' house in the backyard. Pam, I think you're right...there must be a network in the kitty world! LOL LOL

This kitty seems to want attention, because he surely knows how to "work the room". He comes right up to the sliding glass door (granted...it's closed) and headbumpies all over the place. Then he flops onto his side and starts rolling around being all cute. But, as soon as I open that door...he runs.
I put some food in the bowl outside last night, and he cautiously eats. If there's any movement at all...he runs. Very strange. I opened the door, but left the screen door closed and talked to him a little bit. He cautiously looked at me, and ate at the same time. Hmmm...I guess this will take some time. I'll try to get a pic soon too!
**hugs**
Karen

[NoahsMommy]

Cute little Patrick! What does Marius think of him now that he comes around more often?

Does it look like he's been sleeping there at night/day?

[Karen]

I would ask around the neighborhood soon, in case somebody's missing him! If no, I'd be happy to think up some kitty names!

[Randi]

Karen, it sounds very much like when we first got Fister to come up. It took us a long time to gain his trust, though. We saw him every day in our backyard and fed him and his mom. When we decided to try and get him up, we opened the door and put some food right inside and that way, we enticed him up the stairs further and further, until he dared come in to our flat. As you know, he is now living happily with us and don't even want to go out.

Best of luck getting him inside - it takes a lot of patience!

As Karen says, try first and find out if anyone is missing him.

[wolflady]

So far nobody seems to know who this little orangie belongs to. I'm not sure where he goes in the day, but he has been hanging around in my backyard at nights and he does lay/sleep in Crookshanks' kitty house.
In the meantime, I'm building his trust. I was finally able to pet him last night! He's so soft! He was still a little scared, but once he got used to me petting him, he seemed to like it. He just purred and purred. I think he got a little overstimulated though, because he was a bit "mouthy" at times. He would rub his head and face on my hand, but then he'd try to bite. I'll see if I can work with him on this. Maybe his family dumped him because of this behavior? Who knows.
Marius seems interested. He sits and looks out the window at little fluffy orange kitty. Scooter, on the other hand, has other opinions! LOL After I had pet orange kitty, I had come back inside where Scooter got a whiff and he immediately hissed at me! LOL
I will keep you all posted on the progress!
**hugs**
Karen

[moosmom]

Karen,

It's not that they were abused

I fail to see how leaving a cat out in the bitter cold is NOT abuse.

I'd throw caution to the wind and keep the cat. It's obvious that don't want him. You are an angel for caring for him.

If he's biting you might want to see if he's declawed. So many people have their cats declawed then dump them when they start to bite.

The one thing you might want to do is when he goes to bite, don't pull your hand away. You don't want him to know you're afraid. That is unless he's biting hard. I had a declawed Maine Coon rescue who would bite. When I realized that she was only giving love bites, I didn't pull away. I think if you work with him, he'll get through it.