New Addition?
We may have a new addition to the Chiots Run family. Last Saturday evening a little gray & white cat showed up on our doorstep. He was super friendly and hungry, so we fed him some cat food. I don’t think he’s very old because he’s pretty small (at least compared to our cats). If he sticks around I’ll take him to the vet for shots and they should be able to tell me how old they think he is.
Later that night he was still hanging out on our porch, since it was in the teens outside and really windy we put one of our cat beds outside for him. He’s still hanging around, he sleeps in the bed at night and we give him some breakfast in the morning. He goes out into the woods during the day and shows up again at night for some food and a warm bed. I suppose he noticed our big fat cats in the window and decided that we were cat people and that this would be a great place to live.
We’ve been thinking about getting an outdoor cat to help with our chipmunk & mole population, but we hadn’t decided to get one yet. If he sticks around we may end up with one whether we want one or not (unless we can find a good home for him). He must have known we have a soft spot for cats here at Chiot’s Run, especially gray & white ones! This is what our old cat Jeffrey looked like (I found him in a dumpster in high school), we had to have him put to sleep 4 years ago (he was 13 yrs old).
These are our currents cats, Sofie (the gray one) and Samson (the orange one). They were rescues from a feral cat rescue group in Cincinnati, OH 4 years ago.
I’ve never had an outdoor cat so I don’t now much about what to do with them. Anyone out there have any suggestions? Or is anyone local looking for a new cute little cat to add to the family? He’s super friendly and very vocal!
Filed under Miscellaneous | Comments (13)
He is so stinkin’ cute! I have a soft spot for cats, too, but I’m not allowed to have more than the 2 we already have.
I love seeing pics of your little guys!
to MeghanO's comment
awwwwww! I didn’t know you had kitties! I miss mine.
to Jennifer's comment
I love the kitty photos! The new guy is adorable. Outdoor cats are very easy. I would just make sure to give them a little attention every now and then so that when you do have to take them to the vet or bring them in from the cold they’re not afraid of you. Cats are so great and self-sufficient.
to Jesse's comment
Thanks Jesse. He’s super friendly and wants to come inside, so he’s used to being around people. I actually think he’s either someone’s cat that’s roaming really far (and perhaps likes us better) or he was dumped around here somewhere (nothing like ignorant people).
to Susy's comment
The most important thing about outdoor cats is to keep a regular schedule so that they always know when they can find you. Feed them and play with them so that they don’t feel left out. If the cat comes in the house make sure to let him out whenever he wants to be outside. My parents have had alot of success with cats who live both indoors and outdoors. One cat will even wake them up in the middle of the night to be let outside so that he doesn’t have to use the litter box.
to Amy's comment
Awww your cats are so beautiful. Maybe you should let him come in the house in the evenings. I think it’s too cold over there. You can always let him out in the morning.
to Lee's comment
That is such a cool story. I love the last photo!
P.S. Sorry I haven’t been commenting lately…very busy!
to Joe's comment
All your kitty’s are so cute!
to Carolyn's comment
Having kitties roam outdoors is fine (my own loves it), but you should make sure to get him the appropriate shots. (Your vet will tell you what they are.) Contact with cats that have FIV (like HIV but for cats) and feline leukemia will hurt him, and he’ll spread it to your other cats. From April to October or so you should give him flea treatments (Frontline, for example) so that you and your other cats don’t get fleas. Fleas can cause heartworm, which you’d want to avoid. I think cats that want to be outdoors should be let out as they’re much happier that way.
to Tanya's comment
[…] if you remember that little cat that showed up outside you’ll know what this post is about. He stuck around and no one […]
to 5 + 1 = 6 at Chiot’s Run's comment
I couldn’t help but see Tanya’s post and even though this was a few years ago (I have just discovered your lovely blog and am reading back from the beginning) I feel the need to point out an inaccuracy. Heartworms are transmitted via mosquitoes, not fleas (fleas can transmit tapeworms, but even if you have them on flea prevention, eating just one flea can cause tapeworms, so you may end up with the occasional tapeworm outbreak anyway), and Frontline will not do anything against heartworm. Revolution and Advantage Multi are the products that prevent both fleas and heartworms (along with ear mites and some intestinal parasites), while Heartgard for Cats will prevent heartworms and some intestinal parasites (but not fleas). Heartworm is rare in cats, but there is no treatment if they get it (heartworm is really a dog parasite that has adapted to live in cats, but it kills cats much quicker than dogs). I don’t know how bad the mosquitoes are up in Ohio but I would imagine you guys don’t have a very high heartworm prevalence (at least not compared to Florida, where I am). It is always better to be safe than sorry, of course, but just thought I’d put my two cents in!
to Christine's comment
You’re right, but I am one of those crazy people that refuse to use the pesticides on my pet for fear of poisoning them along with the fleas/parasites. We have a dog that had some pretty severe allergies after giving her the flea/tick treatment once, we haven’t used any since. If pets are allowed outside to dust bathe they pretty much take care of those pests themselves.
to Susy's comment
I completely respect that I mainly just wanted to point out that fleas don’t cause heartworms. If I didn’t live in the deep South I probably wouldn’t use these products myself, but down here unfortunately heartworm is extremely common and even though my cats are completely indoors I found a couple of fleas on them shortly after moving to a different town (I was trying to see if I could go to using the products less frequently than suggested, because as you said, they are chemicals, and cats especially can be sensitive).
to Christine Noonan's comment