Just to note that I have very little knowledge of cats as I've never had a cat or know anyone that does. Anyway, a few weeks ago at the restaurant my family works at, we found a black cat in the big space behind the restaurant where trucks come in to unload stuff and throw trash away. I think it was abandoned maybe. I was just wondering if there could be anything unusual about this cat. Whenever we go near it he just comes up and rubs himself around our leg, head butting our hand every time we try to pet him, and meowing a little in a low pitch voice. Does it want food? I try to food him chicken and stuff but he doesn't seem interested at all. He does eat the can cat food I bought from the grocery store though. But other than that he just does rubs and mews I'm very confused as to what he wants from me. Is this normal cat behavior? Does anything sound strange here?
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Are Cats Normally Affectionate?
- Thread starter Sekai
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All cats have different personalities, some, like the one you found, are affectionate, while others are more standoffish. Are you going to adopt him? If you decide to, take him into the vet to be checked for a microchip (to see if he is truly abandoned or just lost), be tested for FIV, FeLV, get vaccinations, and be neutered.
He sounds very friendly! I've had cats who're cuddlebugs and love to be pet/scratched all the time but I've also had cats (like my current one) who're playful but more standoffish and don't really like to be picked up or cuddled, except on their own terms. Then when they're done, they're done!
I second taking him to the vet and looking for a microchip if you decide you want to keep him, as well as fixing him and having vaccinations/tests done. Though they're less common, you could also put out 'found' posters, if he's got any defining characteristics physically, and have people describe him to you, rather than adding a photo? Have you seen the underside of his paws at all? Some cats who've been outside for quite a while have rougher paw pads than others. One of my favorite cats was a little guy who showed up in our yard, ravenously hungry, and then didn't leave to sleep/eat elsewhere. His paw pads were completely rough/torn up.
Is there an apartment building near the restaurant? I suppose it'd be harder to tell if he's ravenous or undernourished if he's hanging out in the back alley of a restaurant. What a smart move on his part.
I second taking him to the vet and looking for a microchip if you decide you want to keep him, as well as fixing him and having vaccinations/tests done. Though they're less common, you could also put out 'found' posters, if he's got any defining characteristics physically, and have people describe him to you, rather than adding a photo? Have you seen the underside of his paws at all? Some cats who've been outside for quite a while have rougher paw pads than others. One of my favorite cats was a little guy who showed up in our yard, ravenously hungry, and then didn't leave to sleep/eat elsewhere. His paw pads were completely rough/torn up.
Is there an apartment building near the restaurant? I suppose it'd be harder to tell if he's ravenous or undernourished if he's hanging out in the back alley of a restaurant. What a smart move on his part.
sounds like my stray. The apartment office was threatening to get rid of her because he was very loud at night while she was defending "her" building. As soon as she heard my car door she was either running down the side walk talking away or climbing down from a tree to see me. She had no chip, tested negative, had terrible dental disease. Got her vaxxed and spent almost $1000 on her mouth. She just wants an open lap. No matter who shows up at my house, she'll get their lap. She had another tooth or two pulled a few years later. FORLs are a pain in the mouth.
Tommy is a completely different kind of affectionate. I can grab him, scruff him, flip him upside down in my arms, chew his ears, nom his tummy, rub my face all over his face, super wuffle and he'll purr purr purr. We lub each other.
He's the only cat I got tattooed.
Tommy is a completely different kind of affectionate. I can grab him, scruff him, flip him upside down in my arms, chew his ears, nom his tummy, rub my face all over his face, super wuffle and he'll purr purr purr. We lub each other.
He's the only cat I got tattooed.
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I wish I could adopt it but my parents would never allow it. Also I was told the cat is going to die soon by one of the workers here. He just said when the cat behaves like this it means he's gonna die is that true? The cat is pretty big so I assume he's pretty old. He doesn't eat or drink that much either. All he does nowadays is sit right outside our door and sleep 
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That is totally untrue. It's a personality thing, if a cat is affectionate or not. Charlie has acted this way since he was a kitten. Furthermore, if the cat is "big" that's probably just because he is hanging out behind a restaurant. He has plenty of access to food scraps. He's sleeping a lot because he is a cat. As predators, cats have adapted to sleep most of the day to conserve energy for the hunt. In this case, the cat doesn't need to hunt because he has tons of food scraps available, but he will still sleep most of the day because that's what cats are "programmed" to do. But seriously, if there's something wrong with the cat, a vet could help you out! If you can't adopt the cat, try taking it to a no-kill shelter.
He's probably sitting outside your door because you guys feed him and pay him attention, and he feels safe with you? He knows where the affection is coming from and wants to stay close. He may be older, but it's hard to tell for sure a lot of the time. Size also doesn't indicate age, as
abyeb
said above.
As far as the about to die thing, a) it's clear you're worried about him, and I think that was kind of a callous thing for one of the other workers to say -- maybe they find his presence in the middle of their jobs annoying or intrusive or something? Some people don't like the practice of feeding stray cats because it's true that they do tend to stick around, and maybe they don't like that? and b) I don't believe it, and definitely wouldn't put any stock into what they've said. If it were true (and it's not) half the kittens I've met at shelters this last week would also be getting ready to die. Some cats are just very social, curious, and good with strangers -- and they love attention/affection.
I'm oddly lucky in a bittersweet sort of way, that I have only had to watch two cat slowly declining because of old age. Context: I grew up on a ranch, with indoor-outdoor cats and (separate) barn cats, and coyotes/hawks tend to go for cats in the area of the country I lived in at the time. But I would say, in my super limited experience, that our cats actually hid from us when they were getting ready to pass away -- and when one did eventually cross over, he disappeared to a quiet place far away from everyone in the middle of the night. We had to go find him the next morning. The other was pretty similar, and our cattle dogs were the same. I think if he were seriously sick/dying, he would skulk off somewhere quiet to be by himself.
If your parents won't let you adopt him, do you think you could put up 'found cat' posters around the area, or is there a shelter you could surrender him to? He's found a pretty sweet deal for himself, but skulking around the back of a restaurant and sleeping next to the door isn't a great permanent solution. Unless the owners of the place want to take him in and make him their 'mascot' of sorts, and keep him around? There are some bookstores and stuff where I live that have 'resident' cats wandering around/sleeping in the lobbies during business hours.
abyeb
said above. As far as the about to die thing, a) it's clear you're worried about him, and I think that was kind of a callous thing for one of the other workers to say -- maybe they find his presence in the middle of their jobs annoying or intrusive or something? Some people don't like the practice of feeding stray cats because it's true that they do tend to stick around, and maybe they don't like that? and b) I don't believe it, and definitely wouldn't put any stock into what they've said. If it were true (and it's not) half the kittens I've met at shelters this last week would also be getting ready to die. Some cats are just very social, curious, and good with strangers -- and they love attention/affection.
I'm oddly lucky in a bittersweet sort of way, that I have only had to watch two cat slowly declining because of old age. Context: I grew up on a ranch, with indoor-outdoor cats and (separate) barn cats, and coyotes/hawks tend to go for cats in the area of the country I lived in at the time. But I would say, in my super limited experience, that our cats actually hid from us when they were getting ready to pass away -- and when one did eventually cross over, he disappeared to a quiet place far away from everyone in the middle of the night. We had to go find him the next morning. The other was pretty similar, and our cattle dogs were the same. I think if he were seriously sick/dying, he would skulk off somewhere quiet to be by himself.
If your parents won't let you adopt him, do you think you could put up 'found cat' posters around the area, or is there a shelter you could surrender him to? He's found a pretty sweet deal for himself, but skulking around the back of a restaurant and sleeping next to the door isn't a great permanent solution. Unless the owners of the place want to take him in and make him their 'mascot' of sorts, and keep him around? There are some bookstores and stuff where I live that have 'resident' cats wandering around/sleeping in the lobbies during business hours.
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There's no way anyone here would consider taking him in or even letting the cat inside because well ... it's a Chinese restaurant with old fashion Chinese people. They think cats are dirty. But they still go outside and stare at the cat on their smoke break or when they bored. I guess looking more closely he might not be dying. Thanks for the suggestions guy I will be getting my first car soon I'll take him to a shelter then. Also finally got a picture of him without him head butting my phone
He looks bored out of his mind ...
He looks bored out of his mind ...
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Would you mind telling where you live? We could help you find a good no-kill shelter.
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It sounds like he's chosen you to be his person! Cats are good judges of character. It's a shame you cant' take him in
I agree with Abyeb. I don't know why your co worker would say a friendly cat is going to die soon, because that's completely opposite how a cat would act in that situation. Your co worker wouldn't try to poison him would he?
If you live in the US and send him somewhere, make absolutely doubly sure it is NO KILL rescue or humane society. Call them directly and ask someone who works there. That's the only way to know for sure. A few years ago, there was a rumor going around in my county that our shelter was now no kill. That was absolutely false. In the US, all city/county shelters are KILL facilities. I've never heard otherwise.
I agree with Abyeb. I don't know why your co worker would say a friendly cat is going to die soon, because that's completely opposite how a cat would act in that situation. Your co worker wouldn't try to poison him would he?
If you live in the US and send him somewhere, make absolutely doubly sure it is NO KILL rescue or humane society. Call them directly and ask someone who works there. That's the only way to know for sure. A few years ago, there was a rumor going around in my county that our shelter was now no kill. That was absolutely false. In the US, all city/county shelters are KILL facilities. I've never heard otherwise.
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Being a friendly cat should improve his chances of being adopted out of a shelter.
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True, but I wouldn't take chances. Many people still have a stigma against black cats. If he's very friendly better to put him where he can get as much time as he needs to be adopted to the right person/family. I'm not sure how city/county shelter's vetting process compares to rescues and humane societies, but I would imagine they are less strict. Still, the euthanasia rates are high at kill shelters.
He sounds quite sweet, friendly, and healthy, absolutely the opposite of what that bad person said. Please protect him from that person! If we knew your location we could help with references to shelters. If you are on facebook, you can input "lacroixtees(dot)com" into the facebook searchbox which will give you a dropdown menu from which you can select your State if you are in the US. You will then get listings from which you can contact shelters in your location. If you are not in the US, you might try looking at animals24/7(dot)com and referencing "CATS" there, from which you may be able to obtain this type of information, or you may wish to contact someone there directly. He sounds like a very nice cat, and he is very handsome. Please protect him until you can get him to safety! and yes, the canned cat food is the way to go, because it has the nutrients cats need. He needs a source of fresh clean water, as well. THANK YOU for caring about this fine cat and please keep us informed.
What that person said couldn't be farther from the truth. This cat looks very healthy and sounds extremely sweet and friendly. Cat food is definitely what he needs, along with a source of fresh, clean water. Rubbing and head-butting are signs of affection. He is talking to you because he is friendly and loving. He wants to be adopted, well cared for, kept safe and loved. If you are unable to do that, you should definitely protect him and find a no-kill shelter in your area. If you are on facebook, you can input "lacroixtees(dot)com" into the facebook searchbox, which should bring up a drop-down menu from which you can select your state if you are in the US, and then you'll get listings, from which you can select those in your area and contact them. If you are not in the US, you can try contacting Animals 24-7 which is an international publication, to see if they would know of any good organizations in your area who may be able to help this very nice and handsome cat. THANK YOU for caring about this cat!
That is a stray or lost family cat. Have it check for a chip using a "universal" scanner (@ a veterinarian hospital - checks for more than one brand of microchip). If you do not wish to take it in, contact a cat rescue (no kill) organization to find it a home. Its life depends on you taking action. Please don't let it remain outside roaming.
The cat you now see for my profile picture was in the same situation. I was able to pet it while he/she ate from a dish I had placed for a beloved TNR (trapped-neuter-return). On the second or third day, it allowed me to pick him/her up, holding them against my chest. I knew then that this was a family's lost cat. My recently adopted cat hated this cat's sent on my person and went ballistic, so there wasn't a chance of me taking it in as my own. My cat's vet clinic referred me to a pet hospital because they had a universal scanner (didn't charge me anything, only took a couple of seconds). A few days later I took him/her to a rescue organization to get it a medical exam, spayed or neutered then to find him/her a new home.
The cat you now see for my profile picture was in the same situation. I was able to pet it while he/she ate from a dish I had placed for a beloved TNR (trapped-neuter-return). On the second or third day, it allowed me to pick him/her up, holding them against my chest. I knew then that this was a family's lost cat. My recently adopted cat hated this cat's sent on my person and went ballistic, so there wasn't a chance of me taking it in as my own. My cat's vet clinic referred me to a pet hospital because they had a universal scanner (didn't charge me anything, only took a couple of seconds). A few days later I took him/her to a rescue organization to get it a medical exam, spayed or neutered then to find him/her a new home.
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Given how friendly he is and combined with the fact that he seems to only want canned cat food (sounds like that is what he is used to), I would say he was probably raised around people. He also seems to really crave human interaction, hence the rubbing on your leg and the head butting of your hand. His behavior doesn't sound unusual to me because there are a lot of sweet cats out there, and it sounds like he is one of them.
I got adopted 2 months ago by a feral that was being fed by several folks in the neighborhood, she was a purring machine and very affectionate. Won my heart and now will come in at night to a couch in the garage. Food and water is a big deal for the little crossed eyed kitty. Xena, Warrior princess.... or lizard warrior....lol
Feed and pet your new friend.
Feed and pet your new friend.
Sekai:
Are you anywhere in Southern California?
That kitty sounds like a loving pet that got dumped. That happens all the time. People lose their homes, cats lose theirs as well. So sad, so often.
If he's in the area, might be able to get him. Listen to Katnapper; that poor kitty is going to get into trouble sooner or later. He'll trust the wrong person, get run over by a car, or eat something bad. Do something sooner instead of later to get him to a home or no-kill shelter.
He wants love, for sure. If someone "homes" him (or her) in the meantime, so much the better.
In any case, let us know what's going on.
Bless your heart for being so kind-hearted!
Are you anywhere in Southern California?
That kitty sounds like a loving pet that got dumped. That happens all the time. People lose their homes, cats lose theirs as well. So sad, so often.
If he's in the area, might be able to get him. Listen to Katnapper; that poor kitty is going to get into trouble sooner or later. He'll trust the wrong person, get run over by a car, or eat something bad. Do something sooner instead of later to get him to a home or no-kill shelter.
He wants love, for sure. If someone "homes" him (or her) in the meantime, so much the better.
In any case, let us know what's going on.
Bless your heart for being so kind-hearted!
We take for granted, the kind little spirits they are. With those moon-size childlike eyes, they pierce right through the barriers protecting our heart. Like magic, they bring out of us fountains of kindness, of warmth, like a refreshing brook obscured by the cover of trees, hidden away deep within the forest. Feelings we never knew we had or could give. Perhaps in those Heaven's Thirst little eyes, they planted this seed of life within us at a moments glance.
We befriend them these little ones, who walk with such grace as if to dance on skyward clouds. Each day we look forward to their glimpses, the gaze of an old welcoming friend. They nurture within us the flower that was once the glimmer of the smallest seed. Their purrs are like the Siren's Song to our hearts. We don't understand why. Only that it calls to us as if they are stringing a fine musical instrument.
We befriend them. We give them food to eat. For a moment in time, all that we know ceases to be. All our concerns are swept away when we veer into their eyes. That moment is real. It is not a dream. What if, as we look into their wondrous eyes, we have unknowingly entertained angels. Only Heaven knows.
When you think that you have done enough in caring for that one stray, that one feral who steals a moment of your time, seeks a morsel of food from your hand, before you turn and walk away, ask yourself if there is one more act of kindness that you could do for them that is better than the last?
We are all granted vast amounts of wealth, planted deep within ourselves. We only need to nurture the seeds. The towering and powerful trees too were once the smallest seed. Each day it pressed on, never relenting, never looking back. Never has it said, "I can't stretch forth another inch." There is always more that we can do to make a difference in their lives. Help the little ones. Be their towering, protective tree. Be their hope.
- In memory of "Gray." I never knew your name. Your eyes I will never forget. Farewell, my little friend.
We befriend them these little ones, who walk with such grace as if to dance on skyward clouds. Each day we look forward to their glimpses, the gaze of an old welcoming friend. They nurture within us the flower that was once the glimmer of the smallest seed. Their purrs are like the Siren's Song to our hearts. We don't understand why. Only that it calls to us as if they are stringing a fine musical instrument.
We befriend them. We give them food to eat. For a moment in time, all that we know ceases to be. All our concerns are swept away when we veer into their eyes. That moment is real. It is not a dream. What if, as we look into their wondrous eyes, we have unknowingly entertained angels. Only Heaven knows.
When you think that you have done enough in caring for that one stray, that one feral who steals a moment of your time, seeks a morsel of food from your hand, before you turn and walk away, ask yourself if there is one more act of kindness that you could do for them that is better than the last?
We are all granted vast amounts of wealth, planted deep within ourselves. We only need to nurture the seeds. The towering and powerful trees too were once the smallest seed. Each day it pressed on, never relenting, never looking back. Never has it said, "I can't stretch forth another inch." There is always more that we can do to make a difference in their lives. Help the little ones. Be their towering, protective tree. Be their hope.
- In memory of "Gray." I never knew your name. Your eyes I will never forget. Farewell, my little friend.
