- Joined
- Apr 5, 2020
- Messages
- 7
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Hey everyone!
I want to know if I should/could take a stray community cat (Mr. Green) with me when I relocate. When I first moved to the Jax area I was told that there was a community stray that had been around for five years. Two neighbors said that they occasionally feed him. For the first year I just would pet the cat whenever I saw him. This escalated to where he would run to my car when I pulled in for pets. Then he started sleeping on my lanai and front steps throughout the day. The cat then started darting in my house and napping on my guest bed for 3+ hours. He even has done a few overnights when it was below freezing out.
This winter I noticed the cat was very thin, meowing a lot and rubbing against my legs. I read online that this could mean he was hungry. I bought cat food and started out just giving him a little bit. The poor cat gobbled it up and continued to meow and cry for food. I now feed him a normal amount at the same time each day. Everyday, I feed him, the cat strolls around the neighborhood for a bit, and then he comes back to my house to sleep. He either will sleep indoors for hours or sleep inside my lanai or front step. I feel like he is my cat. Somedays I won't see him for a few hours because he is roaming. Other days the cat is literally by my house all day. He does prefer to spend the night outside in the wild. Also, Mr. Green is extremely territorial. He doesn't allow other strays or house cats to come near my house or the houses next to me and across. He almost patrols the area. So this has me worried about relocation.
I will be moving in 7 months and I don't know what to do about the cat. The neighbors said they fed him before but it obviously wasn't enough. I am worried he is dependent on my feeding and will starve when I leave. Can I trust neighbors to feed him if I leave food? I did read online that moving a community cat is not a good idea. I heard he could attempt to run away or be stressed and stop eating. So does this mean I can't take him with me? He is a bit aggressive and getting him into a carrier and driving him an hour will be quite stressful for both of us. I also don't think he will do well indoors for extended periods of time. I want to do what is best for Mr. Green. I do want to continue to take care of the sweet cat since I love him. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do in this situation?
I want to know if I should/could take a stray community cat (Mr. Green) with me when I relocate. When I first moved to the Jax area I was told that there was a community stray that had been around for five years. Two neighbors said that they occasionally feed him. For the first year I just would pet the cat whenever I saw him. This escalated to where he would run to my car when I pulled in for pets. Then he started sleeping on my lanai and front steps throughout the day. The cat then started darting in my house and napping on my guest bed for 3+ hours. He even has done a few overnights when it was below freezing out.
This winter I noticed the cat was very thin, meowing a lot and rubbing against my legs. I read online that this could mean he was hungry. I bought cat food and started out just giving him a little bit. The poor cat gobbled it up and continued to meow and cry for food. I now feed him a normal amount at the same time each day. Everyday, I feed him, the cat strolls around the neighborhood for a bit, and then he comes back to my house to sleep. He either will sleep indoors for hours or sleep inside my lanai or front step. I feel like he is my cat. Somedays I won't see him for a few hours because he is roaming. Other days the cat is literally by my house all day. He does prefer to spend the night outside in the wild. Also, Mr. Green is extremely territorial. He doesn't allow other strays or house cats to come near my house or the houses next to me and across. He almost patrols the area. So this has me worried about relocation.
I will be moving in 7 months and I don't know what to do about the cat. The neighbors said they fed him before but it obviously wasn't enough. I am worried he is dependent on my feeding and will starve when I leave. Can I trust neighbors to feed him if I leave food? I did read online that moving a community cat is not a good idea. I heard he could attempt to run away or be stressed and stop eating. So does this mean I can't take him with me? He is a bit aggressive and getting him into a carrier and driving him an hour will be quite stressful for both of us. I also don't think he will do well indoors for extended periods of time. I want to do what is best for Mr. Green. I do want to continue to take care of the sweet cat since I love him. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do in this situation?