catmom5- thank you for being the kind of person who cares and does something about it! Hope you find her family or a great new home soon and that she's not pregnant !

I've been going through a similar situation with a little fellow I call "Scruff".

One of the first things I did was to take a digital photo of him and sent it as an email attachment to the local shelter. The shelter keeps a record of pets reported lost and can check to see if the photo appears to match any of them, then contacts the person to see if it's the right one.

I don't know if all shelters do this, but it's a handy way to take care of a report if it can be done by email. That's the only one I'd add to the rest of the good suggestions I've seen mentioned up thread.

Are cats psychic? How do they know where to find cat people?

Okay, a question for your more knowledgeable folks. Sassy (my daughter named her Sassafras) seems to hang out in the backyard during the day, or I should say during some of the day. Other times she just takes off. Do outdoor kitties have "rounds" they visit? When she's not here I worry that something has happened to her, but she seems to come back for some lap sitting and petting and loving. She's adjusting to being shut in the garage at night, but has developed diarrhea probably from having a regular food supply. And she decided that the birdbath is her "drinking fountain" even though she has her own bowl in the garage, accessible at all times.

Will be checking with a neighbor who is catless about letting her bunk in with him until the rescue can take her. I really want to get her off the streets. Also will make a vet appointment for this week, so cross your fingers that she's OFFICIALLY HEALTHY!!

Thanks for your insights into living with an outside kitty.
catmom5

From what I've read, cats have a territory that runs around a half mile in diameter- call it 6 city blocks. I don't recall the specifics, but males tend to have larger territories, and I can't remember if the half mile number is for boys or girls. So, yes, a cat outdoors will roam and probably has a regular pattern of places it frequents.

Birds can carry quite a few diseases and parasites in their feces, which probably doesn't make a birdbath the ideal drinking source. Unfortunately, there isn't much a person can do to stop them if they won't drink tap water. I've noticed the same thing with Scruff. He won't drink water out of a bowl. I've been putting extra water in the food I put out for him, which seems to work well. Sometimes he laps up the water and doesn't get around to the food until hours later. I think he gets thirsty with more dry weather, but for some reason finds tap water offensive.

I don't know about the diarrhea. The pet food companies seem to think it's just dandy that it's a common reaction to their products, where everyone else in the world finds it unpleasant and worth avoiding.

Sassy hasn't been home since noon. I'm very worried, checked the main road and she hasn't been hit, and hope that she has found her way to her people and is having a wonderful reunion with them. On the other hand, I will leave the garage door propped open a bit tonight and maybe she will be there in the morning. What an emotional roller coaster!
Please keep Sassy in your prayers that she is safe and sound wherever she is ~ and that if she needs a home she comes back here so I can find her a forever family of her own.

catmom5

Sending prayers that Sassy either comes back to you, or is in another safe and welcoming place!

Hoping and praying she comes back safe or you find she went home or someone else took her in.