Free-range Cat Visitor (Autumn 2019)

Post Date: 10/11/2019Post Date: 10/11/2019

This gray cat with no collar has been visiting my house for most of September and October. She began visiting as far back as late August. She visited me again the other night (Friday, 10/11) around 5 PM.

My house is on East Capitol Hill (the neighborhood often referred to as the Arboretum neighborhood). If you think this might be your cat, please use the form listed to the left under ‘Contact’ or contact me at 206-320-8758 (voice + text). It would nice to know if it is missing or simply one of the neighborhood free-rangers.

History:
This cat first began showing up at my house in August. A neighbor had posted a ‘lost cat’ poster on several neighborhood telephone poles that month. I took a photo of the poster as this cat looked similar and contacted the owners and sent along a few photos. It looked very similar to their lost cat and they asked me if I could try to capture her and hold onto the cat until they could stop by. In preparation for catching the cat to help these people out, I picked up a couple of cans of cat food, some kitty litter, a litter box and made a bed out of a cardboard box and clean bath towel. The cat often visits late at night and I figured the owner might not be able to check it out immediately.

A few nights later - late in the evening - the cat visited again. I did catch her and recontacted the owners. I kept her indoors for one night until the “owners” could show up the next morning. I fed the cat one meal (canned cat food) and let her sleep indoors overnight. He/she used a litter box I put out – so it appeared trained. She slept on my enclosed sunporch that night in the little cardboard bed I made.

It turns out he wasn’t the neighbor’s cat. So we released him/her back outdoors. He visits me most days now often sitting outside my door crying, though I won’t let him in or feed him. I am not a cat person and am not looking for a pet. There are a lot of free-range cats who cross my yard and have for 20 years now. I saw another (different) poster on an Arboretum power pole this past week. I contacted the owner with this link and they got back and said it was not their lost cat.

The cat is very friendly around people (though a little skittish). It appears well-fed. But the days are getting shorter and colder. It would be nice to know if someone local owns and takes of him/her and just lets it roam. Or is someone is missing this cat and recognizes this one as theirs.

See photos below. Scroll for additional images. The photos aren’t great. It is difficult to photograph a moving cat.