How can you tell if a cat is a stray or just an outdoor pet?

Unfortunately if you are planning on keeping him indoor / outdoor, it is very difficult to keep him away from other stray cats. I would recommend ensuring his vaccinations (Feline Leukemia, Rabies and FVRCP) are all up to date to prevent transmission of these diseases. There are motion activated sprinklers you can get that will startle cats and keep them away from your property and you can find these online quite easily. Really, keeping him indoors is the only 100% way to keep him away from stray cats. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, cats are hardy pets and very loving. You may start by making sure they are all vaccinated, dewormed, and tested for FIV/FeLV. You may then bring them inside small amounts at a time to get them acquainted to your home. If they are doing ok while inside, you may extend the time spent inside so that they get can experience the indoors. While inside you should feed them wet food and give them love so that they know that it is ok to be inside. This usually gets them liking their new home and makes for a smoother transition. Hope this helps

Feral cats and strays have to find their food and fight for territory. They are more prone to disease such as FeLV and FIV or abscesses from this. They have to find their own shelter and protection from the weather changes and elements which is harder on younger and small cats than mature, adults.

Thank you for your questions about Patio Cat. Certainly providing a warm bed and a place to get out of the wind/weather will help. Many people will use a styrofoam cooler with a hole cut out to hold in the heat. Provide fresh food and water. Make the food a high quality such as Royal Canin, Purina ProPlan or Iams. Certainly you can have this cat vaccinated, treated for parasites and even spay/neutered. Outdoor cats can produce many kittens, they can also act as a source of fleas and intestinal worms, cats who are not fixed can also be more prone to fighting and getting injured. Many cities offer programs to help spay, neuter and vaccinate homeless cats and I recommend to look into one of these. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is a difficult question to answer, as we can't ask cats what they prefer! To some degree it is based on each individual animal, as some cats love being inside and lounging on the couch and others enjoy hunting in the great outdoors. It is also based on an owner's preference and where they live, etc. Wherher or not to keep a cat strictly indoors is an individual decision for each owner, and they can be happy either way!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think it depends on what the kittens illness was. We know that outdoor cats have a shorter life span that those kept indoors. Outdoor cats are more likely to get hit by cars, attached by other animals or fall ill from contagious diseases. I think the odds are fair that she would live to middle age. I hope this helps!

It sounds like he is acting like a typical friendly kitty. It is possible that he was once owned and that it why he is so friendly. He may have been lost or abandoned, but still has a pleasant attitude around people. If he is gentle enough that you could take him to a veterinary hospital or animal shelter, they could scan him for a microchip to find information on his previous owners. Typically truly feral cats are afraid of people and will not allow this type of contact with people.