Cat

[sherpa]

We live in the mountains of NC.
We had a stray cat come onto the property this year.
We feed him and he has made the mountains his home.
He stays outside and eats outside, he is not a house cat.
The problem is, we dont stay here much in the winter.
We like to travel to the south and stay gone as much as a month at a time.
Whats going to happen to this cat while we are gone?
Can they survive by themselves all winter?
sherpa

 

[blueriver]

We live in the mountains of NC.
We had a stray cat come onto the property this year.
We feed him and he has made the mountains his home.
He stays outside and eats outside, he is not a house cat.
The problem is, we dont stay here much in the winter.
We like to travel to the south and stay gone as much as a month at a time.
Whats going to happen to this cat while we are gone?
Can they survive by themselves all winter?
sherpa

He will need to go South with you ... !!! Actually I believe his instinct for survival will take care of him.

 

[77transam]

At the very least make sure he has some kind of adequate shelter, somewhere out of the elements perhaps with some kind of bedding.

If bears are not a problem in your area, you might also consider some type of automatic feeder/water bowl. Wal-mart has 'em from $10 to $70, depending on how fancy you want to get. Maybe put it up high where only he can get to it.(Y'know they can climb pretty good!:laughing

Cats are natural-born killers and are definitely capable of hunting up their own meals, as long as there's adequate prey avail. (Mice,rats,moles,insects,birds,etc.)

Also might be a good idea to make sure he's been vaccinated against rabies.

Good luck

 

[jimmyj]

I agree a good shelter is essential. The feeding is a problem because if you leave a lot out it probably will attract rodents or worse. If he's become accustomed to your feed is there anybody else who could come by and top up a bowl once every 2 weeks or?

 

[brin]

I agree clemsonfor with all you posted and I would ad that the OP took responsibility for the poor cat when he began feeding it and providing water and as you say...the poor cat now has grow dependent on the food and water..I sure hope the OP makes arrangements for someone to care for the cat who is now dependant on him.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

I don't have any good advice. I just want to point out the box labeled "Similar Threads" at the bottom of the page. :laughing:

 

[shiver]

It will hunt.

It will be hunted.

It will survive or it will freeze.

It's not fair to grab it and take it home, it wasn't domesticated. If you do,
you'll grow even more emotionally attached and when it runs out of your
window or door that was left ajar and never comes back, you will will feel
especially guilty.

You can build a shelter if you want (throw some straw in it or something). You're going to have problems with other creatures, as has been noted, getting into it.

In general, I expect small cat to survive 2 or 3 years at the most in the wild, if there is freezing conditions.

Personally, I suggest letting nature take its course and just not feeding it next year.

 

[RoyJackson]

First...I am not a cat guy at all...dislike 'em, in fact.

However, I hope you take clemsonfor's advice. It's evident you've bonded with this critter and he has bonded with you...at least to a degree.

When we bought the house we live in now, the prior owner left a cat. That was totally unacceptable...but it was apparent she (previous owner) was a selfcentered **** and unworthy of life.
Anyway, although we didn't care for cats as pets (dog people here)...we did adopt it. Took care of that critter for the next several years (until it passed on).

 

[clemsonfor]

It will hunt.

It will be hunted.

It will survive or it will freeze.

It's not fair to grab it and take it home, it wasn't domesticated. If you do,
you'll grow even more emotionally attached and when it runs out of your
window or door that was left ajar and never comes back, you will will feel
especially guilty.

You can build a shelter if you want (throw some straw in it or something). You're going to have problems with other creatures, as has been noted, getting into it.

In general, I expect small cat to survive 2 or 3 years at the most in the wild, if there is freezing conditions.

Personally, I suggest letting nature take its course and just not feeding it next year.

I have entirely outside cat had him on the farm for 2-3 years or so that he wandered up to and now have had him another 3 years in different homes. He stays outside all winter and will come in every now and then for an hour or so (maybe once a week or so).. He has not run off yet and wandered up on his own. Then again i keep and care for my cats and vaccinate them.

I have relitives who had outside cats for well over 10 years that never came in and they did not take them to the vet regular. A cat that runs of after 2 years is really not your cat its wild and is an oportunistic feeder that just eats your east food.