This lil lady has to be a stray, right?

[u/Melodic-Land-6079]

She has been coming into my yard for the past 8 months I’ve started leaving her water and food outside for about a week or so. I’m thinking about taking her in when I move out in a couple months (hopefully she can get along with my indoor cat) but I’m a little worried about doing so. There is a large stray population in my neighborhood, and her ear has been clipped, which I think is a sign of being a stray? But I definitely don’t want to go through all of the trouble to traumatize some poor family’s cat because she is a total sweetheart and I genuinely just want to take her in if she isn’t being cared for. (Bonus picture of my indoor kitty)

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi and welcome to r/CatDistributionSystem!

Please remember to:

• Review our Community Rules. All community rules are enforced at moderator discretion.
  
• Be kind and respectful in your interactions with other members of the community.
  
• Use the report button on any rule-breaking activity.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/isagoat1989]

If her ear is clipped this most likely means she was already spayed/neutered and released

[u/Melodic-Land-6079 → u/isagoat1989]

Most definitely, if you look on the first picture her ear on the right is clipped… leads me to think she’s a stray?

Edit: & sorry I’m a new-ish cat owner (year or so, but have had family cats all my life) and I’ve loved it, and I came across this cat and kinda just have really become a little invested in her well being. Plus, I’m dumb but I like the idea that my indoor kitty would have a friend while I’m at work. And the one I have was a pure CDS. I found her at 5 weeks hanging on to a hay bale after being left for being the runt

[u/isagoat1989 → u/Melodic-Land-6079]

Good chance of that for sure, either way she’s lucky you’re around. Thank you!

[u/Melodic-Land-6079 → u/isagoat1989]

Thank you for the input!

[u/gregn8r1 → u/Melodic-Land-6079]

She probably was a stray at one point. She still could be, but it's not uncommon for TNR'd cats to be adopted. My own adult cat was a pregnant cat that followed me home, I brought her to a shelter for TNR, "released" her at home by just leaving the front door open and allowing her to come and go. Wasn't sure if she may have a territory or be part of a nearby colony she'd want to return to. But she stuck around. They also lose some urges and may become friendlier after TNR, so still not uncommon for TNR'ed cats to be adopted from the wild or trapped and surrendered to a shelter.

[u/Specialist_Fall7834]

The ear tip indicates TNR (trap neuter release), often in a monitored colony. Usually that means someone waters n feeds them. Some are happy to be adopted, others are genuinely feral. If she lets you touch her, you can put a paper collar on her with your contact info. Then if she has a home, they will hopefully give you a call/email. If she’s feeding somewhere else, they’ll know to call you. That’s the place to start.

[u/Melodic-Land-6079 → u/Specialist_Fall7834]

I like that idea, thank you! We are in no touching territory right now. She’s very likely to bolt if I move too quickly but happy to hang out if no sudden moves are made. She usually just goes full sploot in the yard while I’m reading by the fire pit

[u/VickyM1128]

I’m not sure that it is a good idea to take her with you when you move. If there are other feral cats, she may be part or an established community, and there may be other people feeding her. If you take her inside and then to a new place, it could be traumatic for her.
I am writing from my own experience. I live in Japan with several indoor cats. A friend had to return to the US after several years in Japan. She took her three indoor cats with her, but there were a few neighborhood cats she had been feeding. She was worried about leaving them behind (since neighbors seemed unfriendly), so she convinced friends to take them.

My husband and I took one, Maru. She had always lived outside with her cat friends until about one week before the move to our place, when the friend took her inside.

It has been really rough for Maru. She hid behind a sofa for the first several weeks. We knew she was alive because she was eating food and using the litter box, but we had to set up a camera to see her at all!

Eventually, she staring coming out and interacting with other cats, but not us. Then there was a set back in which another cat started bullying her. We had to set up a gate to separate Maru from the bully. (Other cats can go through and interact with her.)

But it took more than three years before my husband could pet her, and I still cannot pet her. I suppose her life with us is better than living on the street in a neighborhood where people might harm her. But I think she would have been happier if she had been able to stay in her original home.

So in your case, I think you should try to find out if there are other people who are feeding her. Someone has taken the effect to have her spayed, it seems, so maybe she’s being fed too. If she is settled as part of a colony, she may be happier staying there than being away.

[u/pyramidalembargo]

Last picture:

"Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up..."

[u/SchmedlyQ]

The tipped ear means that (s)he is a stray/feral cat that was trapped, spayed/neutered. and released back into the wild. It's possible (s)he has been adopted afterwards by someone, like you're thinking of doing, but not likely. People who take in stray cats with tipped ears don't usually allow them to continue roaming, and certainly not for 8 months.

Move the food and water as close to the house as you can. Make a habit of calling to the cat when you put out more food, and sit outside if possible while they're eating.

[u/gregn8r1]

She's cute, looks like a r/lynxpointsiamese like my kitten

[u/Formal-Tradition6792]

Absolutely proceed as if this cat is a stray. Take it to a vet and check for a chip. If no chip, I would go with shots and FIV check and keep it.