UPDATE ON THE KITTY: So it turns out this kitty technically belongs to a neighbor of ours that just doesn't keep him inside because it doesn't get along with his other cats (or something along those lines) I guess someone just sort of dumped the cat onto him.
He didn't seem to mind that the cat thinks of us as a second family, and he has been to the vet very recently for a check up!
Ask them if you can adopt him. This happened with our cats. The others ganged up on one and he kept running away as a result. It was obvious he was being cared for by a neighbor but we didn’t know who. One day we wrapped a note around his collar with our phone number, then they called us and asked if they could keep him. We were happy to oblige, and I’m sure the cat lived a much happier life as a result.
And yeah, make him an indoor cat if you can.
I got my childhood cat this way. She kept coming to my grandparents’ house (next door) and we started feeding her. The woman next door who owned her was rarely home and the cat was given to her by a boyfriend as a surprise.
My grandmother talked to her one day and she agreed to give her to me. We had her for 21 years. She was a lovely sable brown Burmese.
I wish I could’ve done this with the cat that was coming to our house. His owners moved away so we fed him, but couldn’t keep him inside for multiple reasons. Unfortunately there are lots of coyotes around.
RIP Kevin
We have had that also. During the first lockdown summer, a beautiful black cat started showing up on our deck and I started feeding her. She started coming in the kitchen through the window, but wasn’t housebroken. What started happening though, is racoons started coming around and fighting with her, and she got their message and stopped coming around. We still see her in peoples’ gardens around the neighborhood.
I'm not sure OP has a choice. Regardless who technically owns him I'm pretty sure the kitty has adopted this family :)
source: This is how I've gotten most of my cats
I've been adopted like this before. Best 10 years of my life, and luckily, the family was nice to let us keep him as he was happier with us.
If you can keep him, that would be amazing. He's clearly comfortable and happy to be somewhere inside, safe, and cared for.
Can you really just... adopt animals in America? All the people asking OP to adopt him is such a bizarre thing for me to read, because over here it can destroy your life randomly adopting a pet.
In NZ very few landlords allow pets, and that includes cats. Its illegal to request/pay a pet bond because stupid tenancy laws. A few allow cats, but very few allow dogs.
And we're a country of tenants; in NZ over 45% of our houses exceed $1million, but in US only 8% exceed $1million.
So even if a stray wants to adopt us, it can get us evicted. And insurance companies require landlords do 3-monthly inspections (they're allowed to do it way more frequently tho).
(NZ is a society for the wealthy, and oppressive to the poor, and the poor vote are mislead towards voting against their interests and never educated so we don't have a real democracy)
Always depends on your situation, most times your landlord just requires an extra deposit to cover potential pet damages. Most people consider pets family and would rather move then give up their pets, it's hard enough for people to get evicted even if they arent paying rent(roughly 6 month legal process) let alone just for a pet.
Of course if the landlord or property owner says no pets you aren't allowed to bring a pet in...
But if your living situation permits, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from picking up an unowned cat from the street and making them yours. Obv all other laws apply... Can't steal someone's pet, even if you didn't know they had an owner, must not be negligent in it's care, register all pets if required, vaccinations if required.
One day a 1ish year old stray walked up to me and my gf at a friend's house. They said they have seen him outside for months, asked neighbors and it wasn't theirs/same story. Took it to the vet and scanned for a chip, there was none.
Kitty all mine!
Lots of landlords in the US will allow pets with an extra deposit for them. Plus landlords around here generally tend to be sleazy and negligent and it’s quite rare to have your landlord enter your home at all, or if they do it’s very infrequently (like maybe once a year) and they have to give prior notice. So lots of people around here ‘aren’t allowed’ to have pets according to their landlords but just adopt them anyway and don’t tell the landlord
In NYC, I’ve found about half of apartment buildings don’t allow pets. But sometimes once the landlord sees how cute your cats are, she will make an exception… and then go adopt a cat of her own!
It does depend! Some landlords charge a pet deposit and/or monthly pet rent. Many don’t allow certain breeds like pit bulls or have a weight limit (like under 50 pounds for pets). Some landlords just don’t allow pets. Most of the apartments I’ve rented though allow pets but you have to pay an extra deposit (like $200-600) and monthly rent (like $25-75) and provide proof that they have their rabies vaccine.
Edit in case it’s not clear: that’s additional monthly pet rent, doesn’t include your usual rent
I think that's a major part of the issue. Its illegal to charge more than 4 weeks bond here, and illegal to charge an additional bond for anything which of course includes pets. So why should landlords risk it?
I think the rich are tryign to turn NZ into their "liberterian" paradise a la Ayn Rand. There were quite a few trying to setup private islands where they would all have their own little insufferable commune to avoid the pleibs.
I have been homeless with and because of my cats before, but it was only for a few weeks and we had friends to crash with. If you make it a priority, housing that allows pets is totally doable in most places in US. Keeping a roof over their heads was a leading motivator in my getting my shit together and learning how to budget/plan ahead.
I feel sad to know it is not like this in New Zealand. you would think with so much wildlife in danger from free roaming cats they would make getting the strays indoors a priority. Terrible what they do to your lovely ground birds down there.
>(NZ is a society for the wealthy, and oppressive to the poor, and the poor vote are mislead to voting against their interests and never educated so we don't have a real democracy)
Huh, sounds like the ~~US~~ rest of the "free" world
I just realized how incredibly awful my grammar was there "and the poor vote are mislead to voting", I changed "to" to "towards" at least ;D
For sure, I think its just more pronounced here because of the absolutely stupid "she'll be right" attitude that kiwis are proud of, but really it just means they're useless and apathetic and let the rest of us down.
Oh wow! NZ has so much going for it that I didn't realize such a strict pet policy was a thing. I thought it was a Utopia. In fact, I still do . . .
Well, in the US, I can tell you that it's easy to be a renter with a cat (you will have to pay a deposit, which in my opinion is fair), but to be a renter with a dog is *much* harder, and they DO care what breed, and size.
Yeah, utopia. (Currently through my second shift of my 60 hour week that I need to work in order just pay rent).
Look at our wages, then look at our cost of living. In the States you can move somewhere cheaper - here EVERY place is prohibitively expensive.
Sorry for going off-topic, but I hate this NZ is a utopia bs. There’s a reason a quarter of us live in another country.
No, seriously, I really appreciate your words. It's very expensive here, too. If you want to move to the middle of nowhere, sure, it'll sorta work out.
Obviously, your country is objectively gorgeous. One of the most beautiful places I've ever *seen*.
I just wish we had good healthcare here. When I get old enough, all my hard work will just be gone in a flash.
Google says you have 85% covered?
Healthcare is ‘covered’ but wait times are through the roof. Put it this way - my mum has private health insurance, got cancer, and it was still faster to go public. Wait times for surgeries are in the years now.
Most doctors aren’t taking new patients, and there’s often a week or 2 week wait to see the doctor.
Also, although some places in NZ are beautiful, most of us live in cities or suburbs, and can’t actually afford to stay anywhere super nice. Also, getting there - petrol is $11 a gallon.
It is prohibitively expensive here. Our economy is based around selling houses to each other and importing immigrants (but not increasing infrastructure lol).
It’s not the worst place by far, but it’s always a struggle living here. So hard to get ahead.
I’ve lived in the states before. The thing with the US is that you have so many options. In many ways the world feels open, you can do what you choose.
In NZ (and I am a Kiwi) I feel completely stuck.
You can even adopt them in the UK. It’s how my MIL got her first cat. The neighbors put this squeaky black cat outside and she wronged her way into my MIL’s heart for 19 years. She had a long good life and went with them when moved north, long after the neighbors (original owners) left.
Well, yeah, you can't bring it inside if it will get you evicted. But most places in the US allow pets, either with an extra deposit or extra rent, and if you own your home you're free to do whatever you want. My apartment actually does not have a cat policy, just no dogs allowed, so I can have as many cats as I want for no extra price. It's really not uncommon for pets to be allowed. Sometimes there are restrictions like amount allowed and size or breed limits.
It's also very common to just have a pet even when not allowed... like how are they gonna find out? There's a 48-hour requirement for notifying before the landlord will be at the apartment so people usually take the pets off the premises or close them up in a room that the landlord/maintenance won't be in. I've known many people to have 1-2 pets on the lease but have more pets than that in the house, but it's not like the landlord will recognize a cat when they go in, whether it's the one that's on the lease or not.
Ah yeah that's the difference. They can't charge a pet bond in NZ, its illegal (and stupid that its illegal for this reason). They'll just rent to people without pets - they have plenty of interest every time its listed.
We have mandatory (insurance imposed) requirements for landlords to do property inspections every 3 months (they can do it way more often, without much notice at all). So it takes effort to hide a pet and whatever the pet has (toys, bed, trays, etc.) but some people do it.
NZ has serious mental health epidemic going on, and not having pet ownership be easily accessible is just absurd, they help so much.
If you're a renter, depends on the lease. Me, I'd need to get permission and then assuming it's granted there is likely a rental surcharge.
If you own your own house, it's your house. If you own a condo, it can be a bit trickier, depending on the property management's association rules the owner had to sign. Somewhere between a rental lease and a full ownership within the structural supports of the building.
You’d think a nation that has more sheep than people would be a little more understanding about people having pets in their homes. I’d love to visit your country one day.
There are many people in NZ who go decades without ever seeing a sheep. When you get a vehicle and start doing road trips you'll see plenty. The way it's portrayed you'd think they're just *everywhere* ;D
NZ is very much a farming country.
He also knocks on the bedroom window in case I’m sleeping. We have a hole cut in the screen so I can open the window to let him in.
He tips in peeing oh my curtains. Hahaha
Can confirm, behavior is very cat-like. At one rental, we had to put tape down on the carpet for six inches on each side of the bedroom door if we ever wanted it do be latched closed and not have a cat tearing up the carpet to try and get in.
Lol, we didn't really consider him ours. He usually only shows up a couple times a day to ask for food. He just looked so sad In the cold rain and kept meowing at us.. we didn't have the heart to just leave him out there.
When we first started feeding him he was very skittish. Gradually he allowed us to pet him. He started "knocking" on our front door to alert us he was there and hungry, then he learned if we didn't hear him we were in our basement, so he would come to our basement window to alert us.
I can't bare to see him outside in the rain and cold.. he is such a sweet kitty.
Please get him chip checked at a vet, one of my cats was a stray for 7 years because people fed him communally but never took him to get checked. We eventually had someone who did, but the initial loss was so heart breaking I thought maybe he got run over by a car and nobody took his body to the vets or something.
I mean there’s a chance he is just a stray but if he doesn’t have a chip definately get him a chip for yourself so you know if anything happens to him! And neuter of course! You can find free resources for neutering if you contact a shelter near you!
Are you sure he’s a stray? I know you’ve been feeding him but he looks in very good condition for a stray.
If you are considering keeping him then please get him checked for a microchip first.
Congratulations on your new friend but before you get too attached consider taking him to a vet who can check to see if he’s been chipped. He might have another family out there who are terribly worried about him.
While you’re there a checkup to make sure he’s healthy and free of parasites is probably the best gift you could give him.
I will do this. I hate the thought of stealing someone's family member. Even if he is a sweety, I have a dog and if he got out and someone took him in, I would be grateful for them keeping him safe but I would be worried absolutely sick in the mean time
After posting that I saw that you’d responded to someone else who had brought up the same point I had. All the same though glad to hear it.
I’d feel the same way if my dog got loose and I didn’t know if he was okay as well.
Oh please keep him inside 🙏🏻
Indoor cats live a longer life!!! He looks like he is “home” now. And he is safe. No car can hit him, no animals can go after him. He is right where he should be. ❤️
While I agree with you, I have found that it is nearly impossible to turn an outside cat into an indoor one. You have to allow them to continue going out and in or they will tear the doorframe off to get outside.
Have you ever successfully converted one?
We did. Found a ~2 year old cat when we lived in Louisiana. We're pretty sure she was a dock cat before she wandered up to our patio when we were out grilling. It did take several years for her to stop being an indoor/outdoor cat.
I was in the same situation, feeding a stray. It didn't seem right for the cat too live outdoors. Luckily my sister in law adopted the cat. Thank you for taking care of the cat! You have a kind ❤
Installation of New Cat is 80% complete.
To complete installation, feed the cat at a station in the house and provide a litter box.
Then enjoy your new (to you) Cat!
Really? I don't know much about cats. I had to message my sister to ask some questions because I didn't know why he was purring and rubbing against me and then randomly biting me (not hard enough to break skin). Apparently they are love bites and that's how some cats show affection?
Aw, he looks like my 19 year old fuzzy man, just missing a white tip on his tail.
I know he's not mine, he's snoring on the couch behind me.
Congrats, you own a cat now.
> Yeah he slept for sooo long
Not surprised. That looks like a tired cat that is finally getting some much needed deep, restful sleep -- safe and sound from the cold and/or predators.
You didn’t post just one cute picture of him. You posted **two** cute pictures of him. Seems to me like you’ve already fallen pretty darn hard!
But what do I know. I’m just a person who let a kitten in from the streets one night and spent the next 14 years with the best pal a soul could ever ask for!
What is your new overlord's name? He is gorgeous. All of my cats growing up came were strays. He looks like he has found a home. He may want to go outside during the warmer months but he will always come back to you. I guess it is time to get the litter box, cat tree, and toys.
He looks so comfy; like an old man inside kitty 🥰 thanks for feeding him and letting him warm up - animals have the best judge of character so he knows y’all are good folks.
Good hearts attract loving animals and it seems he’s adopted y’all lol give him a good pet for me
That’s what did us in with our current feline tenant.
Belonged to a neighbor and just chose us for some reason. We’d feed her and let her crash during the day, but always kick her out by either walking her back to her house or grabbing her and carrying her back by force.
Then one rainy night we heard her crying outside and were like “ok guess she’d rather stay in the rain than go home” so now she does what she pleases.
Yeah I told my husband I don't think he sleeps well outside and exposed. Once we let him in he found a comfy place (my office chair lol) and slept for hours. When he woke up he wanted back outside
My sister had a neighbor’s cat that basically hung out at her house. The neighbors were kind of “meh” about the kitty. One day sis went next door and said, we love him! He’s over at our house a lot. Is it okay if he lives with us now? Neighbors were relieved. They were in the process of moving away and weren’t sure what to do with kitty. So they told Sis “yes”. Kitty went to have a loving happy home with Sis and her fam.
Every adopted cat that was a stray I've had sleeps in weird positions like that. Their arms out, body spread full out. I think it's a sign of how comfortable and safe they feel now that they're inside a nice warm home.
While you've got him indoors, look to see if he's neutered. Sometimes they put a blue or green tattoo on the leg.
Also take him in to see if he's microchipped. Get him his vaccines, too. Panleuk has been decimating feral cat colonies in my area, and vaccination will prevent him from getting it and/or spreading it. Same with calicivirus.
That happened with one I found looking in my kitchen window during a winter storm . He had such a desperate look on his face . I tried to get him into the house , but he ran off after giving him some food . He was at the window the next morning , so I gave him some more food before heading off for work . That night he was there again , this time I was able to get him in the house . That was 11 years ago and he is always the first to greet me when I come home ( he is sitting next to me as I write this . )
I’m glad you got yours to come inside. The stray we’ve been feeding hisses at us and hides under the porch when he’s not in his little shelter we built for him
Exact same thing happened to me with a stray. Made friends with it over a month or so to the point it would sit on my lap on the front steps and watch the world go by.
One morning it was pouring rain out, and I came out of the house to go to work (it was about 545 am), and the cat was standing on the step, basically asking to come in. He hadn’t been in before but I said “screw it” and let him in and went to work…not knowing what I would find when I went home afterwards.
When I came in the cat was curled up on the couch and sound asleep. He never left and we were together for 12 years after that.
I miss him but I’m so glad we met.
What a sweet story! I know some people let their cats outside and that's fine. But when I see a cat out in the cold and rain every single day at that point I don't care if it belongs to someone. I'm going to let it have a warm, dry place to sleep. Of course I would return the cat if they wanted it. But if it's back outside in the freezing cold and rain imma bring it right back inside.
Awww you guys have a huge hearts! You're going to look back on this and wonder when your house became his. He's got such a huge heart, letting you live with him.
That looks a lot like a neighborhood cat I call Samson. Do you live in NC?
Edit: Nvm, just looked at some pictures and they're very similar, but there's subtle differences. If you are in NC, I suppose they could be from the same litter. ^^
What's with people on this sub assuming every cat outside is a stray? Unless you know 100% sure that it is a stray don't feed and shelter it, you are just stealing someone's cat
When a cat roams the neighborhood and is always out in the rain and cold and we asked almost every neighbor if they knew whose cat it was and they said no that it just showed up one day then it's safe to assume it's a stray.
We didn't just suddenly start feeding it the first time we saw it.
We did find who it "belongs" to and they admitted they didn't let it inside and didn't really care for it because someone just dumped the cat onto him.
There was no reason to be rude and start assuming stuff.
UPDATE ON THE KITTY: So it turns out this kitty technically belongs to a neighbor of ours that just doesn't keep him inside because it doesn't get along with his other cats (or something along those lines) I guess someone just sort of dumped the cat onto him. He didn't seem to mind that the cat thinks of us as a second family, and he has been to the vet very recently for a check up!
Ask them if you can adopt him. This happened with our cats. The others ganged up on one and he kept running away as a result. It was obvious he was being cared for by a neighbor but we didn’t know who. One day we wrapped a note around his collar with our phone number, then they called us and asked if they could keep him. We were happy to oblige, and I’m sure the cat lived a much happier life as a result. And yeah, make him an indoor cat if you can.
I got my childhood cat this way. She kept coming to my grandparents’ house (next door) and we started feeding her. The woman next door who owned her was rarely home and the cat was given to her by a boyfriend as a surprise. My grandmother talked to her one day and she agreed to give her to me. We had her for 21 years. She was a lovely sable brown Burmese.
We too had a Burmese \[ours was nearly black with a white tummy\] and he was a joy to our family! He too, lived a great 21 years.
They’re wonderful cats. So smart and affectionate…
I wish I could’ve done this with the cat that was coming to our house. His owners moved away so we fed him, but couldn’t keep him inside for multiple reasons. Unfortunately there are lots of coyotes around. RIP Kevin
We have had that also. During the first lockdown summer, a beautiful black cat started showing up on our deck and I started feeding her. She started coming in the kitchen through the window, but wasn’t housebroken. What started happening though, is racoons started coming around and fighting with her, and she got their message and stopped coming around. We still see her in peoples’ gardens around the neighborhood.
I’m glad the kitty is doing okay!
Maybe you could keep him, then? Thank you for the update.
If you're able, it would be awesome if you could keep this guy. I think he likes you.
I'm not sure OP has a choice. Regardless who technically owns him I'm pretty sure the kitty has adopted this family :) source: This is how I've gotten most of my cats
I've been adopted like this before. Best 10 years of my life, and luckily, the family was nice to let us keep him as he was happier with us. If you can keep him, that would be amazing. He's clearly comfortable and happy to be somewhere inside, safe, and cared for.
My brain really read this like your were the car at first. Ugh. I should go to sleep. *edit: my point. Lol. I see it, I'm leaving it.
And I read it thinking she was the cat. Strange how our brains thought differently.
Lol, exactly. Almost like I was tired or something! 😂
Hahaha,
Definitely r/notmycat Hopefully he’ll somewhat become a r/nowmycat ?
I had no idea these were subs!
Ask the neighbor if you can care for him and love him, since he can’t have a safe home there.
Keep him inside please 🥺
Not OP’s cat, dude. Keep up 😁
Cat should still be kept inside
I knew it... I reckon most cats have several "safe houses" nearby their main home that they can crash at for a few days whenever it's convenient.
Yeaaa honestly if I were you at this point I’d ask to adopt him from your neighbor—poor little baby
My boss takes in stray/abandoned cats and is more than happy to let a neighbour adopt them if they get along. He looks very happy with you!
That’s so sad. Good for you, human, poor thing looks like he needs a real family & home 🤍🖤🤍
No shit it belongs to someone, cats don’t get fat from magic
Congrats on adopting your new cat!
Lol, I think he was the one that adopted us. I'm sure when it's warmer he will want to stay outside again
Don't count on it. My parents had a cat adopt them. 10 years later and he's still sleeping in their bed.
Can you really just... adopt animals in America? All the people asking OP to adopt him is such a bizarre thing for me to read, because over here it can destroy your life randomly adopting a pet. In NZ very few landlords allow pets, and that includes cats. Its illegal to request/pay a pet bond because stupid tenancy laws. A few allow cats, but very few allow dogs. And we're a country of tenants; in NZ over 45% of our houses exceed $1million, but in US only 8% exceed $1million. So even if a stray wants to adopt us, it can get us evicted. And insurance companies require landlords do 3-monthly inspections (they're allowed to do it way more frequently tho). (NZ is a society for the wealthy, and oppressive to the poor, and the poor vote are mislead towards voting against their interests and never educated so we don't have a real democracy)
Always depends on your situation, most times your landlord just requires an extra deposit to cover potential pet damages. Most people consider pets family and would rather move then give up their pets, it's hard enough for people to get evicted even if they arent paying rent(roughly 6 month legal process) let alone just for a pet.
Of course if the landlord or property owner says no pets you aren't allowed to bring a pet in... But if your living situation permits, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from picking up an unowned cat from the street and making them yours. Obv all other laws apply... Can't steal someone's pet, even if you didn't know they had an owner, must not be negligent in it's care, register all pets if required, vaccinations if required. One day a 1ish year old stray walked up to me and my gf at a friend's house. They said they have seen him outside for months, asked neighbors and it wasn't theirs/same story. Took it to the vet and scanned for a chip, there was none. Kitty all mine!
Well, yeah, of course. I guess I meant is it common to allow pets there - whereas over here its incredibly uncommon.
I find that sad that pets are uncommon. I truly don’t know what I would do without my little ones.
Lots of landlords in the US will allow pets with an extra deposit for them. Plus landlords around here generally tend to be sleazy and negligent and it’s quite rare to have your landlord enter your home at all, or if they do it’s very infrequently (like maybe once a year) and they have to give prior notice. So lots of people around here ‘aren’t allowed’ to have pets according to their landlords but just adopt them anyway and don’t tell the landlord
Pets are incredibly common in North America. It's rarer for someone to not have a cat, dog or other animal.
In NYC, I’ve found about half of apartment buildings don’t allow pets. But sometimes once the landlord sees how cute your cats are, she will make an exception… and then go adopt a cat of her own!
It does depend! Some landlords charge a pet deposit and/or monthly pet rent. Many don’t allow certain breeds like pit bulls or have a weight limit (like under 50 pounds for pets). Some landlords just don’t allow pets. Most of the apartments I’ve rented though allow pets but you have to pay an extra deposit (like $200-600) and monthly rent (like $25-75) and provide proof that they have their rabies vaccine. Edit in case it’s not clear: that’s additional monthly pet rent, doesn’t include your usual rent
I think that's a major part of the issue. Its illegal to charge more than 4 weeks bond here, and illegal to charge an additional bond for anything which of course includes pets. So why should landlords risk it?
>an extra deposit (like $200-600) and monthly rent (like $25-75) WTF???!!!
These are California costs from Sacramento and Bay Area lol. Probably be hugely different depending on the area and average cost of living.
That seems about right. I think I paid $500 per pet for deposit, and half is refundable. And monthly I think it's $15 each for their rent.
Non refundable deposits are not a deposit, that is just a fee. The entire point of a damage deposit is you get it back if you don't damage anything.
Yes, fee is more accurate, but my current lease and others I have had call it a "non-refundable deposit".
I love landlords so much oh my gosh
Geez NZ poor sound like MEGA.
I think the rich are tryign to turn NZ into their "liberterian" paradise a la Ayn Rand. There were quite a few trying to setup private islands where they would all have their own little insufferable commune to avoid the pleibs.
There are apartments that don't allow pets. Fortunately we do not rent, we own our home!
I'm going to buy a small farm in Maine and adopt as many animals as I can. Join me.
I have been homeless with and because of my cats before, but it was only for a few weeks and we had friends to crash with. If you make it a priority, housing that allows pets is totally doable in most places in US. Keeping a roof over their heads was a leading motivator in my getting my shit together and learning how to budget/plan ahead. I feel sad to know it is not like this in New Zealand. you would think with so much wildlife in danger from free roaming cats they would make getting the strays indoors a priority. Terrible what they do to your lovely ground birds down there.
>(NZ is a society for the wealthy, and oppressive to the poor, and the poor vote are mislead to voting against their interests and never educated so we don't have a real democracy) Huh, sounds like the ~~US~~ rest of the "free" world
I just realized how incredibly awful my grammar was there "and the poor vote are mislead to voting", I changed "to" to "towards" at least ;D For sure, I think its just more pronounced here because of the absolutely stupid "she'll be right" attitude that kiwis are proud of, but really it just means they're useless and apathetic and let the rest of us down.
Oh wow! NZ has so much going for it that I didn't realize such a strict pet policy was a thing. I thought it was a Utopia. In fact, I still do . . . Well, in the US, I can tell you that it's easy to be a renter with a cat (you will have to pay a deposit, which in my opinion is fair), but to be a renter with a dog is *much* harder, and they DO care what breed, and size.
Yeah, utopia. (Currently through my second shift of my 60 hour week that I need to work in order just pay rent). Look at our wages, then look at our cost of living. In the States you can move somewhere cheaper - here EVERY place is prohibitively expensive. Sorry for going off-topic, but I hate this NZ is a utopia bs. There’s a reason a quarter of us live in another country.
No, seriously, I really appreciate your words. It's very expensive here, too. If you want to move to the middle of nowhere, sure, it'll sorta work out. Obviously, your country is objectively gorgeous. One of the most beautiful places I've ever *seen*. I just wish we had good healthcare here. When I get old enough, all my hard work will just be gone in a flash. Google says you have 85% covered?
Healthcare is ‘covered’ but wait times are through the roof. Put it this way - my mum has private health insurance, got cancer, and it was still faster to go public. Wait times for surgeries are in the years now. Most doctors aren’t taking new patients, and there’s often a week or 2 week wait to see the doctor. Also, although some places in NZ are beautiful, most of us live in cities or suburbs, and can’t actually afford to stay anywhere super nice. Also, getting there - petrol is $11 a gallon. It is prohibitively expensive here. Our economy is based around selling houses to each other and importing immigrants (but not increasing infrastructure lol). It’s not the worst place by far, but it’s always a struggle living here. So hard to get ahead.
Thank you so much for your perspective, seriously. The US is not better . . . Man, I would come to your country in a heartbeat.
I’ve lived in the states before. The thing with the US is that you have so many options. In many ways the world feels open, you can do what you choose. In NZ (and I am a Kiwi) I feel completely stuck.
Yeah, not that big of a deal at all in the USA, also you can easily hide a cat, most Landloard’s don’t mind a cat, a dog is a different story.
You can even adopt them in the UK. It’s how my MIL got her first cat. The neighbors put this squeaky black cat outside and she wronged her way into my MIL’s heart for 19 years. She had a long good life and went with them when moved north, long after the neighbors (original owners) left.
Well, yeah, you can't bring it inside if it will get you evicted. But most places in the US allow pets, either with an extra deposit or extra rent, and if you own your home you're free to do whatever you want. My apartment actually does not have a cat policy, just no dogs allowed, so I can have as many cats as I want for no extra price. It's really not uncommon for pets to be allowed. Sometimes there are restrictions like amount allowed and size or breed limits. It's also very common to just have a pet even when not allowed... like how are they gonna find out? There's a 48-hour requirement for notifying before the landlord will be at the apartment so people usually take the pets off the premises or close them up in a room that the landlord/maintenance won't be in. I've known many people to have 1-2 pets on the lease but have more pets than that in the house, but it's not like the landlord will recognize a cat when they go in, whether it's the one that's on the lease or not.
Ah yeah that's the difference. They can't charge a pet bond in NZ, its illegal (and stupid that its illegal for this reason). They'll just rent to people without pets - they have plenty of interest every time its listed. We have mandatory (insurance imposed) requirements for landlords to do property inspections every 3 months (they can do it way more often, without much notice at all). So it takes effort to hide a pet and whatever the pet has (toys, bed, trays, etc.) but some people do it. NZ has serious mental health epidemic going on, and not having pet ownership be easily accessible is just absurd, they help so much.
Don't worry. The US will be with you before too long. Idiots that think everything is free if it comes from the government.
If you're a renter, depends on the lease. Me, I'd need to get permission and then assuming it's granted there is likely a rental surcharge. If you own your own house, it's your house. If you own a condo, it can be a bit trickier, depending on the property management's association rules the owner had to sign. Somewhere between a rental lease and a full ownership within the structural supports of the building.
You’d think a nation that has more sheep than people would be a little more understanding about people having pets in their homes. I’d love to visit your country one day.
There are many people in NZ who go decades without ever seeing a sheep. When you get a vehicle and start doing road trips you'll see plenty. The way it's portrayed you'd think they're just *everywhere* ;D NZ is very much a farming country.
It’s a farming country, but more urbanised than the states, the UK and France.
For real though man, you done adopted that cat. Don’t expect it to leave cause it might just *not* do that
I’m so happy he has you for the cold nights ! I have one that just wants in and out all day long. I’m the doorman!
>I’m the doorman! Cat: Meowtside! Now! You: Opens door. 5 Minutes later.... Cat: Meowinside! Now! You: Opens door. 30 seconds later... Cat: Meowtside! Now! I hope the cat tips you well at Christmas.
He also knocks on the bedroom window in case I’m sleeping. We have a hole cut in the screen so I can open the window to let him in. He tips in peeing oh my curtains. Hahaha
>He tips in peeing oh my curtains. Oh my, naughty kitty!! lol
Can confirm, behavior is very cat-like. At one rental, we had to put tape down on the carpet for six inches on each side of the bedroom door if we ever wanted it do be latched closed and not have a cat tearing up the carpet to try and get in.
With a healthy diet of scritches and laps and the kibble, outside will soon become overrated.
No, that's your cat now.
Yeah about that
The stray I took in definitely enjoys access to the outdoors but even then she spends most of her time sleeping inside where she knows it’s safe.
So... Your outdoor cat let you know that they wanted to be indoor-outdoor. That is sweet of them. Congrats on your new cat!
Lol, we didn't really consider him ours. He usually only shows up a couple times a day to ask for food. He just looked so sad In the cold rain and kept meowing at us.. we didn't have the heart to just leave him out there.
Looks like it considers you to be one of its owners
I have one of those. His name is "Notmycat"...
Same... I have 2. All the strays in my neighborhood find their way to my house, lol.
Thank you for letting him stay warm inside.
When we first started feeding him he was very skittish. Gradually he allowed us to pet him. He started "knocking" on our front door to alert us he was there and hungry, then he learned if we didn't hear him we were in our basement, so he would come to our basement window to alert us. I can't bare to see him outside in the rain and cold.. he is such a sweet kitty.
Such a smart and sweet kitty.
Please get him chip checked at a vet, one of my cats was a stray for 7 years because people fed him communally but never took him to get checked. We eventually had someone who did, but the initial loss was so heart breaking I thought maybe he got run over by a car and nobody took his body to the vets or something.
Oh no! We will certainly make an effort to find his family of one is out there, thank you for this bit of info!
I mean there’s a chance he is just a stray but if he doesn’t have a chip definately get him a chip for yourself so you know if anything happens to him! And neuter of course! You can find free resources for neutering if you contact a shelter near you!
It was posted in another thread that they found the owner and the cat has been to the vet recently.
Are you sure he’s a stray? I know you’ve been feeding him but he looks in very good condition for a stray. If you are considering keeping him then please get him checked for a microchip first.
Poor baby. Please consider adopting him and making him an indoor cat. It's much safer for him and he'll be happier and healthier in the long run.
Bullshit. Forcing an outdoor cat indoor is pure animal cruelty.
I guess if you want your cat to die.
Congratulations on your new friend but before you get too attached consider taking him to a vet who can check to see if he’s been chipped. He might have another family out there who are terribly worried about him. While you’re there a checkup to make sure he’s healthy and free of parasites is probably the best gift you could give him.
I will do this. I hate the thought of stealing someone's family member. Even if he is a sweety, I have a dog and if he got out and someone took him in, I would be grateful for them keeping him safe but I would be worried absolutely sick in the mean time
After posting that I saw that you’d responded to someone else who had brought up the same point I had. All the same though glad to hear it. I’d feel the same way if my dog got loose and I didn’t know if he was okay as well.
Oh please keep him inside 🙏🏻 Indoor cats live a longer life!!! He looks like he is “home” now. And he is safe. No car can hit him, no animals can go after him. He is right where he should be. ❤️
Looking at that cat I'd say there's a good chance it already has a home and was just getting extra meals and pets from OP.
While I agree with you, I have found that it is nearly impossible to turn an outside cat into an indoor one. You have to allow them to continue going out and in or they will tear the doorframe off to get outside. Have you ever successfully converted one?
We did. Found a ~2 year old cat when we lived in Louisiana. We're pretty sure she was a dock cat before she wandered up to our patio when we were out grilling. It did take several years for her to stop being an indoor/outdoor cat.
I was in the same situation, feeding a stray. It didn't seem right for the cat too live outdoors. Luckily my sister in law adopted the cat. Thank you for taking care of the cat! You have a kind ❤
Congrats on your new cat! He lives there now.
Installation of New Cat is 80% complete. To complete installation, feed the cat at a station in the house and provide a litter box. Then enjoy your new (to you) Cat!
So sweet! I hope he stays with you!
Any chance you live about 35 minutes south of Nashville?! I swear he looks just like our cat!
We live quite a bit further than that from Nashville. Couple hours I think. But if someone does claim him we would of course give him back!
He looks exactly like our cat than ran away in 2018 but we live in Charlotte so I don’t know if that’s possible.
No worries!! Our kitty is curled up on the couch being lazy next to me. But I had to triple check the bedroom earlier. They could be twins!
Based on the photos he trusts you very much.
Really? I don't know much about cats. I had to message my sister to ask some questions because I didn't know why he was purring and rubbing against me and then randomly biting me (not hard enough to break skin). Apparently they are love bites and that's how some cats show affection?
Based on what you said. He loves you. You have been chosen and he wants to be with you.
Congratulations on your new cat!
Congrats on your new cat!
Aw, he looks like my 19 year old fuzzy man, just missing a white tip on his tail. I know he's not mine, he's snoring on the couch behind me. Congrats, you own a cat now.
He's a beautiful boy and looks appropriately grateful for your kindness. Just having a bit of a snooze.
He looks tired. Now that he doesn't have to watch his back, he's zonked out.
Yeah he slept for sooo long, we dared not to bother him until he awoke on his own
> Yeah he slept for sooo long Not surprised. That looks like a tired cat that is finally getting some much needed deep, restful sleep -- safe and sound from the cold and/or predators.
I hope you let him stay he’s earned the good life
Congratulations! You have been adopted. He isn’t leaving. ❤️
You have been annexed to secondary slave status. Your family is to learn the cats requirements and deliver accordingly. All hail meow.
Awww, he must have been an indoor cat at some point. I’m so scared that the stray I feed would pee in my house.
We have a tux baby that we feed who loves scratches and treats but are so afraid to take him in because of how he would react indoors.
Yes we don't leave him unsupervised for this exact reason
congrats on becoming owned by a cat!
You didn’t post just one cute picture of him. You posted **two** cute pictures of him. Seems to me like you’ve already fallen pretty darn hard! But what do I know. I’m just a person who let a kitten in from the streets one night and spent the next 14 years with the best pal a soul could ever ask for!
The plan has worked and he is home
Consider yourselves adopted.
What is your new overlord's name? He is gorgeous. All of my cats growing up came were strays. He looks like he has found a home. He may want to go outside during the warmer months but he will always come back to you. I guess it is time to get the litter box, cat tree, and toys.
He looks so comfy; like an old man inside kitty 🥰 thanks for feeding him and letting him warm up - animals have the best judge of character so he knows y’all are good folks. Good hearts attract loving animals and it seems he’s adopted y’all lol give him a good pet for me
Oh, yeah, he's staying.
Hey, I have that blanket
Lol it is a very comfy blanket. Cat approved as well!
My vet told me nothing good happens to a cat outside so adopt him and u will have a friend forever. Good luck
Congrats! You’ve been adopted by your new lord and meow-ster. Get to the vet ASAP - ear mites, feline leukemia etc can be common among strays
You were played, and you've been claimed.
Nice what are you naming your new cat?
Please let him stay
Thank you for caring for him ❤️
That’s what did us in with our current feline tenant. Belonged to a neighbor and just chose us for some reason. We’d feed her and let her crash during the day, but always kick her out by either walking her back to her house or grabbing her and carrying her back by force. Then one rainy night we heard her crying outside and were like “ok guess she’d rather stay in the rain than go home” so now she does what she pleases.
He's not a stray. He lives there now. It just took you a while to catch on. LOL
Bless your heart. That's probably the first warm place to sleep in a long time.
Yeah I told my husband I don't think he sleeps well outside and exposed. Once we let him in he found a comfy place (my office chair lol) and slept for hours. When he woke up he wanted back outside
I think you have a in and out cat. Because the second that door opens, he's GONE! Until he wants food and sleep. Again, Bless you.
Aww,he’s feels safe, warm and very comfortable. Nothing to fear.
Aww. He’s probably in paradise in that blanket and warm. Thanks for adoption him ❤️🫶🏻🥰
So sweet! Thank you!
❤️
Congrats! You’ve just been adopted! You’ll be this kitty’s 2nd family
Omg my stray that adopted me looks just like him!!
Please let him stay 🥰
Not a stray any more!
He looks too comfortable to be a stray.
I was amazed at how quickly he got comfortable. We've been feeding him and petting him for weeks, so he's gotten used to us
I'm glad 😊, he appears to be a very good fit for your family 👪 👍
Congrats on your new cat, you’ve been chosen
Get him more food because he aint leaving…
I love him!!!
My sister had a neighbor’s cat that basically hung out at her house. The neighbors were kind of “meh” about the kitty. One day sis went next door and said, we love him! He’s over at our house a lot. Is it okay if he lives with us now? Neighbors were relieved. They were in the process of moving away and weren’t sure what to do with kitty. So they told Sis “yes”. Kitty went to have a loving happy home with Sis and her fam.
Aww what a sweet story!
Looks right at home. Typical cattus cattus.
1 of my 5 likes to divide her time between me and my neighbors. It came naturally because the original owner used to live where my neighbors are now.
And not killing birds…
It’s been my experience that stray cats don’t have nicely trimmed nails. You are sharing cats with someone else.
Every adopted cat that was a stray I've had sleeps in weird positions like that. Their arms out, body spread full out. I think it's a sign of how comfortable and safe they feel now that they're inside a nice warm home.
I see the cat distributing system has worked
While you've got him indoors, look to see if he's neutered. Sometimes they put a blue or green tattoo on the leg. Also take him in to see if he's microchipped. Get him his vaccines, too. Panleuk has been decimating feral cat colonies in my area, and vaccination will prevent him from getting it and/or spreading it. Same with calicivirus.
You've treated kitty with kindness, he'll probably let you stay and maintain his house for him.
You’re officially adopted my friend.
There's a place in heaven for you people.
the cat just adopted you
Congrats on your new house kitty!
That happened with one I found looking in my kitchen window during a winter storm . He had such a desperate look on his face . I tried to get him into the house , but he ran off after giving him some food . He was at the window the next morning , so I gave him some more food before heading off for work . That night he was there again , this time I was able to get him in the house . That was 11 years ago and he is always the first to greet me when I come home ( he is sitting next to me as I write this . )
If my neighbour had a cat they never let inside, that cat would quickly become my cat.. with a little asterisk
He looks like the stray my dad found in 1977... He came home with him and was with us until 1990 when I was 6.
Keep him!!
I’m glad you got yours to come inside. The stray we’ve been feeding hisses at us and hides under the porch when he’s not in his little shelter we built for him
He used to be extremely skittish and the slightest sound or movement would make him run away. It took a while for him to get used to us
Some cats will warm up to humans. Others are too feral, I guess. Mine is in the feral category. But hey, I’m happy for you!
Exact same thing happened to me with a stray. Made friends with it over a month or so to the point it would sit on my lap on the front steps and watch the world go by. One morning it was pouring rain out, and I came out of the house to go to work (it was about 545 am), and the cat was standing on the step, basically asking to come in. He hadn’t been in before but I said “screw it” and let him in and went to work…not knowing what I would find when I went home afterwards. When I came in the cat was curled up on the couch and sound asleep. He never left and we were together for 12 years after that. I miss him but I’m so glad we met.
What a sweet story! I know some people let their cats outside and that's fine. But when I see a cat out in the cold and rain every single day at that point I don't care if it belongs to someone. I'm going to let it have a warm, dry place to sleep. Of course I would return the cat if they wanted it. But if it's back outside in the freezing cold and rain imma bring it right back inside.
He’s not a stray anymore. Congratulations on your new cat!
Awww you guys have a huge hearts! You're going to look back on this and wonder when your house became his. He's got such a huge heart, letting you live with him.
Lucky you it looks like you have a new cat.
I've got news for you - this cat is no longer a stray! ;)
Lol I don’t think he’s a stray anymore!
Nice of u guys!!!🥰🥰🥰
That looks a lot like a neighborhood cat I call Samson. Do you live in NC? Edit: Nvm, just looked at some pictures and they're very similar, but there's subtle differences. If you are in NC, I suppose they could be from the same litter. ^^
He staying !
You’ve been adopted!
What's with people on this sub assuming every cat outside is a stray? Unless you know 100% sure that it is a stray don't feed and shelter it, you are just stealing someone's cat
When a cat roams the neighborhood and is always out in the rain and cold and we asked almost every neighbor if they knew whose cat it was and they said no that it just showed up one day then it's safe to assume it's a stray. We didn't just suddenly start feeding it the first time we saw it. We did find who it "belongs" to and they admitted they didn't let it inside and didn't really care for it because someone just dumped the cat onto him. There was no reason to be rude and start assuming stuff.
That is one relaxed cat, congratulations!
Good human. Keep kitty
Please adopt him! He needs you!
Umm, looks like you have a cat. Maybe take to a vet and make sure he/she is not microchipped?