"Silly kitty, so easy to be kidnapped." Another good reason to keep your cats inside. I didn't realise when I bought the place that it was Stray-cat Central. It also helps that I have been puting out food for a small group of feral cats. All the poor strays that get lost or dumped out seem to find their way here looking for a meal. If they come and go occationally, I ask around to see if anyone knows where they live. I have occationally put an elastic collar on them with a note attached to it stating, "If this is your cat call me at... If I don't hear from you, I'm finding them a new home." If they're still wearing the note a week later (which is usually the case), I then go into rescue mode. This includes a trip to the vet to scan them for a chip. It's gotten to the point where when I walk through the door with a new cat, they just automaticaly hand me the scanner. If there's no chip (I've only had three that were) then I let Animal Control know what I have, run found ads in the paper, post notices at local vets and pet stores and around the neighborhood, and more recently, post a notice on Craig's List. If they are kittens from a feral colony, or a pregnant or nursing mother cat with kittens shows up, I can take them to the Hunane Society when they're old enough. Usually, I end up having to find a home for the cat. And a few have talked me into keeping them.
