There are many reasons why there are so many stray cats in this world. One of the main reasons is that pet owners don’t get their cats spayed or neutered, which means they can mate at will. If a stray female has a litter, those kittens then become strays. They grow up, have more strays and the chain continues. Pretty soon, there are many stray cats with no homes. This leads to too many cats getting euthanized when they’re picked up by the local shelter and not claimed. Stray cats do need homes and if you want one, there are many to be adopted.

There are some rules you should follow, however, if you come in contact with a stray cat. If you don’t want a stray cat to become your pet then don’t feed it. It will never go away.

If you see a stray and you think you would be able to give him a good home, then go ahead and feed him. Before you bring him in your house, however, you should first take him around the neighborhood to make sure that he isn’t someone else’s pet. You never know, there could be a sad little boy or girl who desperately misses their pet that you mistook for homeless.

If you come to the conclusion that this cat is indeed a stray cat, then you should immediately take him to the vet. Have the vet give the stray cat a complete physical. Because strays feed off of whatever they can get their hands on and they drink water that could come from anywhere, they are very susceptible to various diseases and illnesses. Have your vet determine if the stray cat is healthy and, if he is, have the vet give it its necessary shots. Make sure your new pet free of fleas. Fleas can cause many problems so nip that problem in the bud right away.

After the visit to the vet, you can take your stray home and he will no longer be a stray, he will be your new pet cat. Get a collar and an ID tag so that if the cat wanders away again, he won’t be taken for a stray cat. Others will know he’s yours and they’ll be able to contact you with whatever contact information you put on the ID tag.

Strays need love too! If you see a stray cat, be careful, make sure it doesn’t already have a family and, if not, take it to the vet to make sure that the cat you chose will be healthy and will hopefully be with you for many years.

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