How to tell if a cat is a stray or outdoor cat?

Question

So i live in a apartment complex and I’ve seen many cats roaming and I fell in love with one it’s a female and I think she’s had some litters but she’s soo sweet I’ve been feeding her cuz I can’t help it ,  she’s charmed me I would love to keep her cuz I’m moving when my lease is up she doesn’t seem to skinny,  but  I can’t really tell tho cuz she has a lot of fur but I don’t want to steal a pet .. she also won’t come inside my apartment either, although she’ll follow me right up to the door then stop .. so how can I tell cuz I don’t think anybody here would chip them and I live right next to a sub Division￼ but I really love this cat already.

Answer

I'm surprised at all these comments. Some people let their cats go outside. My mom does. Her cat will pee on the floor if he can't go outside. He has a doggie door and can go outside whenever he pleases. He is well loved, well fed, and very happy. It's hard to tell sometimes if they're stray. If she looks well fed and healthy I would assume she has a home. If she looks injured often, mangy, or sickly skinny then I would assume she's a stray.

Answer

Put up some signs in the area and post found cat notices online. Maybe even put a collar on the cat with your phone number on it. If she goes home i'm sure the owners would either call or remove the collar. If no one claims kitty its safe to assume you are rescuing a stray.

Answer

Ok dispite what everyone seems to think outdoor cats are just as loved as indoor ones and many people don’t believe in locking them up indoors. Go to the spca and check if it’s chipped or check it’s ear and stomach for a tattoo.

Answer

This might be unpopular: but there's no difference between a roaming car and a stray, in my opinion. If you're letting your cat wander the neighborhood, it doesn't sound like much of a pet to you. Outdoor cats are hell on local ecosystems. 
If you keep her, please try and get her spayed.

Answer

Post a pic of the cat somewhere you know it’ll be seen, like on a local Facebook or Instagram page, and ask if she’s someone’s lost cat or outside cat.

Answer

If she’s sterilized and has a chip then I wouldn’t take her. My cats roam around outside whenever they want to and I’d be sad if someone took them...

Answer

Like others said post online on fb or in a local grocery store first. Check for ear clipping, tattoos or a chip. Indoor outdoor cats are extremely common by me. Infact its encouraged to help the eco system. There's several fix, vaccinate and release programs around me. 
I live in the country barn cats are so helpful on farms like mine. I have 4 cats. One is currently 18 years old and was a rescue from a shelter in ca. We lived in the city at the time when she was young. She was miserable keeping her in and loved going out on the balcony or climbing the palm tree. She has lived all over the country with us. Every vet remarks how healthy she is and loves that we let her in and out. She has never strayed off our property. Now we live in the midwest on a farm with 3 other rescue cats. All fixed all healthy all go in and out. Sounds like there's several really ignorant people on this thread.

Answer

Post pictures and ask around . Go get the cat checked for a chip. Outdoor cats are still someone’s pet . Just because someone allows their pet to roam doesn’t mean they aren’t still loved. If she seems healthy and clean my guess is she’s someone’s cat . I also feel it’s strange she won’t go inside your place . Cats know their homes and will go back . If you just assume she’s a stray and take her her owners will miss her and wonder what happened to their pet. I don’t understand the comments who say roaming cats are the same  as strays , it’s not true . Try to find an owner before possibly taking someone’s cat . She could be coming around just because she’s getting fed . Maybe if you have the time try and see where she goes.

Answer

Try to see if she has an owner first okay because you could be taking someone's pet away from them and I know you love her cats are sweet and loving animals but you can adopt a female kitten and love her and let this one go I took care of a mother cat and her kittens and my mom and Neil and I took her to an animal hospital 🏥 to be fixed and neutered .y neighbor took one of her babies she had four my female cat Goldie was not happy to see her she growled go back downstairs to you kittens 🐈🐈🐈🐈 now this is my house!!!! She was very jealous and envious about the mother 🐈 cat

Answer

My cat was an indoor/outdoor and I had him chipped because of this. Well I got a call from the home again company that my cat was found. I only let him out a half hour earlier, so I was confused. He had been going to some house down the road every day, sometimes twice a day, and the woman was feeding him every time. She thought he was a lost cat and felt bad. Once I got that information I was able to cancel his vet appointment to find out why he was getting so fat when we were feeding him the recommended amount of food. I thought something was medically wrong with him. His nickname was piggy. It was not the first time he had scammed his way to 3-4 meals a day haha.

How to tell if a cat is a stray or outdoor cat?

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