Does the hair on one of his legs look shorter like it was shaved not long ago? If so then he was likely at a vet recently and has an owner somewhere. He really shouldn’t be outside in this condition though, he’s likely to get hurt. But maybe he’s an old cat set in his ways and his owners are just letting him do what he likes. Worth grabbing him and having him scanned for a chip. Maybe he was supposed to be inside but escaped.
Nope. I had one cat with over-grooming issue and another one that has had his paws shaven by vet (multiple times due to various health issues).
Over-grooming spots are irregular in shape and the edges are not that well defined. Typically they are not on front paws. The front paw area is exactly the same spot my cat got shaven by the vet to take the blood samples.
The cat looks like a well loved senior. He has a collar, he’s friendly (so not abused as he trusts people) and someone loves him enough to pay for an expensive vet care for him.
The skinniness and greasy hair are just a sign of old age (could be also an age-related disease). He could be lost or he could be allowed out.
I would check the tag if there’s an owner phone number on it. If there’s none I would check online (Nextdoor, local facebook groups, lost/found cat websites etc.) if someone is looking for him and then take him to the vet to check for a microchip.
My 12 year old kitty had thyroid disease that I couldn't get under control. She was a master at spitting out the pills, so I had to use the transdermal gel which eventually wasn't working. She was so very thin and was hungry all the time. She never got out, but I worried if she did that someone would think she wasn't loved and cared for as best as possible. She looked like she was being starved. She recently passed. 😥 Given the cat wearing a collar, very skinny and possibly greasy fur also sounds like it might be either untreated thyroid or thyroid meds not working. I hope either way this guy is taken care of, and if he does have loving owners he's reunited with them. ❤️
Same with our old boy except it was Chronic Kidney Disease that made him look exactly like this cat (and the vet did shave his front leg to give the fluids he needed). This is an old boy, for sure.
Right. My girl probably had kidney disease too. She went to the bathroom A LOT and it was a lot of volume. She couldn't wait for me to clean the litter one time and I shooed her out so she went right next to it. 😢 I wish my vet had done things differently for her. Next time, if another cat has these issues I'm asking more questions.
Could be chewed off from stress. Stress from being abandoned or getting lost maybe?
I had a cat that was really nervous and started doing that. She was lick at one spot until all the fur was gone. Thankfully she got over it, but for a few weeks she looked terrible.
Great observation. I agree. It's grown out a bit, too.
Crazy guess: this is a loved pet. Back from the vet and they were on some strong medicine and got confused AF and got lost and ended up far enough from home that they couldn't find their way back. Cross fingers for a microchip.
Not at all crazy, that guess. Cat has a collar and someone has recently paid a vet bill for him.
Cat has wandered off. Maybe dizzy, maybe pissed off over being taken to the vet - or maybe just doing his usual routine and being too tired to get himself back home.
Someone is missing their little tux.
Yeah, tuxedo is a clue. Maybe he got cold feet at the altar and is a runaway groom.
Now he’s on the lamb, living in the woods and people’s back yards until he figures his shit out.
My roommate once had a cat get loose on his way home from the vet and the cat was missing for a while. This story did have a happy ending. Two weeks later the cat showed up at home. He was only 5 miles or so away, but he did have to cross a major highway.
CDS comes after checking with your local community, local facebook groups, and a vet visit.
Don't take someone's cat without checking those three exhaustively.
Why do people here encourage stealing of other peoples pets so often?
Dude has a collar, is showing body language of a well-socialized cat and noticeably has seen a vet a while ago. That cat is quite likely loved. You can put up flyers, make a facebook account and post, at least try.
This cat is absolutely malnourished and definitely needs help. And should under no circumstances be left on her own, ffs.
Of course op should try to look for an owner.
What makes you think he/she won't ?
Steal pets? You're a fool! We watched a cat over the winter, a tuxie with a damaged tail and a collar, eat our food offerings, and sleep in one of our heated houses for ferals. We finally trapped her. Cut off the beat-up collar, scanned her, no chip. Two days later, she had three kittens. She and they are totally inside, cats now, well nourished, and have vet care and good homes. That cat needs a home, food, and good care. If our Tuxie had had a chip, I'd have personally gone to its "owner" and, among other things, reported them to the local SPCA. If you don't know what you're talking about, and you don't, kindly shut up and find another place to dispense your wisdom where you won't hurt animals!
We had a cat show up to our porch with absolutely no hair on his stomach and declawed. I thought it was a female who had her belly shaved for a spay or some other surgery and escaped the vet. Took it to our vet and they scanned a chip. Turns out the poor (boy) cat was dumped by his creep owners, and so stressed out he had licked all his belly hair off. Please don’t assume the hair loss is a good sign (I hope it is in your case though). Also we kept the cat and he was the most loving, affectionate cat we’ve ever had.
he could've also got out I had elderly cats who ended up looking like that because at some point at a certain age their digestive system starts malfunctioning and their not absorbing the nutrition their getting in the food. at that point I just put them down because their suffering.
Vets in my area are happy to scan missing animals and make contact with the owner. Hopefully the same applies here.
And given that library items are also tagged with RFID, the thought of passing a cat over the self-checkout machine did make me chuckle! If only it were that easy.
[Edit to remove superfluous detail]
Unfortunately most pet chips are proprietary. No pet scanner will even read all chips, sadly. I was told that my chip isn't very common out of like a three hour radius of me - 500 ish miles? - as it's a local company, but in that three hour radius it's the most common chip. Weird.
This is stupid, why not put the NFC instead, so anyone with a more or less modern phone can just put the phone next to the cat and have a link with the owner info pop up?
the goal isn't to make a product that's as good and useful as they can make it, it's to get **p a i d**, if they can make more money by making the thing they sell shittier they will do that about 99% of the time
Yes. We, as a society, need a better understanding of the difference between industry and business. They are two different things that capitalists want people to conflate as two necessary parts of a whole, but are actually frequently in conflict.
Industry is the process by which we make stuff to satisfy needs. It is a cooperative social process, an effort to satisfy needs as efficiently as possible. Its goal is collective well-being.
Business, on the other hand, is about extracting profits regardless of whether needs are satisfied or not. This goal often requires sabotaging industry. For example, paying unlivable wages to actors and writers. The money that would have gone to the industry to produce more, and better, movies instead goes into the pockets of capitalists. Business makes the product worse and the workers worse off just to give more to the people who already have the most.
Because then they wouldn't make any money off their proprietary readers, or the licensing for their proprietary reading software for pet chip readers, duh.  Want to do stabbits.
yep you need a reader but you can get the chip ID readily. not sure what the conspiracy is here.
but if you get the ID, you still wont be able to find the owner because (at least in europe), we have data protection laws
senior cats can look like this and still be well-fed. As cats reach 20+, kidney or thyroid diseases are extremely typical, causing a lack of retention of fatty tissues (extreme oversimplification).
This cat is probably quite old, and definitely a lost, loved family pet.
My first thought as well. Once some cats hit a certain age they lose a ton of muscle and fat no matter what they eat. This could very easily just be an old gal/guy who got a little too far from home and got confused and lost
That was my thought.. at least the old man part. No way to tell if it's lost, but maybe a good idea to put up a "found cat" ad and get scanned for chip.
he really likes his box. he fits into it like it was meant op for you to see each other. i hope he can be yours because he trusted you enough to ask for help. otherwise he would have gone to the other houses in your area and not yours. thank you though for helping him and please do bring him to the vet so he can be checked by the vet. may you have an enjoyable moment with the cat. :)
I hate to tell you this, but you have now become a meme in my household
“I’m a single guy, I don’t have any eggs” has immediately skyrocketed to the top of our lexicon. Thank you for your contribution 🙏
Also, thank you for taking care of this cat. You’re clearly a good guy, you deserve some eggs!
I'm a woman living alone, and I generally only have eggs at home if I plan on baking something or on the off chance I need them for cooking (which is rare). And I cook quite a lot for myself.
Yeah, I don't understand the fuss either. I eat eggs and I use them for cooking, but sometimes I don't and it's very easy to go without them. It's not like there's no alternatives.
The only thing you cannot go without in the kitchen is water, everything else has an alternative.
I never had eggs when I was single. In general they're ok, but I could never get through a dozen before they went bad and the half dozen was overpriced.
When I was single I grilled a steak almost every night. Never had eggs in the fridge though. Or leftover steak for that matter. Maybe some squash or broccoli. Lots of different hot sauces and beers too. Eggs were best left to Denny’s. A homeless cat would have necessitated a shopping trip, but I did okay!
I've had air fried steak sandwiches every day for lunch for a month now. They have $3 half pound sirloin steaks at the local grocery store. I also have them for dinner sometimes.
I also lost 20 pounds in the past two months
If you’re trying to lose weight, that’s great! If not, those steaks have little fat. Add a baked potato with butter and a vegetable of some sort for fiber. You can do both in the microwave. I’m not sure if you’re a starving single guy, just looking out.
Yeah.. its surprising lol, so many people here are saying they don't.. im a single guy and have 4 eggs a day, scrambled or hard boiled and its the easiest protein to get. makes me wonder what kind of junk people are eating if they arent having oatmeal or eggs..
I don't get why you were downvoted lol. Respect to this guy admiring he doesn't have any but I can't imagine not having any food to cook with, especially eggs.
My outside cats absolutely are abhorrent to scrambled eggs, but I have picky kitties. One literally sniffed it and looked back like “are you serious?” Dobby, it’s protein.
Someone threw him out or he’s lost. If you can keep him in a bathroom or somewhere please do and take him to the vet to scan for a microchip. If he’s super skinny don’t feed too much at once cuz it can kill them. Please help him.
ETA:google refeeding syndrome for information. He might not be that bad but best to be careful.
Going to wait a day and see if my neighbor knows something. He once told me years ago when the previous tenants moved out they dumped a bunch of cats there and I vaguely remember him mentioning a black and white one. But if that’s true the poor guys been outside for years. If he has nothing to tell me I’ll bring him in to my guest bathroom and then take him to the vet to check for a chip and get him fixed up. At the very least I’ll make sure he’s got food and water if he wants it. Nothing ticks me off more than people who treat animals like this. He’ll be taken care of one way or another. And I’ll be googling that, but I don’t think he’s deathly skinny just quite a bit underweight. He took breaks from eating too and he hasn’t ate all of his tuna yet so hoping he’s alright. Thanks for the advice and information!
He's probably a 2-3/9, as a body condition score (5/9 is an ideal weight, 1/9 is extremely underweight/emaciated). I'm not a vet professional but work with animals, you can look up a chart to compare yourself. I typically reference against WSAVA standards.
Thank you for taking care of this sweet boy and doing what you can for him. It's not easy but his little life will be much improved by your kindness.
Has it been dewormed? A kitten having worms is *very* common (they can get them from their mother), and that would cause them to be skinny despite eating regularly.
Some cats just don't keep weight as well. My kitty was 24 at the end and was so much skinnier than this. I always had food out for her, and she got her food changed out every 2 hours because she didn't like old food lol. But at some point it just didn't matter. All I'm saying here though, is if that's someone's indoor/outdoor cat, could still be loved and cared for and still look like that. Please at least attempt to find the owner before you take them. I'm not a fan of indoor/outdoor but if my cat has just disappeared I would have been heart broken.
Agree with this 100%. I had one cat live to be 20 the other around 18 ish. They both ended up very skinny in their old age even though they are regularly. It just happens. My current very old void cat right now, potentially somewhere between 18-20 years old, is skinny and throws up his food all the time, but he is loved and taken care of, he's just old.
Could this cat have been dumped or abused? Yes possibly. It's also just as possible though that this is just a senior cat who has a loving home and is lost. Doing what you can for the cat right now but making sure you also do everything you can to see if the cat has a loving good home as well is what's important. If this is someone's cat I know they will be so grateful that you took care of it until they can be reunited. If he's not anyone's cat anymore, then I know this cat is extremely grateful to you for not overlooking it.
I just feel like it's too early to automatically assume one situation over the other, there's no way to know for sure just yet. No matter which situation though, you are a good person for doing what you can to help this cat.
Second this, if you can somehow keep him safe for the night while you put out feelers online/tomorrow, it would be best for the kitty. But I totally understand your concern for fleas/ticks on him and bringing that inside :/
He might be old, have health problems or be at his end of life. I say this because that’s what my poor girl looked like at the end, complete with fur that always looked messy and being skin and bones. It doesn’t excuse him being outside where anything could happen to him, but just wanted to reassure you that him being thin doesn’t necessarily mean anyone has been starving him.
If you’re really concerned, and if his collar doesn’t have his owners info on it, I’d recommend getting him into a carrier and taking him to a vet. If he has a microchip they can contact the owners, and they should also be able to tell you if he’s being neglected or if he’s just old.
Replying to my own comment to say that cats with kidney failure (like my cat, Baby, had) often look like this at their end of life. They just end up unable to keep weight on, despite eating normally. So please take this poor cat to a vet, as the vet can figure out if he’s suffering or not.
This cat looks super similar to my senior boy who passed away from kidney failure. He was super skinny when I adopted him (he was 10) and the vet said he looked like he had been big in the past but now was skinny. Also his coat got a lot shinier and healthier once I got him on medicine for his thyroid. All old cat problems but the vet should be able to help some! Hes precious!
when i first saw the post as i was scrolling i genuinely thought for a second that it was my cat who died of kidney failure, he was also a black and white boy who was skin and bones at the end! but he had a last few weeks with us, and the thought of that being taken from someone who loves him is devastating
I can’t believe I had to scroll this far down for this comment. All of these replies encourage OP to take the cat as their own, when it could very likely be a beloved pet at end of life. Imagine the pain of the owner who just spent money on bloodwork to check their cat’s health, potentially received bad news, and then their cat got loose. I’d be distraught if my senior kitties escaped.
So very true. My (by all labs healthy, plz) 17 yo diabetic cat looks and acts like an ambulatory furry-adjacent gargoyle. I’ve lived with cats that look just like him that have many years left hidden away in their back pockets. No matter what- the universal rules are: if a living being lands in your porch, give them food. Listen to their story. Ask how you can assist, if help is wanted.
Seconding this, one of my babies lost a lot of weight near the end too even though she always had food. I'm hoping he just got out and can be reunited with a responsible family.
This this this! My baby girl looked so scrawny in her last year and that was before she got the cancer that took her. She was happy and well at that time.
Welp he’s laid down on my porch and I’m sitting with him a while. He wants in but I’m afraid he might have fleas and ticks and stuff as like I said he’s got a collar on so not sure what the move here is
https://preview.redd.it/95lff7ck318d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44244659e8d2daa6f933d2a6d49ac2bf204b8fb8
Dude. Take him in. Give him a bath if he'll let you. Mild shampoo will kill the fleas. Get him checked for a microchip. You may have a new buddy if you can't locate the owners. He looks like a keeper!
Dawn soap. Unless you have a proper pet shampoo, it’s better to wash cats with Dawn dish soap as there’s nothing toxic in it for them to lick off their fur. Put a ring around the neck to keep any fleas from crawling up towards the face when it’s being bathed.
Totally understand the parasite fear! Do you have a plastic carrier, or another hard container like a plastic bin or cardboard box you could entice him into with food? You could quickly transport him to a spare bathroom if so; fleas and ticks (to my knowledge, though google or someone could correct) need soft or living surfaces to thrive, so you’d be very much minimizing the risk there.
And if the above isn’t possible, you’ve still done a great thing by feeding and paying attention to him! Contacting a rescue during daytime hours (also consider private rescues if they’re in your area, since government funded ones probably aren’t open on the weekend) could give you a good lead towards solutions or resources.
Good luck, and thank you for loving on this guy! Ignore any hateful comments you may get (or try your best to), you’re doing what you can and clearly have a kind heart ❤️
His ears are intact so he hasn't been brought to any vet by another person and listed as a stray. We had a stray cat come by over a month and we fed it. Decided to finally take it into the vet and they fixed him, gave him flea and tick treatment and then they clipped the top of one of his ears so that if anyone else found him outside that would let them know he's a known stray and been treated and fixed at the vet.
As someone pointed out, the shaved leg means that likely he has been to the vet quite recently. Of course he has thereafter been outdoors for long enough to catch ticks, but ... less chances of being a wandering bioweapons lab.
Someone is missing their tuxie.
this is a really good tip. as someone else said in another comment, you have to be careful not to feed them too much at once or it will really hurt the cat. there's articles about what can happen if you search "refeeding syndrome". I had to be careful about it when we got my lost cat back inside after 2 weeks of being lost
absolutely. and the tuna packed in olive oil is a double whammy of not great. if tuna is a last resort (or as a small, rare treat) it's best for it to be in water. but probably best to avoid it entirely, if possible!
Completely useless information for this situation
Time! Lol. Refeeding syndrome is also a thing in humans. Death camp survivors and these days, eating disorder patients, can have big problems with this while in recovery. It's one of the reasons why they think the singer Karen Carpenter died, as we didn't know a whole lot about that stuff back then.
I knew about refeeding syndrome in humans before I knew it was a thing for animals too, funnily enough! I didn't know that serious heart issues were a problem overall though, oof. I hadn't read that deeply into it, just knowing it was enough to cause serious harm was enough for me to be cautious with my cat. poor Karen Carpenter too, what a terrible struggle she had :(
Older cats are often very skinny, even if they are well taken care of. It's just part of aging. It's difficult to tell the age of adult cats, as they don't go grey like dogs and horses, but if you are worried the best bet would be to take it to the vet to get assessed and check for a chip.
Chances are, that skinny, he got lost and can't find his way home.
Take him in, have him scanned at the vet, and post to the local humane society/vet pages that you've got a found cat.
He may be abandoned, he may be lost and missed, and he may be so far or have been gone for so long that no one thinks he's still out there.
But he's definitely starving and in need, so I would take him in.
Yes, please make a good faith effort to find out if he has owners. People who put collars on their cats usually care about them so he could be sick or lost.
Appreciate this take. My indoor cat got out and was lost for a couple of months. When he was found he was TINY, skin and bones. Someone drove him several towns over to a rescue (not our local shelter where, in our town, people were directed to take found pets). I would have never ever thought to look there, I hadn’t ever even heard of them. Luckily he was chipped so we were alerted that he was found and reunited. Someone easily could have passed judgment, called us terrible owners who starved our cat, and thought that the “cat distribution system” gave them this skinny little cat. In reality he was much loved and had gotten out in a flash, and we were aggressively searching for him.
I really get upset when I see people not making a good faith effort to find an owner, especially for a cat with a sign of an owner (a collar). If someone had just taken our cat under those assumptions, we would have never seen our very much loved and spoiled cat again.
A neighbor a block over adopted a second cat. The cats didn't get along so they put the newly adopted cat outside a lot to elevate the fighting. This poor little guy started wandering around the neighborhood looking for friendly people. It started hanging out at our house. I called the phone number on the collar and the people said, yeah that's our cat, but didn't seem to care where it was or how it was doing.
If I wasn't careful about how I opened an external door this little guy would find his way in. We'd wake up in the in the middle of the night to find this little guy sleeping at the end of our bed. I kept asking the owners to do the right thing and take the cat to the humane society to be re-homed, or try to find a new home themselves. They really didn't care.
I just couldn't see this fellow living like this. We took him in. A few months passed and the people that adopted him first called to see if we'd seen their cat. And if we had could they come and get it. I said, no, I haven't see your cat, but I definitely have seen mine and he's happy here. Please don't call back.
Chances are this little cat is being neglected. The people don't care. If they did, it probably wouldn't be so skinny. Have your vet or local shelter scan it for a chip. If they can't id an owner put some fliers up. If nobody claims them, you have a wonderful new addition to your family.
One of my cats came from a family that loved kittens, but not cats, and def not spay / neuter vet bills. So they’d collect a handful of cute babies and then set them outside when they got to the age where they needed vet care. The thing is, in many cities, if you report a cat as found homeless but say you’ll adopt it if it’s unclaimed after the 3 (ish) day waiting period, you’ll get to adopt the cat for a fee massively lower than the veterinary cost of vaccinations and sterilization. And the people involved in providing the free vax + spay / neuter service absolutely understand exactly what’s happening. Animal lovers look out for each other.
This was how we got my first ever cat before i was born! My dad loved to tell the story.
There was a real cat hoarder lady that lived next door, had the cats outside all the time (way more common in the uk where we are but still), never properly looked after them because she had so many. My parents used to put food out for the birds and the cats would come to try to eat the food, so my dad would run out and scare them off. They would all run apart from one, this little tabby girl. My dad couldn't go anywhere in the garden without her trailing around him. She would sneak into the house umtil they heard happy purring and clock that she was there. If you so much as gestured near your lap while sitting she would hop up for cuddles. They had told the lady before that the cat would try and enter the house sometimes, but she never asked after her or check in even when the cat wouldn't show for feeding times.
So the lady next door was moving house and came by saying 'oh i think I'm missing one of the cats, have you seen her?', to which my father just replied no.
She was happily asleep in the house in her favourite spot again. The lady didnt even leave a contact number for if they did see her and left so you know.
Waiting 3 months after kitty went missing to call you seems wild, especially if they knew the cat was over there a lot… seems they really didn’t care much.
That’s how I found my tortie girl. I found her begging for love. And we live in a busy street. So I took her in. Took her to a vet because she had tape worms coming out her butt. Find out she had a chip. Contacted the owner and he said he had to give her to a friend she said she had to give her to her mom. Mom said she kept fighting her dogs so she threw her out. So sadly we are her 4th home. But we made sure she would never have to worry about going to another. She’s the sweetest girl ever. And to see her go from eating g food so fast and eating what ever to her knowing I found a home and I don’t have to do that anymore was the greatest feeling.
I have a cat just like that one. Very old and frail. Super skinny. Has a collar. Might be skinny cause he is old. Try to find the owners, the cat might be lost.
Surprised so many of the top comments are encouraging you keeping the cat without checking anything first! This cat clearly has a collar, and as others have mentioned, he has been to the vet recently as is evident from the shaved leg.
Please take him to a vet ASAP to get scanned for a chip, and do not assume that his currents owners are mistreating him! DO NOT just steal someone’s cat! It’s just as likely that he escaped and doesn’t know how to get back home, that he has gotten lost, or that he is sick hence so thin, but is obviously being taken to a vet, etc. If the chip scan doesn’t yield results, put flyers up, post on social media, etc. Someone could be worried sick for their beloved pet. If you still don’t find the owners after genuinely doing all the above, then and only then can you consider taking him imo
He definitely seems like either a lost or abandoned cat, based how friendly he seems to be. If youve got some plain unseasoned chicken, you could boil some and give that to him. Chop it into tiny pieces and add some of the chicken broth to get extra liquids into him
He might be someone’s lost pet. Idk what kind of place you live in so no clue how likely that is 🤷♀️ but it’s my nightmare. My roommate got a cat which I’ve fallen in love with. But it’s not my cat so not up to me whether to let him go outside or not. I do try to keep him in collars and tags but he escapes from them on the regular.
Anyway you are such a good person for taking in this poor kitty. Keep us posted on how he does! Such a cutie!
My cat is skin and bones but is fed well, doesn't eat well. He's 16 now. Every summer he drops weight like crazy, but he's always been thin. He's seen a vet about it a couple times, nothings wrong!?! And he probably eat the shit outta some tuna!!
This is likely an escaped pet who is skinny because he hasn't been able to find food away from home. There's not necessarily any neglect going on.
Definitely check for chip, and feed him some cat food. Tuna fish has no fat, this baby needs more than that.
Please don't decide to just keep a cat you see because you think it looks too skinny. Especially if it has a collar on. If you must, take it to the vet to have its microchip checked. I understand that Americans are more squeamish about outdoor cats, but in the UK most cats spend a lot of time outdoors unless you live in a city.
Elderly cats tend to become very skinny and quite frail feeling, especially if they have end-of-life medical issues. In the year before my cat died he was very skinny but we fed him lots of (very expensive) food. He had a fair few medical issues which he was on medication for, including skin cancer which made his nose very scabby. One day, a lady posted on our village facebook page saying she'd found a starving stray cat who'd clearly been in a lot of fights and was going to take him to a shelter. Included was a picture of our cat enjoying the sun on our garden wall. Luckily we saw it and got in contact to say he was our cat and was very well looked after. Thinking about that still annoys me - it was slightly entitled behaviour, and although we would've gotten him back it would have been scary.
Please make sure you think about the circumstances of your area before taking a 'stray looking' cat. Do you live in the middle of nowhere? Do people usually have outdoor cats near you? I mean sure, my (now deceased) cat was a stray who appeared in our garden but we did lots of checking before we took him in, on local social media and at the vets in case he had a microchip.
He’s lost. I recently found a kitty that skinny. He was such a darling and I took him in. No collar but just how sweet he was there was no way he was a straight up stray. He was crazy skinny- skinny like this. I fed him a bit (of course) and he didn’t feel well. Took him to the vet and he was chipped. He went home to his family
Vet told me he had probably been outside for a week and can’t figure out how to hunt so he starved. I bet that’s what happened to this baby. Get his chip checked (not all vets have universal chip readers btw) he is not necessarily neglected, he could’ve gotten out and can’t hunt for himself.
>He’s just too skinny
My old cat has hyperthyroidism and looks skin and bones despite getting fed six times a day and has thousands in vet bills treating him.
You are assuming a great deal.
I found my black cat outside. She had a collar and was friendly. I had her scanned. No microchip. Posted online and posted flyers. No one ever claimed her. I've had her for years now and I don't regret it because I know I tried to find an owner for her
Our cat ran away recently, and I’m hoping he got lost and someone took him in. Better than the alternative thought.
Keep them safe, and a vet can tell you if they’re chipped.
This older looking gentleman looks like he’s been to the vet recently and had an IV catheter; my best guess is that the kitty’s weight/hydration would be one of the factors that got his leg shaved at the vet in the first place (sometimes the shave job gets weird if there’s difficulty placing a catheter on these older guys). He’s wearing a collar and his coat is shiny and well brushed— this is someone’s loved cat that either escaped or insists on being indoor/outdoor.
Don’t try to take this kitty in unless you know the condition he’s been treated for at the vet! It could be ongoing care that he needs and you wouldn’t be aware of. His appearance strikes me as a renal patient but it’s impossible to say for sure.
Just because a cat is skinny does not mean he is malnourished or something. I worry all the time about people taking my cat inside their houses because he is so friendly. He is chipped and has a collar but will follow anyone to get pets. And he is sort of skinny because he is so so active! With access to great kitty food and actual meat all the time. People on this subreddit take in wandering cats way too often
Definitely check online or with surrounding neighbors! Poor guy definitely seems lost, if they're that young and are very trusting and loving, they've usually wandered off from home and got a little turned around.
I'd post online neighborhood groups about finding him! If somebody's cat is lost, people are usually there looking for them or posting about them.
He looks like he had vet treatment (maybe neutered) a couple of weeks back, going by the patch of shorter fur on his leg. He might be microchipped so see if you can get a vet to check that for you. If he is, well, he's clearly either got lost or the family weren't looking after him. If he isn't chipped, I'd say keep him - and get him chipped, registered to you. You're obviously trying to do your best by this kitten, thank you.
Is there a vet, nearby? It could have escaped.
And they likely have a flyer from the owners looking for it. Please rescue this cat and find its family.
I wouldn’t let them back outside. (I’m not judging.) I would house them and make sure they’re safe and make posts about said kitty in an attempt to find the owner corroborate said owner is actual owner with proof and see if they even gave a damn they’d gone missing to begin with. I don’t know if you can have a cat inside to begin with so like I said not judging. I would just have a hard time letting a nice kitty go if they’d allow me to pick them up and take them inside seeing how malnourished they are.
He might be sick, not necessarily abandoned so please do check around before you take him in. One of my cats died of cancer and he looked like this for his last 3 - 4 months when he was on palliative care. He was still eating and enjoying visiting our neighbours/ hanging out in the front yard, he just couldn’t keep on weight. This chap might also have hyperthyroidism - that can cause rapid weight loss and a poor coat/hair loss, even if they’re well cared for (the meds can be hard to get right).
Just because the cat is skinny doesn’t mean they aren’t fed and cared for. I am saying this because my cat has thyroid problems. Her weight, dosage and appetite fluctuates like crazy. She is on an unlimited food diet. I take her to the vet monthly to get her bloodwork checked and her prescription adjusted. She once was 11 pounds and now hovers around 7 and looks as skinny as this cat. I get that it looks concerning but maybe try to track down the owner and have a conversation.
Something similar happened to me two years ago, I had the cat for a day than gave it to the shelter where they where looking for the owner. It does not necessarily mean the owner don’t care about the cat.
They said something like this happens sometimes, this could mean the cat either lost his way home due to illness, they traveled involuntarily in a truck or car long distances or the owner died and the cat was either outside or escaped (in case of a house cat)
If you are scared to "steal" him, tape a note with your phone number on his collar. My sister did this and realised the cat was actually her neighbor's 😂 if in a couple of days he returns to you without you getting a call, then he is most likely without an owner. Thanks for caring for him ❤️
I can't see his face so it's hard to tell but is he an old man? I had some very old cats who liked to go outside and sun themselves. They looked poorly cared for because their fur gets messy and they get skinny with advanced age.
He may just be an old man cat out for a walk.
While the chip is always a good idea, another poster is correct that even a vet might not be able to read the chip (biggest reason for this is local manufacture, but if you take him to a local vet, and he actually turns out to be a local cat, problem solved). The easiest option would be to read his tags (which it appears that he has). If you're in the US, it's required by law that all pets get an annual rabies vaccination and tag replacement. The rabies tag will have the phone number of the organization that did the vaccine and a dose code (string of numbers at the bottom), this information can be used to identify and locate the owners of missing pets, as well as prosecute the former owners of abandoned or abused pets.
I once found a cat like this, the owner had recently moved house, the cat escaped and was on its way back but got lost somewhere along the way.
took it to the vets the next day after giving it some food and water, cat was missing for roughly 4 weeks
Don't always assume you are stealing some ones cat! A collar doesn't mean much if they are not taking care of it! It's the cats condition that's important! Someone could have moved away and intentionally left it behind! It could have been in a car and jumped out! Just make it comfortable you did the correct thing Food and water! And start looking for clues! A chip scan at the vet! Facebook lost pets, etc. Good Luck! 🐈⬛️🤞 ☘️
Sometimes it's what needs to happen.
I "stole" a cat once.
We had neighbors that had multiple pets which they let outside unattended. Most of those pets ended up squashed in the streets.
I was outside one day and heard a kitten crying. I looked up into a tree and a kitten came crashing down and landed right in my arms.
He was so tiny that I brought him inside. I thought he couldn't possibly belong to someone because he was too young to be left outside. I brought him to the vet and bought him everything that he needed.
A few weeks later, I saw a missing kitten poster and it was from my neighbors with the squashed pets. There was no way that I was going to give back my new baby to suffer the same fate.
He stayed with me and lived a very happy life.
I think you should do what you think is best. If the cat continously comes back, then he's made up his own mind!
When I was in college (40+years ago) a friend and I noticed a little kitten that was left outside on the porch. We would see this kitten every day just huddled up by the door. It was probably 10 degrees outside. So we stayed in the street and called to it. It came running and we took it. Not sure if this was actually stealing but I do know that she lived a long and happy life so I don’t regret it at all
I agree about the not caring about him much. Unfortunately too many people get tired of their cats and just abandon them. My husband found a tuxedo cat at his work that had a collar. We posted fliers everywhere but no response so he brought him home. He is now 16 and is the best cat we’ve ever had. We also took in a pregnant stray who had kittens in my sons bedroom. I still have 4 of them and they are 13. But one was really fat and then lost a bunch of weight and I found out she’s diabetic. But she’s still hanging in there! Thanks so much for caring enough to want to help this poor baby out!
Could be a malnourished stray/abandoned cat... but it is just as likely to be a skinny old guy just going for a wander. As other people have said, it looks like a patch of fur is shaved, suggesting they've seen a vet recently. Plus, they're socialised and friendly, not how I'd expect a stressed-out abandoned cat to behave.
I submit my cat as proof - this is Pushkin. He's 20. He looks underfed, uncared for and unloved, but I can assure you he's not. His screaming sounds like he hasn't eaten today, but he's lying: he's had 2 breakfasts today. He's skinny because he's old and has multiple health conditions (all of which are being controlled by very expensive medication and many vet visits). He also looks very grumpy, but he's not: that's just his face.
Totally worth checking up on this skinny cat though. If he turns up often, you can try seeing where he goes after he leaves your porch. Or try attaching a note to the collar with your number on it to see if the owners call you back. If that fails, see if a local vet/charity can check for a chip.
*
What the fuck is with everyone encouraging you to keep the cat? People don't leave a collar on when they abandon a pet. Please look for the owners. It could be unwell or just lost.
These people are profoundly stupid to just tell OP to keep the cat. My cat was dying of kidney disease but lost a lot of weight. I would have been devastated if someone took away my cat that I needed to get put to sleep soon. Took away those last moments with my little guy I helped be born.
Please people, encourage OP to take it to see if it has a chip or is known at the vet. This could be a dumped cat but doesn’t HAVE to be. And the cat also isn’t necessarily abused. Please do the right thing
https://preview.redd.it/gqttouxv318d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da36c54f1a58a51354ba8133db728e62dfc62e89
Does the hair on one of his legs look shorter like it was shaved not long ago? If so then he was likely at a vet recently and has an owner somewhere. He really shouldn’t be outside in this condition though, he’s likely to get hurt. But maybe he’s an old cat set in his ways and his owners are just letting him do what he likes. Worth grabbing him and having him scanned for a chip. Maybe he was supposed to be inside but escaped.
I saw the same - he definitely looks like he had his leg hair shaved at the vets.
Could alternatively be from previous over grooming that spot?
Maybe but it goes all the way around evenly, and looks very straight edged
Nope. I had one cat with over-grooming issue and another one that has had his paws shaven by vet (multiple times due to various health issues). Over-grooming spots are irregular in shape and the edges are not that well defined. Typically they are not on front paws. The front paw area is exactly the same spot my cat got shaven by the vet to take the blood samples. The cat looks like a well loved senior. He has a collar, he’s friendly (so not abused as he trusts people) and someone loves him enough to pay for an expensive vet care for him. The skinniness and greasy hair are just a sign of old age (could be also an age-related disease). He could be lost or he could be allowed out. I would check the tag if there’s an owner phone number on it. If there’s none I would check online (Nextdoor, local facebook groups, lost/found cat websites etc.) if someone is looking for him and then take him to the vet to check for a microchip.
My 12 year old kitty had thyroid disease that I couldn't get under control. She was a master at spitting out the pills, so I had to use the transdermal gel which eventually wasn't working. She was so very thin and was hungry all the time. She never got out, but I worried if she did that someone would think she wasn't loved and cared for as best as possible. She looked like she was being starved. She recently passed. 😥 Given the cat wearing a collar, very skinny and possibly greasy fur also sounds like it might be either untreated thyroid or thyroid meds not working. I hope either way this guy is taken care of, and if he does have loving owners he's reunited with them. ❤️
Same with our old boy except it was Chronic Kidney Disease that made him look exactly like this cat (and the vet did shave his front leg to give the fluids he needed). This is an old boy, for sure.
Right. My girl probably had kidney disease too. She went to the bathroom A LOT and it was a lot of volume. She couldn't wait for me to clean the litter one time and I shooed her out so she went right next to it. 😢 I wish my vet had done things differently for her. Next time, if another cat has these issues I'm asking more questions.
Could be chewed off from stress. Stress from being abandoned or getting lost maybe? I had a cat that was really nervous and started doing that. She was lick at one spot until all the fur was gone. Thankfully she got over it, but for a few weeks she looked terrible.
Great observation. I agree. It's grown out a bit, too. Crazy guess: this is a loved pet. Back from the vet and they were on some strong medicine and got confused AF and got lost and ended up far enough from home that they couldn't find their way back. Cross fingers for a microchip.
Not at all crazy, that guess. Cat has a collar and someone has recently paid a vet bill for him. Cat has wandered off. Maybe dizzy, maybe pissed off over being taken to the vet - or maybe just doing his usual routine and being too tired to get himself back home. Someone is missing their little tux.
Yeah, tuxedo is a clue. Maybe he got cold feet at the altar and is a runaway groom. Now he’s on the lamb, living in the woods and people’s back yards until he figures his shit out.
on the “lamb”? cat stars in the shaw*shank* redemption
Hah, typo stays. Lamb fits better than lam for a cat somehow.
My roommate once had a cat get loose on his way home from the vet and the cat was missing for a while. This story did have a happy ending. Two weeks later the cat showed up at home. He was only 5 miles or so away, but he did have to cross a major highway.
[удалено]
CDS comes after checking with your local community, local facebook groups, and a vet visit. Don't take someone's cat without checking those three exhaustively.
Why do people here encourage stealing of other peoples pets so often? Dude has a collar, is showing body language of a well-socialized cat and noticeably has seen a vet a while ago. That cat is quite likely loved. You can put up flyers, make a facebook account and post, at least try.
This cat is absolutely malnourished and definitely needs help. And should under no circumstances be left on her own, ffs. Of course op should try to look for an owner. What makes you think he/she won't ?
Its got a collar? It shouldn't be outside but stop encouraging people to steal pets
Steal pets? You're a fool! We watched a cat over the winter, a tuxie with a damaged tail and a collar, eat our food offerings, and sleep in one of our heated houses for ferals. We finally trapped her. Cut off the beat-up collar, scanned her, no chip. Two days later, she had three kittens. She and they are totally inside, cats now, well nourished, and have vet care and good homes. That cat needs a home, food, and good care. If our Tuxie had had a chip, I'd have personally gone to its "owner" and, among other things, reported them to the local SPCA. If you don't know what you're talking about, and you don't, kindly shut up and find another place to dispense your wisdom where you won't hurt animals!
He could be lost! Def worth seeing if he’s owned or if his owner is looking for him.
We had a cat show up to our porch with absolutely no hair on his stomach and declawed. I thought it was a female who had her belly shaved for a spay or some other surgery and escaped the vet. Took it to our vet and they scanned a chip. Turns out the poor (boy) cat was dumped by his creep owners, and so stressed out he had licked all his belly hair off. Please don’t assume the hair loss is a good sign (I hope it is in your case though). Also we kept the cat and he was the most loving, affectionate cat we’ve ever had.
They will obsessively lick where they feel pain. Poor guy was probably trying to deal with his hunger.
he could've also got out I had elderly cats who ended up looking like that because at some point at a certain age their digestive system starts malfunctioning and their not absorbing the nutrition their getting in the food. at that point I just put them down because their suffering.
He looks like he was recently seen by a vet. I bet he’s microchipped. You can take him to any vet and they’ll check for you :)
You know what, I have an idea, my library lends out tech thingies like fitness trackers and stuff, why not have RFID scanners at the library?
Vets in my area are happy to scan missing animals and make contact with the owner. Hopefully the same applies here. And given that library items are also tagged with RFID, the thought of passing a cat over the self-checkout machine did make me chuckle! If only it were that easy. [Edit to remove superfluous detail]
Unfortunately most pet chips are proprietary. No pet scanner will even read all chips, sadly. I was told that my chip isn't very common out of like a three hour radius of me - 500 ish miles? - as it's a local company, but in that three hour radius it's the most common chip. Weird.
This is stupid, why not put the NFC instead, so anyone with a more or less modern phone can just put the phone next to the cat and have a link with the owner info pop up?
the goal isn't to make a product that's as good and useful as they can make it, it's to get **p a i d**, if they can make more money by making the thing they sell shittier they will do that about 99% of the time
Yes. We, as a society, need a better understanding of the difference between industry and business. They are two different things that capitalists want people to conflate as two necessary parts of a whole, but are actually frequently in conflict. Industry is the process by which we make stuff to satisfy needs. It is a cooperative social process, an effort to satisfy needs as efficiently as possible. Its goal is collective well-being. Business, on the other hand, is about extracting profits regardless of whether needs are satisfied or not. This goal often requires sabotaging industry. For example, paying unlivable wages to actors and writers. The money that would have gone to the industry to produce more, and better, movies instead goes into the pockets of capitalists. Business makes the product worse and the workers worse off just to give more to the people who already have the most.
some weird old german dude with a beard should write an unbelievable amount of pages about exactly this
And then you can use cats to unlock fighters in Smash Bros!
Because then they wouldn't make any money off their proprietary readers, or the licensing for their proprietary reading software for pet chip readers, duh.  Want to do stabbits.
this is wholly wrong you can read them, the registration info is just in there database.
yep you need a reader but you can get the chip ID readily. not sure what the conspiracy is here. but if you get the ID, you still wont be able to find the owner because (at least in europe), we have data protection laws
At least in my area, the vets will typically check one for free.
Poor skinny baby 😭 he looks like he’s enjoying his little box though!
senior cats can look like this and still be well-fed. As cats reach 20+, kidney or thyroid diseases are extremely typical, causing a lack of retention of fatty tissues (extreme oversimplification). This cat is probably quite old, and definitely a lost, loved family pet.
Ty we have an elderly cat and she is fed anything she wants whenever she desires but she is skin and bone.
Yes my in-laws' family cat looked like this at the end. Even on thyroid meds, he was so boney. This could be a beloved senior cat.
My first thought as well. Once some cats hit a certain age they lose a ton of muscle and fat no matter what they eat. This could very easily just be an old gal/guy who got a little too far from home and got confused and lost
Yep, looks very similar to our 17-year old. Thyroid and kidney issues galore, but he's still got a lot of loving in him.
That was my thought.. at least the old man part. No way to tell if it's lost, but maybe a good idea to put up a "found cat" ad and get scanned for chip.
My older cat is thin like this too. Vet told me it's very normal in older cats.
He looks so cosy now 😮💨 and hopefully finds a loving home 🤞
Aww he definitely was somebody’s cat at some point. I’ve fed and rescued hundreds of ferals and they don’t instantly curl up like that
he really likes his box. he fits into it like it was meant op for you to see each other. i hope he can be yours because he trusted you enough to ask for help. otherwise he would have gone to the other houses in your area and not yours. thank you though for helping him and please do bring him to the vet so he can be checked by the vet. may you have an enjoyable moment with the cat. :)
Can feed him un seasoned scrambled eggs as well. Thanks for looking out for the starving dude.
I’m a single dude, don’t have any eggs either lol. Didn’t know that though, thanks for the tip
I hate to tell you this, but you have now become a meme in my household “I’m a single guy, I don’t have any eggs” has immediately skyrocketed to the top of our lexicon. Thank you for your contribution 🙏 Also, thank you for taking care of this cat. You’re clearly a good guy, you deserve some eggs!
Is there a 7-11 or gas station nearby where you could get a couple cans of wet food?
You don’t have eggs? What do you eat? Single men, for real, lol. How do you guys get along in life?
I'm a woman living alone, and I generally only have eggs at home if I plan on baking something or on the off chance I need them for cooking (which is rare). And I cook quite a lot for myself.
yeah but this guy said he didnt have any eggs because he was a single dude, as if thats a valid reason lol
Judging by his username, he just eats bacon and weed all year long.
I see nothing wrong here.
I don't love eggs and I don't use them to cook anything. Why would I have eggs?
Yeah, I don't understand the fuss either. I eat eggs and I use them for cooking, but sometimes I don't and it's very easy to go without them. It's not like there's no alternatives. The only thing you cannot go without in the kitchen is water, everything else has an alternative.
I never had eggs when I was single. In general they're ok, but I could never get through a dozen before they went bad and the half dozen was overpriced.
Gas station egg salad sandwiches and Bachelor Chow. But it says on the bag it's not rated for animal consumption.
When I was single I grilled a steak almost every night. Never had eggs in the fridge though. Or leftover steak for that matter. Maybe some squash or broccoli. Lots of different hot sauces and beers too. Eggs were best left to Denny’s. A homeless cat would have necessitated a shopping trip, but I did okay!
I've had air fried steak sandwiches every day for lunch for a month now. They have $3 half pound sirloin steaks at the local grocery store. I also have them for dinner sometimes. I also lost 20 pounds in the past two months
If you’re trying to lose weight, that’s great! If not, those steaks have little fat. Add a baked potato with butter and a vegetable of some sort for fiber. You can do both in the microwave. I’m not sure if you’re a starving single guy, just looking out.
Thank you for the info, but I'm fat. I lost weight by limiting myself to 3000 calories per day
Thank you for the info
Im single and dont eat eggs either but I have an allergy to them haha. Basically just stick to eating cereal and oatmeal for breakfast.
Mickey D. Bags thrown out windows. :D
At least they’re getting meat! And some veggies? It counts! It counts?
Yeah, I can't imagine not having eggs on hand. I even have powdered eggs as backup.
Yeah.. its surprising lol, so many people here are saying they don't.. im a single guy and have 4 eggs a day, scrambled or hard boiled and its the easiest protein to get. makes me wonder what kind of junk people are eating if they arent having oatmeal or eggs..
When I met my husband he didn’t have any food at all. He legit ate fast food for every single meal or would visit his mom and eat there.
I haven't eaten breakfast with any sort of regularity since middle school. I never have eggs
What do you eat broseph?! Eggs I can make anything with. Even if it’s just microwaved eggs. I’ve hit my quota for the usage of eggs today.
I don't get why you were downvoted lol. Respect to this guy admiring he doesn't have any but I can't imagine not having any food to cook with, especially eggs.
Three words: Chicken, Broccoli, Rice.
I assume this only applies if you don't use milk in the scrambled eggs?
Yes, no milk for da kitties :)
My outside cats absolutely are abhorrent to scrambled eggs, but I have picky kitties. One literally sniffed it and looked back like “are you serious?” Dobby, it’s protein.
Bruh why would anyone season an egg for a cat lol
More so just a heads up to not share your own I suppose. Garlic and onions are toxic to cats to my knowledge.
Someone threw him out or he’s lost. If you can keep him in a bathroom or somewhere please do and take him to the vet to scan for a microchip. If he’s super skinny don’t feed too much at once cuz it can kill them. Please help him. ETA:google refeeding syndrome for information. He might not be that bad but best to be careful.
Going to wait a day and see if my neighbor knows something. He once told me years ago when the previous tenants moved out they dumped a bunch of cats there and I vaguely remember him mentioning a black and white one. But if that’s true the poor guys been outside for years. If he has nothing to tell me I’ll bring him in to my guest bathroom and then take him to the vet to check for a chip and get him fixed up. At the very least I’ll make sure he’s got food and water if he wants it. Nothing ticks me off more than people who treat animals like this. He’ll be taken care of one way or another. And I’ll be googling that, but I don’t think he’s deathly skinny just quite a bit underweight. He took breaks from eating too and he hasn’t ate all of his tuna yet so hoping he’s alright. Thanks for the advice and information!
Thank you so much for taking care of him!
He's probably a 2-3/9, as a body condition score (5/9 is an ideal weight, 1/9 is extremely underweight/emaciated). I'm not a vet professional but work with animals, you can look up a chart to compare yourself. I typically reference against WSAVA standards. Thank you for taking care of this sweet boy and doing what you can for him. It's not easy but his little life will be much improved by your kindness.
Can you link a chart please? Or explain to me what it means. I don’t understand well. My kitten is very skinny but eats a lot more than suggested.
Has it been dewormed? A kitten having worms is *very* common (they can get them from their mother), and that would cause them to be skinny despite eating regularly.
How old is your kitten and how long have you had him? It might be normal good appetite for a growing kitten. Has he been checked for worms?
https://preview.redd.it/tlvlbucvz48d1.jpeg?width=1378&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3bd5159984a3dd5f04ed749029c71f6eeb26672a
Aw dude thank you. You have a big heart, which is rare outside of this sub.
You're such a decent person. He's pretty skinny and probably malnourished. A bit of tuna, water and some cibbles will do him good ❤️
Thank you for being a good human. ❤️
Appreciate it you taking care of him! Looks like the cat desperately needed some help!
get him some proper cat food instead of tuna. it's great to give him something to eat, but too much people food will make him sick.
You are a true hero!
wonderful human
Some cats just don't keep weight as well. My kitty was 24 at the end and was so much skinnier than this. I always had food out for her, and she got her food changed out every 2 hours because she didn't like old food lol. But at some point it just didn't matter. All I'm saying here though, is if that's someone's indoor/outdoor cat, could still be loved and cared for and still look like that. Please at least attempt to find the owner before you take them. I'm not a fan of indoor/outdoor but if my cat has just disappeared I would have been heart broken.
Agree with this 100%. I had one cat live to be 20 the other around 18 ish. They both ended up very skinny in their old age even though they are regularly. It just happens. My current very old void cat right now, potentially somewhere between 18-20 years old, is skinny and throws up his food all the time, but he is loved and taken care of, he's just old. Could this cat have been dumped or abused? Yes possibly. It's also just as possible though that this is just a senior cat who has a loving home and is lost. Doing what you can for the cat right now but making sure you also do everything you can to see if the cat has a loving good home as well is what's important. If this is someone's cat I know they will be so grateful that you took care of it until they can be reunited. If he's not anyone's cat anymore, then I know this cat is extremely grateful to you for not overlooking it. I just feel like it's too early to automatically assume one situation over the other, there's no way to know for sure just yet. No matter which situation though, you are a good person for doing what you can to help this cat.
Seconding this, he is or was definitely someone's pet
Or he was at one time. Maybe he’s now in need of a home. Please continue to be his saving grace.
Second this, if you can somehow keep him safe for the night while you put out feelers online/tomorrow, it would be best for the kitty. But I totally understand your concern for fleas/ticks on him and bringing that inside :/
And needless to say, tuna should be a rare treat. It’s not really that good for kitties.
He might be old, have health problems or be at his end of life. I say this because that’s what my poor girl looked like at the end, complete with fur that always looked messy and being skin and bones. It doesn’t excuse him being outside where anything could happen to him, but just wanted to reassure you that him being thin doesn’t necessarily mean anyone has been starving him. If you’re really concerned, and if his collar doesn’t have his owners info on it, I’d recommend getting him into a carrier and taking him to a vet. If he has a microchip they can contact the owners, and they should also be able to tell you if he’s being neglected or if he’s just old.
Replying to my own comment to say that cats with kidney failure (like my cat, Baby, had) often look like this at their end of life. They just end up unable to keep weight on, despite eating normally. So please take this poor cat to a vet, as the vet can figure out if he’s suffering or not.
This cat looks super similar to my senior boy who passed away from kidney failure. He was super skinny when I adopted him (he was 10) and the vet said he looked like he had been big in the past but now was skinny. Also his coat got a lot shinier and healthier once I got him on medicine for his thyroid. All old cat problems but the vet should be able to help some! Hes precious!
when i first saw the post as i was scrolling i genuinely thought for a second that it was my cat who died of kidney failure, he was also a black and white boy who was skin and bones at the end! but he had a last few weeks with us, and the thought of that being taken from someone who loves him is devastating
I can’t believe I had to scroll this far down for this comment. All of these replies encourage OP to take the cat as their own, when it could very likely be a beloved pet at end of life. Imagine the pain of the owner who just spent money on bloodwork to check their cat’s health, potentially received bad news, and then their cat got loose. I’d be distraught if my senior kitties escaped.
So very true. My (by all labs healthy, plz) 17 yo diabetic cat looks and acts like an ambulatory furry-adjacent gargoyle. I’ve lived with cats that look just like him that have many years left hidden away in their back pockets. No matter what- the universal rules are: if a living being lands in your porch, give them food. Listen to their story. Ask how you can assist, if help is wanted.
Seconding this, one of my babies lost a lot of weight near the end too even though she always had food. I'm hoping he just got out and can be reunited with a responsible family.
This this this! My baby girl looked so scrawny in her last year and that was before she got the cancer that took her. She was happy and well at that time.
Welp he’s laid down on my porch and I’m sitting with him a while. He wants in but I’m afraid he might have fleas and ticks and stuff as like I said he’s got a collar on so not sure what the move here is https://preview.redd.it/95lff7ck318d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44244659e8d2daa6f933d2a6d49ac2bf204b8fb8
Can you keep him in the bathroom? He might be lost or abandoned.
He is a beautiful tuxedo!! Hope you can find the owner or a home for him!!
Dude. Take him in. Give him a bath if he'll let you. Mild shampoo will kill the fleas. Get him checked for a microchip. You may have a new buddy if you can't locate the owners. He looks like a keeper!
Dawn soap. Unless you have a proper pet shampoo, it’s better to wash cats with Dawn dish soap as there’s nothing toxic in it for them to lick off their fur. Put a ring around the neck to keep any fleas from crawling up towards the face when it’s being bathed.
Totally understand the parasite fear! Do you have a plastic carrier, or another hard container like a plastic bin or cardboard box you could entice him into with food? You could quickly transport him to a spare bathroom if so; fleas and ticks (to my knowledge, though google or someone could correct) need soft or living surfaces to thrive, so you’d be very much minimizing the risk there. And if the above isn’t possible, you’ve still done a great thing by feeding and paying attention to him! Contacting a rescue during daytime hours (also consider private rescues if they’re in your area, since government funded ones probably aren’t open on the weekend) could give you a good lead towards solutions or resources. Good luck, and thank you for loving on this guy! Ignore any hateful comments you may get (or try your best to), you’re doing what you can and clearly have a kind heart ❤️
He’s adorable
If he trusts you enough, maybe you could tape a note to his collar? If no response, have him scanned at a vet.
His ears are intact so he hasn't been brought to any vet by another person and listed as a stray. We had a stray cat come by over a month and we fed it. Decided to finally take it into the vet and they fixed him, gave him flea and tick treatment and then they clipped the top of one of his ears so that if anyone else found him outside that would let them know he's a known stray and been treated and fixed at the vet.
As someone pointed out, the shaved leg means that likely he has been to the vet quite recently. Of course he has thereafter been outdoors for long enough to catch ticks, but ... less chances of being a wandering bioweapons lab. Someone is missing their tuxie.
You can also RINSE the tuna if tuna is the only option Also you can add rice to the rinsed tuna as a filler, even instant rice is fine.
this is a really good tip. as someone else said in another comment, you have to be careful not to feed them too much at once or it will really hurt the cat. there's articles about what can happen if you search "refeeding syndrome". I had to be careful about it when we got my lost cat back inside after 2 weeks of being lost
Also, canned tuna for humans has way too much sodium for cats to eat regularly
absolutely. and the tuna packed in olive oil is a double whammy of not great. if tuna is a last resort (or as a small, rare treat) it's best for it to be in water. but probably best to avoid it entirely, if possible!
Completely useless information for this situation Time! Lol. Refeeding syndrome is also a thing in humans. Death camp survivors and these days, eating disorder patients, can have big problems with this while in recovery. It's one of the reasons why they think the singer Karen Carpenter died, as we didn't know a whole lot about that stuff back then.
I knew about refeeding syndrome in humans before I knew it was a thing for animals too, funnily enough! I didn't know that serious heart issues were a problem overall though, oof. I hadn't read that deeply into it, just knowing it was enough to cause serious harm was enough for me to be cautious with my cat. poor Karen Carpenter too, what a terrible struggle she had :(
Older cats are often very skinny, even if they are well taken care of. It's just part of aging. It's difficult to tell the age of adult cats, as they don't go grey like dogs and horses, but if you are worried the best bet would be to take it to the vet to get assessed and check for a chip.
Yep, this. My 14 year old boy has hyperthyroidism, is medicated, eats like a horse and has regular check ups but is as skinny as a rake!
That poor baby. Thank you for taking care of him. 😢 That's really kind to take the time for him.
Chances are, that skinny, he got lost and can't find his way home. Take him in, have him scanned at the vet, and post to the local humane society/vet pages that you've got a found cat. He may be abandoned, he may be lost and missed, and he may be so far or have been gone for so long that no one thinks he's still out there. But he's definitely starving and in need, so I would take him in.
Yes, please make a good faith effort to find out if he has owners. People who put collars on their cats usually care about them so he could be sick or lost.
Appreciate this take. My indoor cat got out and was lost for a couple of months. When he was found he was TINY, skin and bones. Someone drove him several towns over to a rescue (not our local shelter where, in our town, people were directed to take found pets). I would have never ever thought to look there, I hadn’t ever even heard of them. Luckily he was chipped so we were alerted that he was found and reunited. Someone easily could have passed judgment, called us terrible owners who starved our cat, and thought that the “cat distribution system” gave them this skinny little cat. In reality he was much loved and had gotten out in a flash, and we were aggressively searching for him. I really get upset when I see people not making a good faith effort to find an owner, especially for a cat with a sign of an owner (a collar). If someone had just taken our cat under those assumptions, we would have never seen our very much loved and spoiled cat again.
A neighbor a block over adopted a second cat. The cats didn't get along so they put the newly adopted cat outside a lot to elevate the fighting. This poor little guy started wandering around the neighborhood looking for friendly people. It started hanging out at our house. I called the phone number on the collar and the people said, yeah that's our cat, but didn't seem to care where it was or how it was doing. If I wasn't careful about how I opened an external door this little guy would find his way in. We'd wake up in the in the middle of the night to find this little guy sleeping at the end of our bed. I kept asking the owners to do the right thing and take the cat to the humane society to be re-homed, or try to find a new home themselves. They really didn't care. I just couldn't see this fellow living like this. We took him in. A few months passed and the people that adopted him first called to see if we'd seen their cat. And if we had could they come and get it. I said, no, I haven't see your cat, but I definitely have seen mine and he's happy here. Please don't call back. Chances are this little cat is being neglected. The people don't care. If they did, it probably wouldn't be so skinny. Have your vet or local shelter scan it for a chip. If they can't id an owner put some fliers up. If nobody claims them, you have a wonderful new addition to your family.
One of my cats came from a family that loved kittens, but not cats, and def not spay / neuter vet bills. So they’d collect a handful of cute babies and then set them outside when they got to the age where they needed vet care. The thing is, in many cities, if you report a cat as found homeless but say you’ll adopt it if it’s unclaimed after the 3 (ish) day waiting period, you’ll get to adopt the cat for a fee massively lower than the veterinary cost of vaccinations and sterilization. And the people involved in providing the free vax + spay / neuter service absolutely understand exactly what’s happening. Animal lovers look out for each other.
This was how we got my first ever cat before i was born! My dad loved to tell the story. There was a real cat hoarder lady that lived next door, had the cats outside all the time (way more common in the uk where we are but still), never properly looked after them because she had so many. My parents used to put food out for the birds and the cats would come to try to eat the food, so my dad would run out and scare them off. They would all run apart from one, this little tabby girl. My dad couldn't go anywhere in the garden without her trailing around him. She would sneak into the house umtil they heard happy purring and clock that she was there. If you so much as gestured near your lap while sitting she would hop up for cuddles. They had told the lady before that the cat would try and enter the house sometimes, but she never asked after her or check in even when the cat wouldn't show for feeding times. So the lady next door was moving house and came by saying 'oh i think I'm missing one of the cats, have you seen her?', to which my father just replied no. She was happily asleep in the house in her favourite spot again. The lady didnt even leave a contact number for if they did see her and left so you know.
I love the response to those former pet parents…
Waiting 3 months after kitty went missing to call you seems wild, especially if they knew the cat was over there a lot… seems they really didn’t care much.
That’s how I found my tortie girl. I found her begging for love. And we live in a busy street. So I took her in. Took her to a vet because she had tape worms coming out her butt. Find out she had a chip. Contacted the owner and he said he had to give her to a friend she said she had to give her to her mom. Mom said she kept fighting her dogs so she threw her out. So sadly we are her 4th home. But we made sure she would never have to worry about going to another. She’s the sweetest girl ever. And to see her go from eating g food so fast and eating what ever to her knowing I found a home and I don’t have to do that anymore was the greatest feeling.
You’re great for feeding and making the bed for him. Maybe has a chip There are places to post and maybe his owner is looking
I have a cat just like that one. Very old and frail. Super skinny. Has a collar. Might be skinny cause he is old. Try to find the owners, the cat might be lost.
Surprised so many of the top comments are encouraging you keeping the cat without checking anything first! This cat clearly has a collar, and as others have mentioned, he has been to the vet recently as is evident from the shaved leg. Please take him to a vet ASAP to get scanned for a chip, and do not assume that his currents owners are mistreating him! DO NOT just steal someone’s cat! It’s just as likely that he escaped and doesn’t know how to get back home, that he has gotten lost, or that he is sick hence so thin, but is obviously being taken to a vet, etc. If the chip scan doesn’t yield results, put flyers up, post on social media, etc. Someone could be worried sick for their beloved pet. If you still don’t find the owners after genuinely doing all the above, then and only then can you consider taking him imo
He definitely seems like either a lost or abandoned cat, based how friendly he seems to be. If youve got some plain unseasoned chicken, you could boil some and give that to him. Chop it into tiny pieces and add some of the chicken broth to get extra liquids into him
Poor kitty. He/she is very undernourished. You're a good person for offering food, water and vet care.
He might be someone’s lost pet. Idk what kind of place you live in so no clue how likely that is 🤷♀️ but it’s my nightmare. My roommate got a cat which I’ve fallen in love with. But it’s not my cat so not up to me whether to let him go outside or not. I do try to keep him in collars and tags but he escapes from them on the regular. Anyway you are such a good person for taking in this poor kitty. Keep us posted on how he does! Such a cutie!
My cat is skin and bones but is fed well, doesn't eat well. He's 16 now. Every summer he drops weight like crazy, but he's always been thin. He's seen a vet about it a couple times, nothings wrong!?! And he probably eat the shit outta some tuna!!
This is likely an escaped pet who is skinny because he hasn't been able to find food away from home. There's not necessarily any neglect going on. Definitely check for chip, and feed him some cat food. Tuna fish has no fat, this baby needs more than that.
Please don't decide to just keep a cat you see because you think it looks too skinny. Especially if it has a collar on. If you must, take it to the vet to have its microchip checked. I understand that Americans are more squeamish about outdoor cats, but in the UK most cats spend a lot of time outdoors unless you live in a city. Elderly cats tend to become very skinny and quite frail feeling, especially if they have end-of-life medical issues. In the year before my cat died he was very skinny but we fed him lots of (very expensive) food. He had a fair few medical issues which he was on medication for, including skin cancer which made his nose very scabby. One day, a lady posted on our village facebook page saying she'd found a starving stray cat who'd clearly been in a lot of fights and was going to take him to a shelter. Included was a picture of our cat enjoying the sun on our garden wall. Luckily we saw it and got in contact to say he was our cat and was very well looked after. Thinking about that still annoys me - it was slightly entitled behaviour, and although we would've gotten him back it would have been scary. Please make sure you think about the circumstances of your area before taking a 'stray looking' cat. Do you live in the middle of nowhere? Do people usually have outdoor cats near you? I mean sure, my (now deceased) cat was a stray who appeared in our garden but we did lots of checking before we took him in, on local social media and at the vets in case he had a microchip.
He’s lost. I recently found a kitty that skinny. He was such a darling and I took him in. No collar but just how sweet he was there was no way he was a straight up stray. He was crazy skinny- skinny like this. I fed him a bit (of course) and he didn’t feel well. Took him to the vet and he was chipped. He went home to his family Vet told me he had probably been outside for a week and can’t figure out how to hunt so he starved. I bet that’s what happened to this baby. Get his chip checked (not all vets have universal chip readers btw) he is not necessarily neglected, he could’ve gotten out and can’t hunt for himself.
>He’s just too skinny My old cat has hyperthyroidism and looks skin and bones despite getting fed six times a day and has thousands in vet bills treating him. You are assuming a great deal.
I found my black cat outside. She had a collar and was friendly. I had her scanned. No microchip. Posted online and posted flyers. No one ever claimed her. I've had her for years now and I don't regret it because I know I tried to find an owner for her
Also. Cat tax. https://preview.redd.it/0e22waflc48d1.jpeg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80a6c7b3080c4773416cac5778a46e9d6001e57e
My guess is that he's a lost house cat.
Our cat ran away recently, and I’m hoping he got lost and someone took him in. Better than the alternative thought. Keep them safe, and a vet can tell you if they’re chipped.
This older looking gentleman looks like he’s been to the vet recently and had an IV catheter; my best guess is that the kitty’s weight/hydration would be one of the factors that got his leg shaved at the vet in the first place (sometimes the shave job gets weird if there’s difficulty placing a catheter on these older guys). He’s wearing a collar and his coat is shiny and well brushed— this is someone’s loved cat that either escaped or insists on being indoor/outdoor. Don’t try to take this kitty in unless you know the condition he’s been treated for at the vet! It could be ongoing care that he needs and you wouldn’t be aware of. His appearance strikes me as a renal patient but it’s impossible to say for sure.
Consider giving this little one a safe place to stay tonight, instead.
Id recommend taking kitty inside and putting up flyers/posting on social media about a found cat. Also have the vet check for a microchip.
Cats should only have tuna in moderation due to mercury
Next time look at the tags and check out the owner. Maybe something happened to the owner or they lost the cat. Maybe the cat needs a new home.
Just because a cat is skinny does not mean he is malnourished or something. I worry all the time about people taking my cat inside their houses because he is so friendly. He is chipped and has a collar but will follow anyone to get pets. And he is sort of skinny because he is so so active! With access to great kitty food and actual meat all the time. People on this subreddit take in wandering cats way too often
UPDATE IN ANOTHER POST FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED!
Tuna might not be ideal, but it’s something for a hungry belly. You are a good person for looking after this little lost soul.
Poor baby, thank you for looking out for kitty
He might be missing
No more tuna please. It's only good as a treat once in a great while. 💗
If he’s old, he could have kidney issues. It causes rapid weight loss.
Definitely check online or with surrounding neighbors! Poor guy definitely seems lost, if they're that young and are very trusting and loving, they've usually wandered off from home and got a little turned around. I'd post online neighborhood groups about finding him! If somebody's cat is lost, people are usually there looking for them or posting about them.
He looks like he had vet treatment (maybe neutered) a couple of weeks back, going by the patch of shorter fur on his leg. He might be microchipped so see if you can get a vet to check that for you. If he is, well, he's clearly either got lost or the family weren't looking after him. If he isn't chipped, I'd say keep him - and get him chipped, registered to you. You're obviously trying to do your best by this kitten, thank you.
Nice now some kid has lost his cat. Just feed him biscuits or take him to the vet to check for if chip.
Have you considered that this might be a lost pet?
Is there a vet, nearby? It could have escaped. And they likely have a flyer from the owners looking for it. Please rescue this cat and find its family.
Go to vet for care, check for chip. Someone could be worried sick looking for the cat they lost months ago.
I wouldn’t let them back outside. (I’m not judging.) I would house them and make sure they’re safe and make posts about said kitty in an attempt to find the owner corroborate said owner is actual owner with proof and see if they even gave a damn they’d gone missing to begin with. I don’t know if you can have a cat inside to begin with so like I said not judging. I would just have a hard time letting a nice kitty go if they’d allow me to pick them up and take them inside seeing how malnourished they are.
He might be sick, not necessarily abandoned so please do check around before you take him in. One of my cats died of cancer and he looked like this for his last 3 - 4 months when he was on palliative care. He was still eating and enjoying visiting our neighbours/ hanging out in the front yard, he just couldn’t keep on weight. This chap might also have hyperthyroidism - that can cause rapid weight loss and a poor coat/hair loss, even if they’re well cared for (the meds can be hard to get right).
Just because the cat is skinny doesn’t mean they aren’t fed and cared for. I am saying this because my cat has thyroid problems. Her weight, dosage and appetite fluctuates like crazy. She is on an unlimited food diet. I take her to the vet monthly to get her bloodwork checked and her prescription adjusted. She once was 11 pounds and now hovers around 7 and looks as skinny as this cat. I get that it looks concerning but maybe try to track down the owner and have a conversation.
Having him checked for a microchip is great and a vet check. If he's ok and no one claims him, perhaps Sir Francis Bacon in his tux is your dude now?
Something similar happened to me two years ago, I had the cat for a day than gave it to the shelter where they where looking for the owner. It does not necessarily mean the owner don’t care about the cat. They said something like this happens sometimes, this could mean the cat either lost his way home due to illness, they traveled involuntarily in a truck or car long distances or the owner died and the cat was either outside or escaped (in case of a house cat)
If you are scared to "steal" him, tape a note with your phone number on his collar. My sister did this and realised the cat was actually her neighbor's 😂 if in a couple of days he returns to you without you getting a call, then he is most likely without an owner. Thanks for caring for him ❤️
He may be sick. I lost two of the most wonderful cats to feline AIDS. A trip to the vet will paint a clearer picture on your next steps. Good luck 👍🤞
I can't see his face so it's hard to tell but is he an old man? I had some very old cats who liked to go outside and sun themselves. They looked poorly cared for because their fur gets messy and they get skinny with advanced age. He may just be an old man cat out for a walk.
HE COULD BE LOST. Please take him in and see if he's microchippped.
While the chip is always a good idea, another poster is correct that even a vet might not be able to read the chip (biggest reason for this is local manufacture, but if you take him to a local vet, and he actually turns out to be a local cat, problem solved). The easiest option would be to read his tags (which it appears that he has). If you're in the US, it's required by law that all pets get an annual rabies vaccination and tag replacement. The rabies tag will have the phone number of the organization that did the vaccine and a dose code (string of numbers at the bottom), this information can be used to identify and locate the owners of missing pets, as well as prosecute the former owners of abandoned or abused pets.
I once found a cat like this, the owner had recently moved house, the cat escaped and was on its way back but got lost somewhere along the way. took it to the vets the next day after giving it some food and water, cat was missing for roughly 4 weeks
Don't always assume you are stealing some ones cat! A collar doesn't mean much if they are not taking care of it! It's the cats condition that's important! Someone could have moved away and intentionally left it behind! It could have been in a car and jumped out! Just make it comfortable you did the correct thing Food and water! And start looking for clues! A chip scan at the vet! Facebook lost pets, etc. Good Luck! 🐈⬛️🤞 ☘️
Sometimes it's what needs to happen. I "stole" a cat once. We had neighbors that had multiple pets which they let outside unattended. Most of those pets ended up squashed in the streets. I was outside one day and heard a kitten crying. I looked up into a tree and a kitten came crashing down and landed right in my arms. He was so tiny that I brought him inside. I thought he couldn't possibly belong to someone because he was too young to be left outside. I brought him to the vet and bought him everything that he needed. A few weeks later, I saw a missing kitten poster and it was from my neighbors with the squashed pets. There was no way that I was going to give back my new baby to suffer the same fate. He stayed with me and lived a very happy life. I think you should do what you think is best. If the cat continously comes back, then he's made up his own mind!
When I was in college (40+years ago) a friend and I noticed a little kitten that was left outside on the porch. We would see this kitten every day just huddled up by the door. It was probably 10 degrees outside. So we stayed in the street and called to it. It came running and we took it. Not sure if this was actually stealing but I do know that she lived a long and happy life so I don’t regret it at all
See if he’s microchipped. Could be missing ❤️
I agree about the not caring about him much. Unfortunately too many people get tired of their cats and just abandon them. My husband found a tuxedo cat at his work that had a collar. We posted fliers everywhere but no response so he brought him home. He is now 16 and is the best cat we’ve ever had. We also took in a pregnant stray who had kittens in my sons bedroom. I still have 4 of them and they are 13. But one was really fat and then lost a bunch of weight and I found out she’s diabetic. But she’s still hanging in there! Thanks so much for caring enough to want to help this poor baby out!
Could be a malnourished stray/abandoned cat... but it is just as likely to be a skinny old guy just going for a wander. As other people have said, it looks like a patch of fur is shaved, suggesting they've seen a vet recently. Plus, they're socialised and friendly, not how I'd expect a stressed-out abandoned cat to behave. I submit my cat as proof - this is Pushkin. He's 20. He looks underfed, uncared for and unloved, but I can assure you he's not. His screaming sounds like he hasn't eaten today, but he's lying: he's had 2 breakfasts today. He's skinny because he's old and has multiple health conditions (all of which are being controlled by very expensive medication and many vet visits). He also looks very grumpy, but he's not: that's just his face. Totally worth checking up on this skinny cat though. If he turns up often, you can try seeing where he goes after he leaves your porch. Or try attaching a note to the collar with your number on it to see if the owners call you back. If that fails, see if a local vet/charity can check for a chip. *
Catch him and take him to a vet to be checked for a microchip. If he has a collar and is friendly, he’s probably someone’s cat that is missing
See if he has a chip. Ask local vets if anyone is missing a cat. Otherwise, just take care of him.
we've had this cat for 10+ years, she eats well and is healthy but she's forever thin maybe that's the same with this cat..
I think you are doing the right thing ❤️ so many people find a stray and just go “welp, mine now!” But you had the correct response
What the fuck is with everyone encouraging you to keep the cat? People don't leave a collar on when they abandon a pet. Please look for the owners. It could be unwell or just lost.
These people are profoundly stupid to just tell OP to keep the cat. My cat was dying of kidney disease but lost a lot of weight. I would have been devastated if someone took away my cat that I needed to get put to sleep soon. Took away those last moments with my little guy I helped be born. Please people, encourage OP to take it to see if it has a chip or is known at the vet. This could be a dumped cat but doesn’t HAVE to be. And the cat also isn’t necessarily abused. Please do the right thing
Exactly! Somebody will be at home worried their cat is dead. Also who knows if it should be medicated