Dear Boo:

I’ve been feeding the strays in the neighborhood for some time and recently was allowed by one cat to see his I.D. He lives across the street. I called the number on his tag and warned his owner about the dangers of letting his cat roam, but I still see him at all hours of the day out in public. Do you think I should take him to a shelter in hopes a more responsible party would adopt him or would they just return him the the current owner? When I tried to take him home, no one answered the doorbell. He also has outdated rabies tags from another state.

Thanks,

Rose

Dear Rose,

It is clear you are facing a situation where you want an outdoor cat in the neighborhood to receive optimal care. You are right that in today’s environment, cats should live their lives indoors, and they can live their lives indoors quite happily!

We suggest you try to contact your neighbor again, ideally in person (or “live” on the phone) to maintain amicable communication. Engage the owner in understanding the dangers of letting a cat (or any other animal) roam freely – there are many hazards in our world today not the least of which include car traffic, hazardous surfaces (e.g., broken glass), other animals, disease (e.g., rabies, feline leukemia, and FIV), toxins (e.g., antifreeze), and people (there are many people in the world who seek to cause harm and injury to animals). Also, inform the owner that, in Chicago, it is illegal for anyone to allow his/her animal to cross outside of the owner’s property line unless the animal is leashed and under control. It is also illegal for an animal to be unleashed within any unfenced portion of the owner’s property.

If none of this impresses the owner to change his/her behavior and take the cat back indoors, and you decide to pursue the possibility of your taking the cat to an animal shelter, there are several points you should investigate before you proceed with any given shelter. Questions you should get answered include:

• Is it a no-kill shelter?
• What is the shelter’s policy on returning animals to owners (assuming the owner is known)?
• Does the shelter have any recommendations specific to your situation? · Is there a waiting list for the shelter to take in animals?
• You may be asked to foster the cat until space becomes available – will you be able to do that?
• What does the shelter require from the relinquisher?

Clearly there is not a simple answer to your dilemma. We wish you the best in securing this kitty’s future!

Boo