Paphos People

We've been living in the Sea Caves area since March last year and now have to move elsewhere. Problem is, a male tom~cat adopted us around May last year, and we adore him, but we don't think he will come with us when we move as he is quite definitely the 'alpha' male of this area.

He's a right funny little dude [well, rather huge now actually], very polite and punctual for his meals except when female cats are in heat. I am the only one who can actually pick him up and give him a cuddle but he does like to pop in some nights and jump on the bed and lay at my husband's feet for a couple of hours... we have treated him for fleas, etc., and he loves his brush. He has a bed, but that has only been tested by him about three times, treats it with disdain.

When he came to us he was quite skinny, big-eyed, and very polite. It took months to be able to pet him but he has now become quite social and enjoys coming in for a chat, sit on the couch, round of pats and more chatting. He is possibly the most vocal cat I have ever met, a full range of conversation, always meowing his arrival and telling us what is going on and even meows goodbye when he goes off for a wander. He even happily let me 'doctor' him with antibiotic tablets and peroxide when he got an abscess from one of his brawls.

He is not an inside cat in any way, he comes for meals, a chat, might hang around for a few hours ... and then off until the next meal time or desire for a pat. If a door is closed, and he is inside, he will try to open it himself [not in a damaging way] or sit there and yowl at us until we open it. He is also the local spider, snake and rat killer!

I suppose my dilemma is that although we love him to bits, we know we can't take him from his environment, his home, without causing him immense stress as he is not ours and we don't believe we have the right to do it to him, but I am dreadfully upset that we will be abandoning him. He has learned to trust us and is part of our 'family'.

What do I do?

What a great story ..

We also took a stray cat home , but ours now lives with us
in an indoor enviroment ..

My opinion and only an opinion ,,
I would take him if its possible and viable , then if he does not settle , then take him back , he sounds like a great
character and fun to have around , our cat is also a bit of a chatter box and never shuts up when she wants something.

You must make the best choice yourself ..

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REACH 1000`s of PAPHOS CUSTOMERS EVERY DAY FOR A FRACTION OF WHAT THE OTHERS CHARGE
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Whilst the optimist and the pessimist argued that the whisky glass was either half full
or half empty ? .
I drank it .....
The opportunist..

We adopted 2 cats from a lady who had to return to the UK and could not take them with her.They arrived together ( brothers) in a big carry cage and we kept them indoors for a week.At first they would not even come out of the carrying cage but eventually they did,one at a time over a couple of days. They ate little and one would not use his dirt tray for about 4 days.When he did it was unimaginarilly awful bless him. We eventually let them out into the garden and crossed our fingers that they would not run away. They didn't,they knew where their food came from and stayed close. A year later we moved house to a different area and this time they were only indoors for a day until we let them out.No problem,they now knew us and where they got fed and they have been fine.
If you really want to take your boy,then give it a try,if he loves you and is happy,he will adjust and you will be rewarded by knowing you tried to do what is right by him.Cats are not stupid they know where to stay around for food.
Your choice really but that is what I would do.

Thats gone through my mind .
If I move to somewhere with a garden, that I could let my cat out ,, I would be so nervious
about letting it out for the first time , in case it just ran away ..

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REACH 1000`s of PAPHOS CUSTOMERS EVERY DAY FOR A FRACTION OF WHAT THE OTHERS CHARGE
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Whilst the optimist and the pessimist argued that the whisky glass was either half full
or half empty ? .
I drank it .....
The opportunist..

Wow, two great replies in a short time - thanks!

@ Neil, how old was your stray? Did she know how to use a litter tray? How'd you got about 'domesticating' her?

Our boy [Mr Scraps - for all associated connotations you can come up with!] won't even do his business in our yard, goes to a vacant block behind. I can't imagine how he'd cope with a litter box!

We are torn as we'd love to take him with us, as I said, but I think he would stress out and head for outside at the first opportunity, and if we are not in his territory, that could prove fatal.

You're right, he's a fabulous little character ~ don't want to diminish that.

I "adopted" a 6mth old Ferrall 18 months ago, at first was a bit wary but after lots patience fuss & cuddles shes turned out to be a beautiful fluffy cat.

Im sure if you take your adopted cat & have him spayed he will not wander off so much as he'll have no reason to!!..At the end of the day cats will never be owned but will go where they get fuss, cuddles & food. So Im sure if you take him & keep him in for a few days he will be fine. Ive moved 3 times with my older cat whose 14 and never had a problem with her wandering o.. well apart from when I adopted my ferral "The Gremlin" then I think she wanted to leave home.....

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Shirls

My cat use to hang around outside a friends restaurant , it adopted me , as they do ..
I took her and had her vetted the first week
the first 2 nights she peed on my duvet , I was going to the dry cleaners to pick up one duvet , whilst dropping the other one off , I locked the cat in spare toilet (where the litter tray is) the second time she done it , she cried all night and it broke my heart to listen , but she used the tray ever since ..

When we first took her home , she ran out the cat box and stayed under the sofa for about 2hrs , then slowly
started to investigate the flat ..

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REACH 1000`s of PAPHOS CUSTOMERS EVERY DAY FOR A FRACTION OF WHAT THE OTHERS CHARGE
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Whilst the optimist and the pessimist argued that the whisky glass was either half full
or half empty ? .
I drank it .....
The opportunist..

Hahaha.., yes, they choose their humans!

Mr Scraps is about two to three years old, my best guess, and I'd say he's been in this area since birth. We're still not sure if he is a stray or feral but we DO know he's the 'King of the Block' and a law unto himself!

I can imagine putting Mr Scraps in a room - good grief - it would need to be soundproof and steel for the claw marks! Even when he got his abscess I had to take a photo to the vet as there was NO WAY I was going to be able to put him in a cage, let alone the car...

As to knowing this place, he's inspected every nook and cranny - talking the entire time - and when my husband goes away on business he checks out EVERY room looking for him. I swear he thinks I've locked him in a cupboard somewhere.

Yeah, a lot of thinking to be done in the next couple of weeks

Our ex neighbour of about 6 years ago left his male cat for us to look after. Like yours the alpha of the area. As we have dogs who hate cats, no matter how much he wanted to he could not move into the house. So he lived in the front garden. At one point he was badly injured in a fight, so I had him treated and castrated. He then found an inside home with another neighbour, and when they are away, he comes back to us, or another neighbour. He seems very resouceful and I may say rather fat.

We have 5 cats. 2 Sphynxs', 1 Maine Coon and 2 crosses of the previous. we allow them out to play and hunt but they always return with little gifts for us such as birds, lizards, frogs etc

Theyre pretty much part of the family now and I think I would be removed prior to the cats going!!!

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.