I'm planning a catnapping again

[spinbaby]

There's a little calico hanging around and she's looking pregnant. I suspect she's got an owner someplace because she seems well fed, but I haven't been able to track them down. I just scheduled her for a spay-and-shots session on Tuesday.

[sui generis]

1. yuppers - I have spayed or neutered every cat in my neighborhood

not personally, but you know what I mean.

It has really cut down on the population - although a neighbor recently "hid" a stray cat from me and let it have kittens "so the kids would have something to play with", prompting me to dust of my spanish, russian, greek, and Texican to deliver the full impact of my outrage.

I advertised Miss Phat Kat in the paper after I had her spayed in early pregnancy and a crazy fundie called me and told me how I was goin' to hell for killing her babies, then stalked me until I took the wings and halo off and showed her my horns.

You're doing the right thing - thanks.

[spinbaby]

2. I feel a bit guilty about it

Because I do think she's someone's cat.

[sui generis]

3. well if she's not wearing a collar

or indoors then the point is moot. Also, she's pregnant - her kittens are going to have to compete for food, get run over by cars, get hauled off to animal control and gassed to death, mauled by dogs, die of some feline disease (or else just spread it) or any other of a number of horrible ends.

You are doing the humane thing and putting the brakes on the cycle because someone else did not do the responsible thing themselves.

Don't feel bad.

[BikeWriter]

6. Amen, or wind up rooming with someone like me.

[progmom]

4. This is what my parents did in a similar situation:

They put a collar on the cat with a note asking the owner to call and confirm that s/he was there and taking care of the cat. They got a call that night, and were able to stop worrying.

[spinbaby]

5. Tried that

About three weeks ago when she was in heat and carrying on with our cat Tennessee. (Tennessee is neutered but doesn't seem to let that get in the way of a lively sex life). She came back without the collar.

[BikeWriter]

8. They obviously don't give a shit what happens to it then.

[Modem Butterfly]

7. When I was in college, we used to feed stray cats

We had one or two cats we considered our own and more than a few semi-regulars. One of our semi-regulars seemed to be pregnant, so we named her "Mom Cat". One day, Mom Cat showed up with a collar and a tag that said, "I am Peppy. Do not feed. Call XXX-XXXX". So, we called the number and were told that Peppy was an in-door cat who was quite the escape artist. Peppy's mom couldn't understand why she was gaining so much weight, so the vet advised her to put the tag on Peppy. Turns out we were the third or fourth college students to call.