Current Events > Might bring a stray cat in, need some advice.

(+) Yeah! (+)

The cat is male and I'm pretty sure he's been fixed. He has a signature clipped ear which means animal control has picked the cat up, fixed it, and released him. He isn't declawed and is as friendly as can be.

So what do I need from you guys!?
I just want to know what I need to do before bringing the cat in the house. Any and all questions/advice is welcome, perhaps you guys can tell me something I haven't thought of.

It's worth mentioning we have 3 cats (2 female, 1 male) already.
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watch for fleas
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Well they usually recommend getting a litter box meant for the new cat to stop the others from getting territorial, but when my gf and I got a 2nd cat they had 0 problems and just used whichever one they wanted. I'd say just take it to the vet to make sure it isn't someone's cat that got out.
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you need to take it to the vet to get its shots and possibly flea/worm treatment. If the cat has parasites you don't want it spreading to the others.

Do you have experience acclimating cats? BEcause you will likely need to. Do what you'd normally do when you bring a new unfamiliar cat home.

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There is a youtuber called Kitten Lady who I've seen on recommended videos who probably has some good information about this. She does lots of cat and kitten videos and probably has one for this scenario.
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Research proper ways to introduce new cats to each other. Cats can get a little funny and territorial.

My brother brought a new cat home once and we had one at home already. They didnt get along at all and we didnt introduce them properly. My cat stopped using his litter box and started overeating to compete with the other cat. I wish I could go back and change how we did things.

There's a lot of good advice here, I wouldn't introduce the cat into your home until it sees a vet, is tested for FIV and heartworm, both are common for stray cats and both are potentially fatal. FIV can be spread also, even if your home cats are vaccinated, it isn't worth the risk without seeing a vet first.

I can help out with tips and whatnot, i've been a cat owner all of my life and i'm familiar with a lot of ins and outs.

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I do plan on taking him to the vet to get checked out. I wonder if they can check and see if he has a microchip or not.

The cat looks very clean-cut for supposedly being a stray. I don't want to bring him in if he's someone else's cat.
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I'll try and get a good pic of him later. He only comes here when it gets dark outside, as soon as it gets light outside he's gone. Been showing up for almost 2 weeks straight, never misses a day.
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dont just toss him in the house with the other cats. keep in his own room for a couple days, and then slowly introduce the other cats to him in his room, maybe individually.

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You'll definitely want to quarantine him initially(his own room, own food, own litterbox, no other cats allowed in). Bring him to your vet and make sure he's in good health, free of fleas and diseases, and then work to slowly introduce him to your other cats once you know he's healthy.

Lots of great suggestions, very much appreciated guys.
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