FWIW, I'm guessing all the vet stuff will surely cost more than the $50 to drop him off. If you really won't keep him, you might check to ensure they do those things with dropped off cats and drop him off.
I also got confused about your plans- how long will you keep him until you decide an owner isn't going to show up and you're going to put him to sleep?
I would avoid putting him to sleep if at all possible- he sounds too sweet for that. Maybe keep him until a no-kill shelter has room, instead?
I'm really surprised the pet store won't let you put up a flier- they typically have a bulletin board just for that sort of thing. In addition to putting signs up around the neighborhood, you can always post a listing on Craigslist- either as found or as free to good home.
I'm not certain about the illnesses. It doesn't sound like there's any sign of Rabies, but that's a typical one to test for. Common ailments of outdoor cats would be ear mites and worms, and of course fleas. Fleas would be the one thing I'd worry about him with in the house, because that could spread to carpet etc and then to your other cats. Do you have a flea comb you could check him with, if he's docile enough? Watch and see if he's scratching much, and treat him if you have anything. On the paranoid end, I would probably also keep him from sharing a litter box with them for the time being. If you plan on keeping him indoors, you probably don't need to vaccinate him until you part ways/let him outdoors, but I'd check with a vet on all that stuff.
FWIW, that's pretty much exactly how we adopted our first cat- he appeared in the backyard and kept running in the house any chance he got. He had a tag at the time, but it was removed after we called the owner to tell him about an injury. He was the sweetest cat you could ever imagine, always wanting to sleep cuddled up with someone. He learned quickly that he had a 10 pm curfew and was always ready, and then learned to roll over if he wanted to go out- he took that as his way of getting our attention and would lead us to the food dish or even just out of a chair so he could steal it for warmth! I can't iamgine not having kept him :)
Ooh, I wasn't clear. If we don't find an owner, we'll keep him. If he has a disease that's communicable, we'll put him down. I'll edit that.
He has his own litter, and it's no longer flea season here (I checked him just in case, and he doesn't appear to have any). I'm really hoping they can keep them!
I also got confused about your plans- how long will you keep him until you decide an owner isn't going to show up and you're going to put him to sleep?
I would avoid putting him to sleep if at all possible- he sounds too sweet for that. Maybe keep him until a no-kill shelter has room, instead?
I'm really surprised the pet store won't let you put up a flier- they typically have a bulletin board just for that sort of thing. In addition to putting signs up around the neighborhood, you can always post a listing on Craigslist- either as found or as free to good home.
I'm not certain about the illnesses. It doesn't sound like there's any sign of Rabies, but that's a typical one to test for. Common ailments of outdoor cats would be ear mites and worms, and of course fleas. Fleas would be the one thing I'd worry about him with in the house, because that could spread to carpet etc and then to your other cats. Do you have a flea comb you could check him with, if he's docile enough? Watch and see if he's scratching much, and treat him if you have anything. On the paranoid end, I would probably also keep him from sharing a litter box with them for the time being. If you plan on keeping him indoors, you probably don't need to vaccinate him until you part ways/let him outdoors, but I'd check with a vet on all that stuff.
FWIW, that's pretty much exactly how we adopted our first cat- he appeared in the backyard and kept running in the house any chance he got. He had a tag at the time, but it was removed after we called the owner to tell him about an injury. He was the sweetest cat you could ever imagine, always wanting to sleep cuddled up with someone. He learned quickly that he had a 10 pm curfew and was always ready, and then learned to roll over if he wanted to go out- he took that as his way of getting our attention and would lead us to the food dish or even just out of a chair so he could steal it for warmth! I can't iamgine not having kept him :)
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He has his own litter, and it's no longer flea season here (I checked him just in case, and he doesn't appear to have any). I'm really hoping they can keep them!
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Give him a skritch for me :) My parents have a kitten they're currently trying to find a home for, too!
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