Strange cats visit you again and again, if you have offered them something to eat or have aroused their attention by stroking or by playing.
Cats are very smart animals and remember very quickly when they have been fed by someone. This can lead to a strange cat coming to visit you every day or several times a day.
But even if you have stroked the cat or played with it, it can lead to a strange cat coming to visit you more often.
Why does a strange cat visit me?
A strange cat could visit you out of curiosity, hunger or because it has been treated badly. Also a territorial dispute among cats can be another reason.
Often it is outdoor cats that suddenly and unexpectedly visit you and stand in front of your door. These cats very often roam their territory and your home is probably in the middle of it. Therefore, it can often happen that strange cats come to visit you. Maybe it is also because you keep putting out food for your own cat or for birds, which the cat likes very much.
But it can also be because a strange cat visits you when it doesn’t like its owner anymore or was treated badly. Unfortunately there are still cases where cats are beaten or mistreated by their owner.
Also, lack of attention from their owner can cause cats to seek out strange homes and look for a new home. A lonely cat that receives no attention from its owner will then go in search of a new home.
Likewise, when a strange cat visits you, it may be that it has been chased away by other cats and is looking for safe shelter. This happens more often when the cat is very new to the area and has moved to a new neighborhood with its owner.
Cats may come to visit you out of sheer curiosity or hunger.
Another reason for the unexpected cat visit can be simple curiosity of the cat. Cats are very curious creatures by nature and want to explore everything. Maybe you’re new to the neighborhood and the cat wants to find out if you’ll feed it or give it a few pats.
What can I do to prevent strange cats from visiting me?
To prevent strange cats from visiting you, you should not leave birdseed on the floor, do not feed strange cats or pet them, and install your cat flap with a chip.
In order to prevent strange cats from visiting you at home, there are some important things you can do. Here we have the most important rules for you, so that no strange cats visit you:
How can I tell if the strange cat has a home?
If a cat is emaciated, unkempt and does not have a collar with an address, it could indicate a cat without a home.
If a strange cat visits you at home, you won’t be able to tell right away if it has no owner or a permanent home. Many owners avoid the small collars where the addresses are written because of the high risk of injury.
However, you can look out if the cat is emaciated or even injured. In case of injury, please always inform a veterinarian right away so that it can receive veterinary care.
However, there are also thin cats that are just a little older and have an owner. On the other hand, a well cared for cat may also have been abandoned by its owner. Unfortunately, there is no clear indication, other than a collar with an address, whether a cat has an owner or is homeless.
If you want to know which other pets would harmonize well with your cat, you can read this right now in our great article Which animals can be kept together with cats?
Should I offer food to a strange cat?
You should not offer a visiting cat anything to eat, because you could offer it something incompatible or poisonous due to ignorance, the cat can get overweight due to too much food and due to illness it is only allowed to eat special cat food.
A strange cat, you should generally not give food, because it does not tolerate certain food or is on a diet.
Cats like to come close to people to be petted or to get something to eat. For the following reasons it is advisable not to feed a visiting cat:
Cats have sensitive stomachs and will not tolerate all food. There is always a risk that you, as a layman, will feed the cat something incompatible or poisonous.
Visiting cats usually get their own food from their owners and should not be fed additionally. Some cats tend to be overweight if they get too many meals a day.
The strange cat could have a disease and may currently only have special cat food. A simple feeding could therefore have health consequences for the sick cat.
Cats often remember very quickly where they get what to eat. If you feed the visiting cat, it may well come to see you every day and beg you for food.
On hot summer days, you should still give a visiting cat a small plate with water.
Summary – Strange cat comes again and again
Strange cats visit you again and again, if you have offered them something to eat or have attracted their attention by petting them or by playing with them.
Reasons for a strange cat visit could be for example curiosity or hunger. But also because the cat was treated badly by its owner, a strange cat can visit you. Likewise, a territorial dispute among cats can be another reason.
To prevent strange cats from visiting you, you should not leave birdseed on the floor, do not feed strange cats or pet them, and install your cat flap with a chip.
If a cat is emaciated, unkempt and does not have a collar with an address, it could indicate a cat without a home.
You should not offer food to a visiting cat, because you could offer it something incompatible or poisonous due to ignorance, the cat can get overweight due to too much food, as well as due to illness it may only eat special cat food.