Found: Friendly Adult Cat near Group Health Capitol Hill

I know this cat. He lives around Denny and 17th. He's usually on the West side of 17th in front of a house next to the apartment building. If you put up a found cat poster near there or probably just ask someone outside they probably know his owner.

I think it's nice that you've taken photos and are letting people know about this lovely cat in case it's lost and you did the right thing by leaving the cat just where he was. It's not totally clear why you think this cat was lost though. Cats are allowed to roam the city freely, are not required to wear collars, and can usually find their own way home. If it's the 17th Ave cat as suggested by the other commenter, he's within a block or two of home, but cats can roam pretty far without getting lost.

There's a chance this little one lives near Kingfish Cafe. It looks VERY similar to one I've seen roaming in the area. Good luck!

I know this cat, he is often around my friend's house on 17th and Denny. I don't know who 'owns' this poor cat, but they leave him out all the time, enough so that neighbors have taken to leaving blankets in boxes and food outside their homes for him, and other indoor/outdoor cats to take refuge in.
Cats have no place being left to roam around in the city, plain and simple. They are subject to cars, other animals, and our cruddy weather to say the least. Next time you see one of the dozens of flyers posted for a missing cat, think of this.

I used to live on 21st and Denny and 4 days before I moved to Ohio my cat was "found" .. in my own yard! I was frantic for 2 days until I found an ad on craigslist with a photo of my cat. The same people "found" my neighbors cat again .. in our yard! Granted, our yard is a part of an alley but come on people.

The couple that found her were really nice but the next time you see a cat roaming around, please don't assume it's lost. Just because it's night time and raining (Hello, it's Seattle) doesn't mean it needs to be rescued.

I know this cat! He lives two doors down from me, on 17th Ave between Denny and John. His name is Zulu (although we call him Brindle Cat), and he does have an owner, but he and his brother, Shaka, are mostly outside cats. He's a bit of a slut (using the term in a cat-positive way, of course)--he's jumped onto more laps than most strippers. I wrote about him here:

http://www.margueriteaville.com/2011/07/brindle-cat-fundrais

I'll knock on his owner's door tomorrow morning. Brindle Cat/Zulu has about five different "homes" outside of his main one (I confess to feeding him regularly). Everyone in the neighborhood kinda loves the little grifter.

If you own a cat, even if it's not required by law, which it should be, you need to get a collar with the cat's name, your address and phone number on it and not let other people try to figure out if your cat has a home or not. Not only is it irresponsible, but you're putting your responsibility on everyone else. If one person has concern for the cat, that means others do as well and really, what if the cat got hit or something happened to him? Guess who they won't be able to find and guess who will never see their cat again and for what? $12 dollars and an hour of your time?

There was an abandoned cat where I moved into last winter on 17th and Mercer. I thought he was the next door's house cat until I realized they never feed him and never let him in, even though he was sleeping on their porch and meowing like crazy. It turns out for a year, these "guys" (but i'd like to call them boozos) left this cat in the rain and cold, and never tried to find him a home even though they are all wired with cell phones, and internet.

if it was these guy's cat, then there would have been nothing I could do, but since after asking around, it wasn't, i found that cat a home. it took like 3 weeks. moral of the story: don't make other people work harder to take care of another living thing: if it's your cat, get a collar!

I am always conflicted when I see cats roaming outside, unsure if they are lost, feral or simply have irresponsible owners. Not only does allowing free outdoor ranging shorten the life of your cat, but it also negatively impacts the environment. Cats are an invasive species in North America and are endanger the survival of several species of native birds. If you elect to allow your cat outside, be appreciative when a good Samaritan looks out for it's safety even if, in your opinion, it does not need to be rescued.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/science/29angi.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/no-good-for-the-birds

He's the neighborhood cat...everyone in this part of the Hill knows Zulu...he's an attention whore.

Cats are animals. Some of them are very happy inside; others are not. Zulu is VERY happy being outside and pampered by dozens of people in the neighborhood.

There's a big difference between an outdoor cat and a lost cat. Lost animals look terrified, nervous and scared. If you see an outdoor cat behaving calmly, chances are it's a local outdoor cat.

As for birds, it's the Circle of Life. And, most birds killed by cats are usually already injured, elderly or very young and probably fell out of a nest/tree and were doomed anyway.

He might be microchipped.... and he might even be a cat they see.

That's the weakest excuse I have ever heard 'b-but the baby birds!'

Newsflash, veggie, a cat eating a bird now and then, even a hundred cats eating a hundred birds every month won't impact the ecosystem.

Go chew on some seitan and cry more.

I'm glad they posted this ad, because now I know what to call that super friendly cat the next time I see him.

He's adorable. He resembles my tabby so my heart melted when I saw him on Denny and 16th a few months ago. He jumped on my shoulders when I went to pet him. I did spend a day worrying about him (I took a picture in case I saw a missing cat flyer but never thought to post a picture here) because he had no collar. I do wish people would put collars on their outdoor cats so the more compassionate among us don't worry about whether or not they are in trouble.

Outdoor cats roaming around unattended are a public nuisance. They shit all over(part of my yard is basically a litter box due to other people's pets), which is annoying *and* impacts water quality. They fight, injuring each other and spreading disease, as well as annoying people (have you ever heard 2 cats fighting in your yard-- blood-curdling). They kill native songbirds. Be responsible and monitor your pet when it's outside. I don't feel bad for people who lose their pets or are inconvenienced when someone takes a roaming cat to a shelter at all. Chances might be better the cat will get an owner who will take care of it and give a crap about how their decisions are impacting the larger community.

If you have neighbors who let their cats outside, you probably shouldn't grow food in your yard. Cat shit can Carry toxoplasmosis, which can be a serious health risk for pregnant women. In fact pregnant ladies are instructed not even to clean cat litter boxes. My Capitol Hill garden plot was a regular toilet for neighborhood cats. Gross.

He's totally "neighborhood kitty", everyone loves him, even Dexter my cat. They actually look like they could be related.

Zulu loves the outdoors & he's obviously well fed. He's climbed on my shoulder too & I've seen him climb on at least three people's shoulders. I let my cats out in the yard & I don't think they're ever happier than when they're outdoors where all their senses are being stimulated.

Anyone who owns a cat knows that cats sit in window sills dreaming about being outside, chasing the fat squirrels & the birds, they love it. They don't mind the cold, they wear a fur coat year round.

I think it really does enrich their lives. If they hated the outdoors so much then why do they beg to go out so much?

Lighten up people, allow the kittens to be happy in their environment.

I have owned cats all my life. They have always been free reign to go in and out as they please. My cats are and have been amazingly smart, affectionate, and healthy - becaue of this. When I see indoor cats, I see unhealthy, psycho behavior from a wild animal being locked up in a tiny prison. Their fat, crazy, and out of their minds from not not being in the environment they should be in - outside. When a cat wants to come inside, it will let you know. When it wants to go outside, it will let you know. All of my cats lived late into their teenage years. A cat is an animal and has survived and evolved for eons outside, in the wild, that's where they came from. What kind of psycho babble are you pushing here? Do you have any idea how many cats want to be outside right now? Yes it is dangerous in a city.... What cruelty to own a cat, and keep it inside.... Don't have a cat in the city then. That is true advocacy for a cat.

Many people own pets all their lives and don't know how to properly care for them. A quick google search will show you that most vets and evidence shows that indoor cats generally lead healthier and longer lives. With proper care and exercise and socialization, there's no reason an indoor cat should act crazy. Just because cats enjoy the outdoors doesn't mean they should live there, it is possible to give your cat outdoor time but have them live indoors. The modern housecat is not a wild animal.

I don't believe that ("healthier lives") for a second. A bald eagle will live three times as long in captivity unable to fly as in the wild. You can find that on Google too!!!!!! You stay in your house and report back to me at the age of 100 and tell me about your life. What backwards ass view.

I do have cats. They do not go outside unsupervised. Note, I did not say they don't go outside at all. They do. But I don't let them roam around on their own. We expect dog owners to keep their pets secure and supervised; we should expect the same of cat owners.

If Zulu isn't already home, you have come across this ad, and you've managed to scroll all the way to the bottom past the many comments...

I just want to be clear that I did not take your cat home with me. We already have a cat and dog, and I was not sure if he was lost at all (i.e., I did not want to catnap an indoor/outdoor cat).

I posted this information because I wanted to let his owners (you) know where and that he was spotted. If he had a collar, I would have called you.

I hope you have been reunited. Best wishes.

This is a great comment thread. Good to get all those different perspectives out there.

Cats are not dogs - there are different expectations (and laws) about cats going outside on their own because cats are different than dogs both physically and mentally.

Cats and collars - cats will often shed their collars ; a collar can be dangerous for a cat since cats like to squeeze through tight spaces and jump around a lot; collars can be useful to stop well-meaning (and less well-meaning) people taking your cat, but basically it's a trade-off, you have to estimate the chances that someone will take your cat against the chances that they'll get the collar caught in something.

Cats as predators - yes, cats are predators. While their predatory nature can be undesirable when they kill birds, it's significantly less undesirable when they kill rats.

Indoor cats - cats, like humans, have thoughts and feelings and can get bored. Unlike humans, cats don't get a great deal of enjoyment out of reading books and watching TV.

Cats and the community - apart from cats controlling the rodent population, cats have other societal benefits. Some people do not have close companions and are not able to have a pet, but can still get pleasure from seeing or touching an outdoor cat. Physical contact has positive health effects.

and not all of them the nicest about a FYI on a potentially lost cat? Maybe ya'll need to follow Zulu's lead and get out of the house more.