You may have already tried this, but you can ask a local veterinary clinic to see if the cat is microchipped.

Having volunteered with different feline rescue/shelters, I learned too often cats are dumped off in parking lots. You may have saved this kitties life!

Sometimes you can get a shelter to take a found animal if you start your conversation with mentioning your willingness to make a donation. It often costs rescues $50-150. to vet (exam, vaccines, spay/neuter, chip, etc.) an animal to get them ready for adoption.

Excellent idea!

It is getting cold here. And my cats won't come in while a stranger is in the house. My dog is nervous. The kitty is fairly civilized but very conversational and very good at knocking things down. And I am clearly cranky about being woken up at 3:30 by a chatty cat.

In general I have two impulses - one is to get the poor boy home - the other is to find him a home. I find the instant suspicious judgement by shelter people to be completely understandable but unhelpful.

I've had a lot of success with rehoming cats on craigslist in the past. But I know you have to be careful about giving away free animals on there. I did in the past but I felt they were really interested in having the cat and would not be putting it in harms way. Having moved to a bigger city where I don't trust peopIe as much, I have started requiring a $20 or $25 rehoming fee. This narrows down a lot of people that would otherwise take the cat but the ones that do come through are invested in it. You might try that if you're not having success with the shelter. Putting a picture and describing the cat helps a lot too of course, and you can post under lost and found or pets.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/little-shelter-animal-rescue-and-adoption-center/never-list-animals-on-cra_b_6532568.html

"Dog fighters scour Craigslist and Facebook all day looking for pets they can use as bait. Look at the photos below; these two animals were given away online. Dog fighters and animal abusers will dress nicely, show up to meet your pet, act courteously, promise to love the animal, and lie the entire time. Once they have the animal you listed online, it’s highly likely that the animal will wind up like the two poor souls above. This is how dog fighters train their animals to fight and kill. Craigslist is a gold mine to animal abusers and dog fighters; it is the cheapest and easiest way to get what they need."

Even going to a kill shelter is better than this.

One must be careful. I'm sure it doesn't happen everywhere, all the time. I had a couple drive an hour to get two cats from me because there weren't abundant cats in their town for adoption. When one didn't warm up right away they brought him all the way back to me. Just saying there are good people looking for pets on Craigslist too. But be careful and weed them out with a fee or whatever if you post on there.

I volunteer at a shelter and we take in all found cats. Even sometimes when we are not so sure whether the cat is one that has really been found, or whether the owners are trying to get rid of it. Call your local shelter(s) and see what their policies are.

Google for local pet rescue/shelters in your area and also ask pet stores and veterinarians about local shelters. Petco recently told me about a newly opened shelter in my area that accepts only cats........wouldn't have known they existed otherwise.

At the worst you may have to foster him until a spot opens up, but at least the rescue group can list him on their online site and even show him at events. Everything you learn about him (how he gets along with other cats, dogs, kids, his personality, etc) can be listed in his bio. All this info will give him an advantage in getting adopted.

While he's in your home you need to start over with the introduction to you pets by keeping him in a separate room with litter, food/water. That will allow your pets to get used to his sounds and smells. Are your cats indoor/outdoor? If so, I'm surprised they're wary to come in the house since it's their territory. I know my female cat wouldn't hesitate to track down a newcomer in the house. ;) Last question..........is he neutered?

BTW, you did do the right thing by bringing him home. If an owner was looking for him you'd be seeing flier/posts about a lost cat and every local vet would have been notified. I think you can forget about finding his owner (especially if they're not searching for him) and move forward on finding him a new home. You sure he won't eventually blend in with your family??? : )

Here is Salami approaching my cat Curious George. CG is growling. My goofy dog who never growls is growling. CG went back out soon after this photo.

Salami was incredibly sweet - my dog would have adjusted quickly. My house is small and lacks walls. So the cats were much warier but I was tempted.

I notified the shelter and an organization that helps find cats in my state. My vet is away. I called the animal control officer.

And in one of those incredibly silly bureaucratic regulation moments the ACO (who had my address) wanted me to bring the cat back into town because she isn't allowed to come to my house. She then mentioned she lived in a town between my home and town. I asked if I could bring him to her - she lives about 2 miles from me.

GOOD NEWS!!!!

Immediately after I dropped him off with the ACO I got a call - the owner!!!

And...........what did she say about how he ended up in the parking lot?

Often, leaving a pet left with AC can be a death sentence. I believe in my area they've increased the time to 7 days to claim an animal, but often it's just 5 or less. That's why many people who have rescued animals leave contact info and photos of the animal with AC, just in case the owner does show up. That way, there's much less chance of the animal being euthanized before found by the owner.

BTW, in your photo, Salami is definitely taking the dominate position with your cat. Towering above the resident cat is not a good sign.

It's great to hear things worked out so well!

PLEASE - lets not jump to conclusions - Im on a lost-cat forum where heartbroken people are trying desparately to find their lost, displaced pets. You wouldnt believe how often a cat carrier breaks in the vets parking lot and the terrified cat runs off never to be seen again. I can think of at least 5 instances in the 2 yrs Ive been on that forum. Those things tend to be flimsy cheaply made junk - word to the wise - be sure to tie something around it to keep the two halfs from breaking!

IF YOU FIND A CAT - ask around where cat was found, put up found ads including craigslist and large florescent intersection posters. Withhold one identifying feature so if someone calls you have a way of determining if the owner is legit. Ask them to email you a photo of their cat before you agree to have them come and get him.