When the little "hobo" (whom I named Buffy) slunk around my feet, of course I couldn't tell him to "go away." He looked healthy, clean (no flea dirt), and was very hungry. In retrospect, I think he was dumped since nobody came forward to claim him at all the logical places in our little town.
Contrary to Pasha's usual friendly temper, he became agitated and Lilliput positively worried herself into a snit about this sudden addition to the household; Buffy was an unwanted intruder. Sweet as he was, to adopt him would mean, quite likely, another 17 years. Holy cow! Pardon me--I mean,"Holy Cat." I'm getting too old for that. I called the shelter and told them that I would be glad to foster him for a few weeks. But they decided he should visit the vet not only for his shots but - you know - that ignoble deed little Buffy would surely not have agreed to had he known. Believe me: It was a hard decision not to adopt him. He was sooo darling - a young Pasha-Mini-Me.
The day after Buffy left, both my cats got sick. Runny eyes, some sneezing, no appetite. After I Googled all the horrible viruses they could have gotten from our little visitor (such as FIP), I rushed them to my vet who smiled: "You went on the Internet and panicked yourself, didn't you." Pet owners with Internet access must be the bane of vets these days. Both cats quickly received their yearly shots, and Lilliput got an extra dose of antibiotics since she wheezed more than Pasha (she snores anyway; it's like having a man around - again).
When Buffy got neutered (I took him myself and then picked him up again for a few days of recuperation at home), the vet said he was perfectly healthy. We are still watching all of them - hopefully, it was only a little cold (they do get influenza-like colds - or it could have been "kennel-cough" picked up at the vet's--unconfirmed).
Morale of the story: NEVER, EVER bring a strange cat (dog) into the household without taking it to the vet first. (Oh, I did say that in Pasha's book - hello! What was I thinking? I guess, I wasn't. My heart just went out to the little waif.)
