What to do about feeding a stray cat.

Question

Hello! In the winter I put food out for cats and come March or April I do not see them again until December. This year, I had one stay around. I know another lady feeds him. He comes around in the morning or late afternoon and I put food out only when I see he is there. But I don't think I want to keep this up. Not sure. Probably keeps mice away. We are going away for a week and I don't know what to do. If I should trap him and take him to a vet. I have tried and he won't go for it. Should I ween his food a week before we go. I feel bad if I dessert him...He won't let me touch him but he will let me sit out there while he eats. He isn't on a missing list. The other lady has seen him for 3 years she said. I have an indoor cat and don't know if he can get flees through the screen door. Sometimes they see each other. My cat takes flee medicine. And this other cat, supposedly was taken to a trap, neuter release place by another lady that has since moved and took a lot of the neighbor cats with her. Thanx for all of your advice!

Answer 1

If the cat is already neutered, there's not much else you can do for it. You CAN catch it and turn it into the humane society or some shelter and risk euthanization..  But if you're not going to keep the stray or find it a home, you probably should stop feeding it.  It won't starve.  Good luck!

Answer 2

Believe me a stray cat will not starve.  He is  a lot smarter than you think.  He was probably the only male, while the females went off and had HIS babies he was smart enough to know if he stayed around you would feed him.  It would be nice if he could be caught and neutered. If and when you decide to stop feeding him he will quit coming around. Fleas can be spread through the screen but if you cat us protected it will be O.K.  Good Luck.  

Answer 3

try an automatic feeder eventually u might be able to win his trust

Answer 4

i have 4 female cats that are all spayed .then i feed all the stray cats that come around.i have lived at this house going on 4 yrs and i named this stray male cat porch kitty because he always hangs out on my porch.i have had to call the shelter to come and get some of the cats because the females keep having kittens and it gets to be too many but i try to get them use to me so they might not be so afraid of people and have a chance to be adopted but it breaks my heart to call because i feel like i am getting them killed.So i now have 4 white kittens and 1 black kitten  and the full white momma,plus porch kitty (he's old)and then a orange cat i call orangE and a black calico that looks pregant and those are the strays outside  plus my 4 cats.what a mess i got myself into.

Answer 5

keep feeding it if you want it and leave food out for it while you are away. if you do want it then be gentle with him and maybe it will come to you if it can trust you.