I have little to no experience with cats, however, I have taken to feeding what I believe (based on some cursory research) to be a young feral who lives near my office. A couple of neighborhood cats (both with collars and well-fed) used to hang out in the lot behind our building but disappeared about a year ago. Several months later a new cat appeared on the scene--quite small (even now I'd say under 10 pounds) almost kitten-ish. I get in very early in the AM--2ish--and would see her occasionally. One morning she was attempting to lick some ketchup off the sidewalk near the next-door Mini-Mart. That was too much for me... I went in and got her a tin of cat food and we've been doing breakfast ever since. Some observations:
-I only see her when it's dark; never during the day
-She is skittish and show no signs of having been socialized
-She is very small but healthy looking
-She never vocalizes
-She is always alone; even the other cats have disappeared
-While still shy of me (it's been a couple months) she hangs around after eating and watches me
-She will hold strong eye contact with me and seems to be reassured(?) when I talk to her
My dilemma is what I can do for her. As I mentioned, I have no familiarity with cats. Actually, I am allergic to them. We have two dogs. I fear trying to trap her and have her fixed/med-checked might prove terribly disruptive and traumatic--for both of us. The other day, however, I saw her near a busy intersection and it got me thinking how vulnerable she is. I feel as though progress is still being made in breaking down barriers between us but to what end? Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
-I only see her when it's dark; never during the day
-She is skittish and show no signs of having been socialized
-She is very small but healthy looking
-She never vocalizes
-She is always alone; even the other cats have disappeared
-While still shy of me (it's been a couple months) she hangs around after eating and watches me
-She will hold strong eye contact with me and seems to be reassured(?) when I talk to her
My dilemma is what I can do for her. As I mentioned, I have no familiarity with cats. Actually, I am allergic to them. We have two dogs. I fear trying to trap her and have her fixed/med-checked might prove terribly disruptive and traumatic--for both of us. The other day, however, I saw her near a busy intersection and it got me thinking how vulnerable she is. I feel as though progress is still being made in breaking down barriers between us but to what end? Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.