Is This Cat Feral Or A Stray?

Jillian09

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Hello there, I have started feeding a cat that hangs around the place where I rent my townhome. I noticed the cat maybe back in late September and just starting on November 30 I decided I wanted to help it out. I started putting food out for it and didn't know if it was the cat eating it or not until I came back from a walk one day and there it was on my front porch. When the cat noticed me it didn't run away right away until I started getting closer. I am really bad at telling distance so I will try and attach a picture of the cat that I took showing the distance. Anyway, I see this cat out and about sometime during the day just lounging around in the sun. I saw it again in another place by a bunch of chairs stacked up and it allowed me to get a little closer to it then. I have since made a little cat house for it and put a small heating pad to provide some warmth and I put the cat food in the house. The cat gladly goes in to eat the food but then leaves when it is done. I transformed my cat house into a kind of cat trap to bring the cat indoors but then started having second thoughts because I didn't actually know just how feral this cat is. I also have no idea how old this cat is or if it is male or female. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I just want the best for the kitty.
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kittypa

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Maybe see if you can make friends before you bring it in? Looks like you got pretty close in the one photo there. That makes me think it’s not feral.
 
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Jillian09

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In the 5th picture from the top I am looking at it through the window at the top of my door. The cat didn't actually know I was there
 
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Jillian09

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Maybe see if you can make friends before you bring it in? Looks like you got pretty close in the one photo there. That makes me think it’s not feral.
I definitely think I am going to feed it for a little while longer and see what happens
 

Kieka

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It's a girl, FYI. Calicos are almost always female, the chances of it being a boy are low enough to dismiss the possibility.

She looks well fed and healthy. More likely a recent stray or a pet with outdoor access IMO. You can try posting to Nextdoor or signs in a mile radius "is this your cat?". If you do manage to catch herI would encourage you to put a breakaway collar on her with a tag saying "if this is your cat please call me" before trying to bring her indoors.

My crew goes outside and I know the girl is that skittish of people that you could feed her for a year and she'd still run away. My boy, not so much. I am going to have to do a "welcome to the neighborhood, this is Link he has a home and don't feed the fatty." note when the house across form us sells.
 

bigbadbass

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Once decided to bring him/her in....YOU must take the initiative. Move the food, a couple of feet every day...closer to your entry door. Perhaps he'll enter, if that is your plan. But you've gotta have a plan.

It took me a couple of MONTHS to get the violent Bug indoors. What a battle. From outdoor, nasty feral/stray to near 2 years indoor now. Amazing transformation. My best buddy. No regrets. A 6 cat home here.
 
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