Strange Feral Cat

[Pearly Heights]

I live on a farm like area. We are surrounded by thick forestry and trees; hot and humid right now.

We have had a feral cat (?) come up and eat our kitten's food once in a while, and it is very skittish.

However, I would like to ask about cat physical features. He looks quite strange for a cat. Most cats I've met have exceedingly similar faces with differences in color only. This one has a large forehead but it's not horizontally flat like most cats (you know what I mean), it's more vertical and the face shape is more oval. It's eyes are rather big (green) and it just has a strange face. His tail is longer than usual.

Me and my sister had seen it up close for about a minute through a window, and there's just something off about it.

It had no collar but it didn't look skinny or overweight, but it ate ravenously.

Any ideas? I've entertained the idea of it being mated with a bobcat or something.

The fur pattern is weird too. It's the marbled, standard tabby cat pattern, but mostly shades of gray and dark gray... It doesn't look normal.v
Edit: added a closer picture of his fur. Sorry I couldn't get the face!

 

[Mystikal kitten]

Do you live in OTSEGO COUNTY, NY by any chance?

 

[Pearly Heights]

Do you live in OTSEGO COUNTY, NY by any chance?

No, sorry. I am in Missouri! I don't think you happen to be one of my five neighbors within 20 miles (isolation is sucky).

 

[Mystikal kitten]

Okay. I was going to tell you that if you do live in Otsego County NY. The cat is a male never been fixed and won't use the litter box. His name is Sparta.
I guess I don't have to do that seeing how we are states apart.

 

[susanm9006]

Everything in your pics looks like a normal cat to me. He may have some slight birth defect that affects his face, difficult to tell without a picture. He does look healthy though.

 

[tabbytom]

Looks like a Classic or Marbled Tabby to me.

 

[susieqz]

i find that fur pattern very attractive.

 

[KatKnapper]

Your cat is an outdoor cat? Thoughts are, you may not want to attract this cat so near your home, where your resident cat eats. My guess would be this isn't a feral but a stray cat. I use to have such a cat, very skittish, only allowing its head to be seen, as it peaked around corners. When it thought I wasn't watching through the blinds, he would scour the ground finding bits of kibble that had fallen from dishes. I found it amazing watching this cat sniff the ground like a dog and actually find individual pieces of cat treats that I intentionally scattered about. He now practically eats out of my lap and attempts to enter my home ("NOOO!!! I named my resident cat BEAR for a reason!! You and I both will die!!! GET BACK!"

Trying to get a rescue org to take this wonderful stray. Enough rambling. My stray cat knows the smell and craves the taste of kibble, which sends home the fact that he is a stray (abandoned or a run-a-way). I think perhaps your little visitor also knows and craves domestic cat food.

Would love to see a image of this face you describe. In fact we have a section here just for that, should you be able to capture a closeup of its face and eyes. If you want that image, perhaps you could setup something similar to a hunter's blind. Nah just kidding. Hey same theory though. If you have a window there, place a table outside next to the window, with the food dish on it. You'll need it to be bright outside and dark inside, so hopefully the kitty cant' see you. Wear dark clothing and cover or blackout any light from windows behind you. Be quite and as still as a church mouse. No sounds, no chance of your sent drafting out the window. If you must move, make it minute hand slow, and in small increments. I read cats can see six times greater in the dark than humans (we of course need moonlight or we're blind). If I understood the Animal Planet show correctly, Lions have the equivalent or better night vision than Navy SEALS or Army Rangers expensive night googles. Cheers! Should you choose to accept this mission.

 

[susieqz]

um, birds can't see me thru windows.
feral cat can.

 

[KatKnapper]

The problem with having night vision is, in the daylight it doesn't work...in theory since we're talking about cats. Keep it dark inside, like with blackout curtains that shield out the light in the background. In day from the outside I can't see a few inches past the window pane looking in. Sometimes Bear has his face against the glass, looking out. Cats outside my window rarely know that I and the Bear are watching them.