There has been a large gray feral living near our house for the past two/three months. (It's been eating my cat's food, and judging by how much I've been spending on cat food, it must be quite hungry.) I kind of like it and wouldn't mind keeping it, but it is extremely afraid of people (it dives into the woods whenever it sees someone) and I don't know if it has any medical issues or not. I am not endowed with very much money and I know my parents don't want to spend a lot of money on a feral cat.
My dad just thinks he should shoot it when he gets a chance. D: This cat seems like it would be very friendly if it was given enough love and kindness. Is there any way to get it to trust me when I can't even walk outside without it running?