Impossible? (trying to coax a feral cat)

can you trap the cat?

It is not likely the local humane society or shelter will help you unless you have a very dedicated group near your house. Most shelters are innundated with kittens this time of year, so it is likely you are on your own.

On the good side you said the kitten is meowing, so the fact that it is vocalizing is a good thing since ferals do not usually vocalize to people.

My advice is that your kitten is probably not far away at night, so you should go outside and talk to the kitten even if you cannot see it. You mentioned it runs away when you go outside, but chances are it is lurking nearby and watching to see what you do. You should stay out there and call the kitten and use a toy like a string on a stick. You could take food out but only while you are there too, since as you said other predators will be attracted if you leave it for the kitten.

If the kitten gets used to seeing and smelling you and hearing your voice, you have a better chance of getting an appearance from it during the day and you might be able to put food out then, again if you are with the food.

The other person who posted asked you about trapping and I have the same question. If you can get the kitten to show up regularly, then you might want to try borrowing a trap from a nearby shelter and getting your kitten in there. This would only be if you found that your kitty is too timid for you to get him inside on your own. Good luck! And please let us know more about your situation!

Try coaxing him out with a cheap can of smelly tuna fish. Its hard for a kitty to resist.

The little guy will probably hiss and throw a fit when you pick him/her up. I always think its cute when they are small and act all big and brave Any way, hold on cause he probably wont trust you again for quite a while.

I would never recommend picking up a stray or feral cat. Cat scratches can be very serious, and scared cats can very quickly turn into balls of claws.

Don't worry about keeping kitty in sight. He/She is there at night, so put out food for her at the same time every night, and leave it out only for one hour. Do not approach her while she eats, she will only run off. Get her coming to the same place at the same time. If you can narrow the window of time down that the food is out, do so.

If you want to contact local rescue groups to see if they will help, you can search for help here: http://www.pets911.com

You can also use that as a resource to find someone who can rent or loan you a trap, if they aren't able to trap kitty. You can also call around to local vets to see if they have a trap you can borrow or rent.

If you feel you can't do this on your own, you can also contact the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Campaign network: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehom...ts/thenetwork/

or Alley Cat Allies: http://www.alleycat.org/orgs.html

If you feel you can and want to do this, make sure you have a vet lined up that can see kitty when you trap her. Here is a lot of advice on trapping and socializing I just posted in this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=136573

If you have further questions, please feel free to ask!

Thank you for wanting to help this kitty!

Laurie