got a question...how to catch a cat

this grey cat seems to be wandering around the neighborhood..I don't think he's fixed. He's got no collar and is always hungry so yes.I feed him...
he won't really come that close to me...runs off everytime I come out of the house so i'm thinking he's wary and perhaps someone had hurt him...

but I do put some dry food out for him..he eats it all up..and then the other day..I had these 2 cans of cat food my cats don't like so I fed him so far a can and a half of that food so far..(in 2 days)..I still have half a can for him tonight..he is starting to actually walk right up the back steps ...he meowed at me on saturday from the back steps when I looked out the door..so he's starting to talk to me..but I can't even get close enough to pet him...
I'd like to be able to get him so I can perhaps take him to the vet and check him out...
and perhaps see if he's owned by anyone..if not I may keep him...
he looks so sad to me all the time..and I don't want to see him outside at -20...

Maybe borrow/get a Hav-A-Heart trap and try that?

Well you can try to do 2 things. You could try leaving the back door open with some food far into the kitchen or whatever and once he is in sneak around the back using the front door and shut the back door really fast.

Or you could borrow a humaine trap from one of your local rescues, bait it with something smelly like tuna and hope he goes in and the door closes.

I would try the first option first. It would be less scarey for him. But then again, if you do use a humaine trap you could take him to the vet easier.

Whatever you decide, good luck! I hope you can catch him and god bless you for helping him out.

ok..i can try that..but i'd have to put my cats somewhere...
and keep them in one spot to leave the back door open..otherwise they'd run outside

I lured a stray into my garage side door and closed it, but I could touch her. Maybe if you try to get him inside stand behind the open door and close it when he's inside. You could feed him closer to door and maybe not close the door the first time he comes in. Let him see things, eat and then he will come back to eat. But once he is in if you want to go to vet you will have to catch him inside. If he is not neutered yet that could be a problem inside.

What I have done in the past to get a cat that was leary of the trap is to use a dog trap. You can borrow or rent from a shelter or vet office. I used a fairly large dog trap and propped the trap door open with a stick. Tie twine or sturdy string to stick and let him eat from the trap for a couple of times like this. Then put food or something smelly to eat in there and hide inside your door with a small crack open so you can hold the string and see. Pull the string when he is in to drop the stick and close the trap.

Hope that makes sense. Good luck in getting him before winter gets here.