Injured Front Paw

I have been feeding a semi-feral cat who will now let me get within 3 feet of him.  Problem is, I tried trapping him soon after I met him and he got out of the trap.  He is smart and wary and I doubt he will go in a trap again.  So I've been trying to feed and spend time with him hoping eventually he will be tame enough I can get him without trapping.  He is a beautiful Siamese and was probably once owned by someone.  Problem is he has a hurt front leg or foot now.  It apparently happened Saturday night or early Sunday morning.  He does not walk on it but he can bend it and curl it under him like his other one when he sits/lies down, so probably not broken.  I do not have antibiotics - well actually I have something left over that was prescribed for a kitten this summer for a respiratory illness... Anyway, he eats ok but doesn't seem any better yet.  I would like to think it will heal on its own but the 2 other cats I've seen before with hurt front leg and lack of proper care did not seem to.  Any advice for me?

Thanks!

Thank you for taking care of this cat.

I agree, I think he should seen by a vet.  Do you have a drop trap you can use (you can rig one up if you have a cat carrier.)

It may be a simple pulled muscle/tendon, in which case rest is the best 'cure'.  Neither will show up on an x-ray.

Is he kind of walking on three legs?  I had a cat in my colony that could put weight on the bad paw, and ran on three paws.  Turned out he had arthritis.

My other thought was: any chance he could have stepped on something or brushed against something, like a piece of glass or wire?

I don't have a drop trap or know where to get one. Or how I could get him into a carrier if I did first use a drop trap. My best success for a live trap would be if I left it there, mostly covered, for a few days first so he'd get used to it.But I feed him by a library parking lot, not
in my yard, so l don't think I can very well do that.

I first feared the leg was broken, but I don't think so unless maybe a mild fracture. I don't know if the leg is hurt or the foot/paw. I don't think he is arthritic. No signs of this before and I think he is still young or at least normal age, not old. He does walk on 3 legs or start to put foot down then pick it up again rather than put weight on it.

Could you talk to the library staff; they've probably noticed the cat.
You might try hiding the trap behind a bush, out of the way. Although not idea, I've left a trap behind bushes overnight, rigged so that when the trap is sprung, a blanket falls down and covers the entire trap.
Otherwise, just keep a watch on the cat. Keep feeding him. I try to feed the ferals extra food this time of year; it's getting cold and the cats need the calories.