Need some advice...

So long story short...apparently one of my neighbors was watching a ladies cat while she was out of town.  The cat escaped from the nieghbors house and has been outside for 4 months now.  The Owner who lives 45 mins away had almost given up until I noticed the cat in my yard and called her number (from a flyer).  She has come to my house and has seen her cat mutliple times now and is very excited to get her cat back.  I borrowed a humane racoon trap from a friend and have been setting it out for the last 2 weeks to try and help her catch her cat as the cat will not come to her.  Just 15 minutes ago I caught a cat but it is not hers.  It is a different stray/feral that I have seen around the nieghborhood for the last 6 months.  The cat I caught has no collar.  The lady who I am trying to help thinks I should just release it because and I quote "the cat you caught wont go back in the trap now that it has been caught once and my cat will not be scared of the trap if it sees its friend back out running free."

I have transferred the cat to a large dog kennel with food, water, and bedding for now.  I will not bring the cat in my house as my dog would not like that and I dont care for cats that much either.

Does this ladies logic makes sense?

Yes, probably the cat will not want to be caught again and will avoid the trap. BUT. . .if the cat is feral and isn't fixed, now's your chance to get him/her to the vet!

Willowy said:

Yes, probably the cat will not want to be caught again and will avoid the trap. BUT. . .if the cat is feral and isn't fixed, now's your chance to get him/her to the vet!

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 You don't have to keep this cat, but you can get him/her spayed or neutered and vaccinated at the vet - it's part of a mass program called TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return).  After the cat recovers (from the spay/neuter surgery and vaccinations), the cats are returned to their "home"- their colony- outdoors. Trap-Neuter-Return improves the lives of feral cats, improves their relationships with the people who live near them, and decreases the size of colonies over time. 

Thank you for taking him/her in, even temporarily. It will make a world of difference to this poor cat. 

Good luck.   

Thank you for helping this cat.  I would definitely try to take it to the vet for a check up.  There is always a chance the cat has been microchipped and is someone's lost pet.  If not, get the cat spayed/neutered.  The vet can help you decide whether to release the cat as part of a TNR program or see if the cat might be adoptable and accepted at a shelter. 

Can you pet this cat or does it seem friendly? 

Keep us posted.