Found a friendly stray cat, bitten

A little bit of a backstory here.

About maybe a couple of weeks ago, on my walks (around 1AM - 2AM in the morning), I've been coming across a stray kitten (assuming stray, not feral). The first time I saw it, it was just walking normally across the street. Got to it's level, and started rubbing my fingers together in order to try and get it to come near me - much to my surprise, it took a look and walked right up to me. Rubbed up right against my arm and legs, came up to me when I moved across the street and motioned it over again, and was rolling around on the grass even. For a few times over the next week, same thing would happen - cat would see me, I'd motion it over (sometimes I would be able to just walk right up to it) and was able to pet it no problem.

The thing that struck me as odd about this cat was that it didn't really seem to have sharp nails, didn't really look too mal-nourished, but it didn't have a collar on it either. So, I decided that I would try taking it home to get it tested for a micro-chip, and if nothing was found, do the whole paper collar thing and if nothing came about that as a result, to maybe give it to the SPCA. I picked the cat up, thinking that I would carry it back to my house (about maybe a half mile or so away). Picked up very easily and with no struggles - even licked my fingers at first. Gave me a playful little nibble, didn't draw blood. But when I started walking out of its territory, it started meowing constantly and looking back over my shoulder. Once or twice it tried getting out of my arms, bit my rain jacket a few times (it was a rainy night) as well as my hand/fingers, and finally escaped as I went to try and readjust the way I was holding the cat. Cat ran away from me, hid behind a house. I was able to get back to it and pick it up after it had calmed down and walked back out in front, but it managed to wriggle free once again. Again, no blood drawn that I saw.

The next time I tried to pick it up, I had a different idea - and was going to take a different route. Same thing as usual, the cat walked right up to me, rubbed up against me, and let me pick it up very easily. Same thing started again - a couple of kisses and a playful little nibble or two, but started getting restless as we left its territory again. Same deal, just meowing and looking back over my shoulder and arm. It did reach up and scratch my chin and hand, but whether or not it drew blood, I'm unsure. I didn't see anything that was a noticeable wound. I did manage to get the cat back to my house, and set it down on the table on my front porch. At first, it was calm, allowing me to pet it, but then it bolted off of the table into the neighbors yard.

Since that, I have seen a cat that looked like it, but was unable to verify if that was it or not (this cat has a distinctive mark on its back). I went to the store and brought one of those canned chicken cat snack things, but it looked at me, and when I had tried to open the can, it had bolted to the side of the house it was near. It was then watching me, for a minute, then proceeded to walk away from me. Left the canned chicken out for a little bit, walked around the block, came back, and there was still chicken left and the cat was nowhere to be found.

The last physical contact I had with the cat was last week Friday, when I had picked it up and got it to my house.

Now, while I was looking up ways to catch this cat online, the possibillity of rabies exposure came up to me. For whatever reason, I didn't even think of this right away when I was originally handling the cat. Now, like I said, as far as I'm aware, the cat did not draw blood on me. However, there are a couple of concerning factors for me here. One factor is that the cat was biting my jacket. As I was getting ready to go back into my house, I did sneeze and brought my arm up to cover my nose/mouth area, right around where the cat was biting it. Realizing what I did, I spit immediately and wiped my lips with the inside of my shirt. The other worrisome factor for me is that the first night I had picked it up, I was observing it for a little bit. The cat did score a kill on a mouse, and I saw the cat drop the mouse shortly after. My third concern is that sometimes I get a nervous habit of chewing on my finger... and I don't know if any of the cats saliva on my finger would have gotten into my mouth or not, or if it would have been dried up at that point. Keep in mind, that last one is a hypothetical situation - I'm not sure whether or not I would have done that on my walk (again, it's a nervous habit).

At no point did this cat hiss at me, screech at me, or make any move to try and bite my face area. As such, I don't think that the bites against me were out of aggression, just rather a fear of not knowing where I was taking it out of its territory.

Given the situation, does anyone think here that I should be getting a rabies vaccination? Also, given the fact that this happened last Friday, what are my risks now for Tetanus and/or Cat Scratch Fever? Would those have onset by now? Also, given this cat's behavior, does this seem like a stray, a feral, or just someone's outdoor cat that they let roam at night for whatever reason?

I think it was sooner a momma, or such. and that is why it didnt wanted to leave, although very friendly with you.

If you want ot safeguard yourself, so do it, if it makes your calmer and easier of mind,  but if you werent bitten,  scratched and no visible traces several days later, it should be OK, no problems.

So a cat wouldn't be more defensive/aggreesive with young around? Not being sarcastic, I genuinely don't know. I'm not much of a cat person in all honesty, however I want to see about getting this one ID'd just because of its seemingly friendly and outgoing nature. The other thing is that we have a lot of foreign college kids around here that get these cats, and then at the end of the semester, set them loose outside... so I want to keep the feral population around here in check as much as I can - although that's a losing battle. lol

I think I saw the cat again this morning, closer to 3AM this time (as I was driving). Pulled over and got out, the cat kind of looked like it was half-sitting and looking at me, but didn't run or go towards me when I got to its level and started rubbing my fingers. Granted, I did this for only a few seconds as I didn't want to wake any neighbors/cause suspicions (my vehicle is a little on the louder side) - but I didn't want to take a chance and approach it and scare it off from me again. Hence, I'm not totally and completely sure if it was or wasn't, as I couldn't get a look at its back for that special mark. Would this cat have gone back to its territory after originally being taken maybe around a half mile away from it?

What's the best approach to get this cats trust again to where it runs up to me without any hesitation as it did before? Should I be buying a certain kind of cat food/snack? Just set it on the right of way in the can? I guess that one way of doing this is to attract the cat with food, and then pet it for a while when it's done eating (the site said during, but I'm not so sure that's a great idea doing that with a cat that doesn't completely trust you at the time, just as you wouldn't a dog) - do I just set the food down and walk around the block a few times until I see the cat eating it?

I'm not looking to trap the cat (yet), knowing that it may have kittens now. I want it to warm up again to me first before I try making any other moves on it.

Also, regarding the bites and scratches, there was no visible evidence that skin was broken. I also found out that last year and the year before, our state DEC did an airdrop of rabies vaccine treats in our area, so I'm not as worried about it right now. But, still want opinions if anyone cares to give them. They felt more of a playful nature and it felt like the cat was intentionally trying not to hurt me, rather just trying to get me to set it down so that it could run back to its territory. Which is understandable, knowing that there's a possibillity that kittens might be involved now.

Overall, it is a nice cat that I'm sure would be really easy to adopt (really don't think that it's a feral cat) - providing that it's not a runaway or an outdoor cat. Which, I think the first step before trying to trap it, is going to be determined by a paper collar.

If you were able to pick her up and carry her any distance, she is not feral.  She's likely someone's pet who is allowed to run loose at night or who escaped and is now on her own.

If she has kittens, you may be able to tell if her teats are extended.  I know, I know - this should be very easy to do at 2 am!

In any case, is there a way you can canvass the neighborhood - flyers or postcards on doors, asking about the cat.  If she's owned, it wouldn't hurt to find out.  If she's not, it will give you a clearer path as to what you will do next.

Thank you for taking the time to care for this cat.

I don't think rabies is an issue at all.  But it doesn't hurt to be aware.