Advice House Cat Kicked Out of Home After Owner's Death. Now Feral. Doesn't allow for it to be tou

Hi sorry for the long winded title. But the title says it all.  A block or two from my house an old lady who owned this now feral passed away. The cat got kicked out by the family who DIDN'T EVEN LIVE THERE!!!

Anyway we been feeding it for a few months now.  We made a shelter for it to sleep in the the winter.  However we want to grab it and take it to the shelter.  

Under no circumstances does he want anything to do with that.  He comes and meows for his food but if we try to pet it he taps our hand to go away or just runs away. 

Not sure what my options are here. Winter is coming soon and I don't want the poor thing to suffer. 

Get a trap. The shelter may let you borrow one or can tell you who offers them for rent. It sounds like he's just nervous and will warm up to humans again once he's trapped.

simbathecat said:

 
Hi sorry for the long winded title. But the title says it all.  A block or two from my house an old lady who owned this now feral passed away. The cat got kicked out by the family who DIDN'T EVEN LIVE THERE!!!

Anyway we been feeding it for a few months now.  We made a shelter for it to sleep in the the winter.  However we want to grab it and take it to the shelter.  

Under no circumstances does he want anything to do with that.  He comes and meows for his food but if we try to pet it he taps our hand to go away or just runs away. 

Not sure what my options are here. Winter is coming soon and I don't want the poor thing to suffer. 

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I agree with @Willowy  - borrow a trap and catch him. He is not feral. he may have developed some feral like tendencies since he has been on his own but with time, patience and love, he will regain his trust in people and be himself again. 

Thank you for caring about him. He's very lucky to have a friend like you. 

Since he was once owned, it will be very easy to re-socialize him, and it won't take long for him to adjust to indoor life. You will have much more peace of mind and less stress going through the process of re-socializing him inside your home than you will worrying about him all winter long. Caring for an outdoor only cat is very difficult, one always worries about illness, injuries, and times when they disappear, and it's heartbreaking if you find them dead on a highway. Your outdoor kitty is likely very scared and confused, and if you take him into your home, he will quickly grow to love you for rescuing him. Do you have other cats inside the home? If you do, there are steps you can take to successfully transition him into your home. If not, then his transition will be very quick. Good luck, and it's great you're helping this poor little cat.