How to catch an injured stray?

I've been feeding a stray / feral cat for several months. She now eats treats when I'm holding the little paper plate and lets me pet her and rubs against my legs.

She didn't come around for several days and I was worried about her. Tonight she showed up in the middle of the night and is injured. Something's wrong with her right front paw and she can barely get around. She ate some treats from me and let me pet her but also bit me twice which she's never done before.

Is there any immediate way to catch her so she can be treated? Right now she's at the far side of my tiny yard and if I go toward her she goes away so I went back in the house and am watching to see if I see her.

Any suggestions?

Poor little thing....

I think she probably bit you because she was in pain. I am not sure how to make an immediate catch but I would definately make her a shelter by my door and keep her food by it.

I wish you luck. You sould very worried about her.

I am really worried about her. She has a shelter and food always by my door.

She's left now and I don't usually see her during the day so maybe I'll see her again tonight. I wondered if I could throw a big towel over her. I think I've seen my vet's office do that.

If she lets you pet her then you could pick her up when your petting her. Do you have any leather gloves that you could put on that she can't bite through? If you do just pick her up have on something thick with long sleeves also so she can't bite your arm .Have your cat carrier handy and pop her in it quickly. Good Luck I hope your able to catch her.

She didn't hardly let me pet her last night - just barely and that was before I saw that she was injured. After that she wouldn't come to close.

Try putting some food in a carrier all the way towards the back. Cover the carrier with towels so she can't see out the holes. Put the carrier in an area that once she goes in to eat you can quietly sneak up and close the door. If this doesn't work maybe you could get a humane trap and get her that way. Where in AZ are you located? We're in Glendale.

Hi Houseofcats, since the kitty was injured I'm finding I really can't get too close to her. I tried to catch her tonight and was soooo close. I almost had her but she is really fast and agile in spite of her injury. Now she is even more scared. Terrified describes it, I think.

I think you're right and a humane trap may be the only way. I have a friend who offered to help me set the trap and catch her. It's a bit complicated tho. I've been feeding about 4 cats on my back patio. I live in town and leave the patio light on all ngiht and leave the food and water out all the time. It is really likely I would catch the wrong cat since kitty comes in the middle of the night now that she's been injured.

I am in the western part of the state about 3 hrs from you.

I think a humane trap should help - its sounds like the injurt is not life thretaneing at the moment but could be if it becomes infected and how can I say that without seeing it (I must've eaten my not very bright wheaties this am). Good luck!