How To Attract Stray Cat To Come Closer To You?

[saleri]

I've being seeing this stray cat wander around my apartment area for a while, and lately it seems like it's being limping. It doesn't have a chipped ear, and it runs away pretty quick at the sight of a person, so I think it may be a feral.

I'm going to try and put some food out and then as soon as possible get a trap and bring him/her to the vet.

The thing is how can I get him/her to come to my apartment area? I'm not sure if a cat can smell to this side of my apartment. What's the best smelly but good food I can use to attract these cats?

I thought at first to use tuna with oil, but then I read that it would cause the cats problems so its best to use regular cat food. Should I just use a wet fish cat food instead?

Anything else I can do to attract it?

 

[rubysmama]

Thanks for caring about this cat. I've seen others post that cats cannot resist KFC, so you could try that as a last resort. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

TCS has quite a few articles on feral cats. I'll link a couple specific ones, however, all the feral/stray cat articles are here: Ferals & Rescue | TheCatSite
A Feral Cat Or A Stray Cat? How To Tell The Difference
Everything You Need To Know About Tnr (trap-neuter-release)
Handling Feral Cats

 

[walli]

If you see the cat try and put some food where it is?
I don't think leaving food out is a good idea, you might attract quite a bit of critters.
you may have to hang out, and possibly lead it to where you are, It will probably watch
where you go. I've heard KFC works too but I wouldn't worry about the fishy food for trapping purposes.
That's how I trapped Walli, she don't like fishy food for some reason now

 

[catsknowme]

Bless you for caring about the cat! Cats have routes and stopping points just like the postman; i put out small amounts of kibble along possible points and trickle kibble in the direction to the next possibly point, eventually leading to the trapping site. In a week or two, you should have a feeding station established. Cats are crepuscular so they are active around dawn and sunset; birds and dogs off leash will raid the food especially if it is corn-based so dawn works well but only if it is warm enough for the cats to be out and about. Please keep us posted!

 

[saleri]

Bless you for caring about the cat! Cats have routes and stopping points just like the postman; i put out small amounts of kibble along possible points and trickle kibble in the direction to the next possibly point, eventually leading to the trapping site. In a week or two, you should have a feeding station established. Cats are crepuscular so they are active around dawn and sunset; birds and dogs off leash will raid the food especially if it is corn-based so dawn works well but only if it is warm enough for the cats to be out and about. Please keep us posted!

Problem is I don't think my landlord or other people that live hear would be too happy if I started leaving food out. Just wondering what the smelliest food that has a long range would be to attract the cats?

 

[saleri]

If you see the cat try and put some food where it is?
I don't think leaving food out is a good idea, you might attract quite a bit of critters.
you may have to hang out, and possibly lead it to where you are, It will probably watch
where you go. I've heard KFC works too but I wouldn't worry about the fishy food for trapping purposes.
That's how I trapped Walli, she don't like fishy food for some reason now

I have a few cameras that will keep tract of what comes and goes, so hopefully it won't. So any food suggestions that is super smelly?

 

[shadowsrescue]

Mackeral is super stinky. Yet lots of canned cat food is pretty stinky too. i just wouldn't leave it out over night as it will attract other unwanted animals.

 

[walli]

yeah they have fish in a can like sardines and mackerel like shadow said.
I mixed tuna in oil with sardines to trap Walli, It is super smelly so you will attract something.
you may not need that extreme if the cat is hungry tho, When I first had Walli in my yard
I was leaving her food out for a bit, I had every cat in the neighborhood over. I then would
take away her food right after she ate, she learned to eat it all right away.
If you can get the cat to see you with food, that will be all it will takes.
Keep some dry food and a paper bowl and some water with you whenever you are out maybe?
maybe you can get it to eat where he is a couple times and it will be looking for you.
I hope you get the kitty!

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Can you put wet food out and watch her from a window? I live in an apartment, too, and that is what I started doing, then I would bring the plate in when she was done.

I think any wet food she will smell from far away, but so will other cats, so the whole process needs to monitored from where you can watch her. Or leave it out for 10 minutes if you don't have a view of her.

I have been giving my feral friskies wet food and she loves it.