Befriending a stray cat

Last month, a stray cat appeared in my yard. I called to it to give a chicken bone but it kept a distance from me. It looked suspicious and starving at the same time. It came closer but afraid to take the chicken bone from my hand. So I put that chicken bone on the ground and then I left.

After that first meeting, the cat often reappeared in my yard. It might be because sometimes we gave it food. It started not being afraid and let me stroke its head. It even slept over on the desk near the entrance door of my house.

I asked my family if we wanted to take care of this cat. My family disagreed. There was a time when we didn't have any food for it. I was worried seeing it stay in the yard. So I told it, "there's no food here, you've got to search for food outside". Well, it did. I thought it understood my words.

I was thinking about contacting an animal shelter for it. But after a week, suddenly it came back with a collar on its neck. It also started spending less time in my yard and stopped sleeping on the desk. It didn't meow, asking for food anymore. I guessed it was already adopted by a neighbor.

I was glad for the cat. I told the cat to come play here sometimes while stroking its head. It seems the cat understood my words. It came occasionally and we played together. I remember it lay down on the floor then bit my hand while it did bunny kicks. I was happy with its presence.

It went on for a month. I thought the cat already had a good life but I was wrong. Last Wednesday, May 20, the cat appeared. It lay down on the floor in front of the door. I stroked its head but it looked lethargic. I realized the collar on its neck was gone. I couldn't stop thinking, "What does this mean??? Is it being dumped?!?" I didn't know what happened to it. After observing it, I suspected it was dumped because it was sick. I could smell a foul odor that might have come from its ears. There was also dirt around its ears. I tried to give it wet food tuna for kitten. It could only lick the food but it couldn't eat. When I gave it water, it drank a lot. It took me some time to find a remedy for the cat. I was planning to give it some ear drops on the next day but after it rested on the desk all night, it disappeared.

That day the cat didn't return. I was sad thinking about the possibility the cat might die. I cried when I thought it would be the last time I saw it. I could just stare at the medicine and wet food tuna I had bought for it.

Six days after that day, the cat appeared. It slept in front of the door of my house. It looked healthy and clean. It also wore a collar on its neck. I was glad to see it. It spent all day in my yard and it even spent a night on the desk. I wondered why it didn't go home.

On the next day, I gave it wet food tuna then I left. Hours after that, I noticed it left the yard. After an hour, it came back without a collar again. I was confused, "Is it being dumped again?"

After that day, the cat has lived in my yard. It is no longer wearing a collar. It spends most of its time in my yard. Sometimes I couldn't find it in my yard. But a few minutes after I went inside the house, I heard it meowing, calling in front of the door. I wondered how it knew I was looking for it.

I don't think I can raise the cat properly in my yard. Soon I'll need to find an adopter for it.