Stray cat is scared to be touched or approached.

Hi,

Everyday for the last month and a half there has been a stray cat living in our yard, and we have been feeding it our cats food for a good while now to make sure it gets the food it needs, and due to that and constant interactions with him (and the fact that my cat loves him and plays with him outside), this cat has eventually gotten comfortable coming around us and hanging out with us outside (a month and a half ago, it'd run if it even saw you, or you went outside).

My family and I truly want to take this cat in, make sure it gets to the vet and is properly taken care of, but we can not seem to find a way to get this cat indoors.

While he will come up to us, within like 3-4 feet if we are standing still, or sitting, he will get scared and back off somewhere we can't get him if it looks like we are trying to pet him or walk towards him. I've been feeding him while I sit next to him, which has allowed me to attempt to pet him a few times, but every time I've touched him he has jumped back and reacts extremely skittishly.

The closest progress we're made to getting it inside, is we placed the food bowl in our porch (our porch is pretty much just a small room with a door, entrance into the house), and it has come inside like that, but we have had no luck attempting to shut the door behind him because he will run at any sign that we are trying to go towards him while he's eating, and he hasn't came in far enough for us to be able to sit behind the door or something to shut it behind him.

We really want to help this cat and take care of it, but I'm not really sure what to do at this point. I don't want to trap it, and I don't have the resources to in the first place, but it shouldn't be living outside especially if its not neutered.

Would really like some tips on how I can make this happen. He's so comfortable around us as long as we don't confront him, and specifically around me as long as I don't attempt to pet him.

submitted by /u/McNuggieAMR
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/bsbf1n/stray_cat_is_scared_to_be_touched_or_approached/