Advice on helping a skittish stray cat before winter sets in

[DorsetTea]

Hello. There has been a very skittish stray in our neighbourhood for quite a while. Over the last few months I have managed to build up trust and feed him several times a day. He sleeps under the bush on our front and doesn’t wander far now. He has developed a bit of a cough and breathes quite heavily in the heat. He definitely doesn’t have an owner. I’m unsure what to do with winter round the corner. He needs better shelter and to see a vet but there is no way I could get close enough to him for that. I’m also happy to feed him but not sure I can afford vet bills. I called a charity today and explained all this but they said just buy a little shelter house and continue. Can anyone offer any advice? I just want to know I’ve done everything I can to help him.

If he is ill, you can take him to the PDSA which doesn't charge crazy vet's bills. i think you pay what you can afford. They are very good and kind.

If you made him a little shelter, you could put some old pillows or blankets or towels in it for insulation and to make a bed for the cat, And add dry food and fresh water daily. Ask on local FB or Freecycle for an old rabbit hutch to adapt.

Our ex-stray, now neutred, chipped, with collar and bell and cat flap magnet is currently curled up in his favourite (empty apart from him) wastepaper basket in DS1's bedroom and nudges me awake every morning with a mew, a purr and some good biscuit-making paws, for breakfast to be served. You may find by the end of winter, you have a cat.

Have you taken him to a vet to see if he has a microchip?

The best shelter to get is an igloo shaped insulated plastic one and fill it with straw @DorsetTea not blankets, towels or pillows as once they get wet they stay wet and will make him sick. Straw will dry out.

Place it somewhere sheltered and facing away from the wind and rain.

If you have a PDSA nearby ask the charity if they could loan you a trap to get him to the vet. Or come trap him if you feed him regularly in the same place so he can get veterinary care.

EtA link to similar style, completely waterproof so no leaky roof or corners
https://ebay.io/m/dATkLN

Thank you so much for your replies. I think getting one of those little houses would be a good idea as he is sleeping on the ground at the moment.

I think I might need to find out where I can borrow a trap from. He will now sit much nearer to me but I think if I tried to grab him I might break his trust. He got locked in our back garden the other day when my husband had left the gate open and the poor thing panicked so much he jumped over the wall and walked off limping.

There were two cats initially and they appeared a few years ago after some houses were built on farmland and the owners moved out. I did hear that they were left behind. One was taken in by a neighbour and this one disappeared until recently.

I think the next steps might be to borrow a trap and get him scanned then look at his health. Unfortunately our postcode doesn’t fall under any PDSA branches.

This is him/her.

He's a boy, broad head and face. Gorgeous boy 💕 Some vets will provide reduced fees for strays, hopefully one local to you will 🤞

Definitely use a trap, it's a few seconds of stress for a good reason. Cats Protection should be able to help with one. Trying to catch him yourself is more likely to cause more stress and injury to both yourself and him. Once he is trapped throw a towel over the trap to calm him.