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For the past several mornings, you noticed a strange cat hanging around outside your back door when you first went downstairs to make coffee. The first day you noticed it, the cat bolted as soon as it heard the sudden, high-pitched noise of the coffee grinder. That was a week ago. Now, the cat doesn't blink at the noise from the coffee grinder and doesn't even run very far when you go outside. Each day, it appears slightly more disheveled, dirtier, and thinner than it did the previous day. You begin to feel sorry for it and notice a slight change in its behavior towards you. Cautious curiosity appears to be replacing raw fear.

One night, you take pity and put out an open can of tuna and bowl of fresh water before you go to bed. The next morning, the cat only moves away slowly when you go outside. Its tail and ears appear to be standing at attention as it watches you walk to the car, and you could swear it blinks at you just like Hello Kitty. Congratulations! You have just been adopted by a stray cat. Here's what to do (assuming you want to share your life with a cat for the next decade or two and are prepared for the responsibility):

* make sure no one in the area has lost a cat; it could be a lost indoor cat who accidentally go out, panicked, and ended up in your yard (you should try to do this before you feed it)

* allow the cat to approach you to initiate any physical contact; take it very gradually

* once the cat is comfortable with you (can take days or weeks), take it to the vet with a stool sample for vaccinations and worm tests; isolate it from other animals in your household until then

If you do not want the cat, here's what to do:

* run outside and bang pots and pans whenever you see it on your property

* do not feed it or give it water

* inspect your property and make sure that you are not inadvertently providing food or water (garbage cans with loose lids, etc)

If these steps do not work, contact a no-kill shelter in your area. Understand that contacting your local animal control agency could result in the cat being euthanized even if it is adoptable.

Learn more about this author, Scott Lewis.
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