What You Need to Know About Adopting a Stray Cat

5 lessons I learned when adopting a stray amid a global pandemic

My senior citizen Rascal, watching over me while I write this article. Photos: Lazarina Stoy

It was a sunny afternoon in April and my mother and I were having a walk when suddenly, while crossing the street, I saw a white cat in the distance, and he was running towards us… towards me. It stopped by my side and started meowing, attempting to climb my foot. I immediately kneeled and stroked it, and it instantly started purring — it was like love at first sight!

Within a few seconds, I noticed that he was male, no more than a year old, and badly hurt. His eyes were injured and had some trouble breathing properly. He was overall in really bad physical shape. He was also very skinny and dirty.

In my mind, he was not going to survive long on the streets.

Difference between a feral and a stray cat. Image: Alley Cat Allies

I regularly feed the stray cats near home, but I have never been able to pet any of them — regardless of their age or size. Outdoor-born cats are typically feral. According to Alley Cat Allies:

A feral cat is a cat who has either never had any contact with humans or her contact with humans has diminished over time, making her fearful…