A Crossbow works great.  Just "skewer" a small rodent/lizard onto the tip of your bolt and wait for
the stray to approach.  It takes some practice, but, with some patience, you can lodge that meal
right into the stomach of your stray cat.

Glad to be of Help!

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And remember!  Vote for CADMAN for alt.pets.cats President 2006!!!!

Hi Ajanta,

The behaviour of strays so difficult to predict -- largely because
behind every kitty, you have a whole host of experiences that shape its
behavior (not including disease and other medical ailments).  In my
opinion, I think you handled it well -- you have to really back off,
just like you did -- there are no guarantees -- just the knowledge that
you did the best you could with what you had.

Regards,

Stan Beck
http://kitten-pictures.blogspot.com - For unbelievably cute Kitten
Pictures

In much the same way you do, Ajanta, though my methodology is slightly more
"involved", as the saying goes.

You know that old saying "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make
it drunk"? That's my philosophy with stray cats. If you can't tempt them in
their own territory, then you've got to attract them to your own. So what
*I* do is leave trails of food and tidbits which lead to what I
euphemistically refer to as a "killing zone", though I can assure you I
don't, in fact, kill them. Well, perhaps later, but you know what I mean.

On entering the "killing zone", the cats can be trapped by a variety of
methods. I've used suspended nets dropping from above; baited (barbless, for
easy extraction) hooks; deep holes lightly covered with camouflaged
material; "lobster-pot"-box systems (they get in, not out); and, of course,
the good, old-fashioned way of hiding and hooking them with a noose tied to
the end of a long pole.

Once caught, they can be "pacified" by any number of means - beating;
drugging; pepper-spraying . . . . I've even got a special, low-yield taser
for large, violent tom-cats.

I, personally, use the strays in my capacity as an organiser of underground
"cat&dog-fighting" shows, but the possibilities are limitless . . . .
medical research; drug-testing; target practice; skins; (they usually have
to be fed, though). You just have to use your imagination. Good luck.

Hi Ajanta,

You just do your best. He/she may come out and eat it when it's quieter.

It's easier if the cat is near your home and it can get used to you --
even if it doesn't come close enough to be petted. Feeding a cat in
another area where you never know if it will be there or not, is tough.

People who feed groups of ferals use a signal -- like ringing a bell or
honking a horn when they bring food. Eventually the cats learn that food
has arrived.

Hope your the cat found the food you left. It probably hangs out in the
back of the store quite a bit to go through the garbage.

Rhonda