I think I've been adopted

Awww, that's sweet. When I was a kid, an orange tabby adopted me. I called it 'OJ'. Little did I know then what stigma that name would carry in the future. He was a stray, and I fed him on a regular basis for a couple of years before he died. He was an old cat.

This one doesn't look old. I wouldn't be surprised if it was an unwanted christmas present.

Heh, I have a similar thing going with an orange long-haired tabby. I know he belongs to the neighbor but he's there every afternoon laid out in my front yard when I come home from work. He used to run but now he runs up to me and starts purring like crazy when I pet him.

Wilso,

It looks like cat-carrier and Vet time to me. $$$$ Your decision of course.
An alternative is to set up out door housing and a feeding station. Then take a wait and see attitude.
Have you been able to determine the sex of your new friend, or look for a scar form spaying if it is female?
Best of luck with your new cat friend.

Sam

Wilso, you lucky devil. It lets you feed it; next thing you know, you'll be permitted to pet it.

Water is better for all but kittens, by the way, and be sure to have the tuna checked for mercury. Mine actually prefer kibble, anyway.

I put some water out, but it wouldn't touch it. I think I'll try the outdoor housing.

if you do decide to take the cat in you should have it checked for diseases and mange. if it has been out side eating dead animals it could have worms... definetly have a vet look at it.

If you can pet it, you may be able to brush it. I had a cat adopt me that was entirely skittish, much more so than this one you describe. Eventually I was able to follow head pats with head scratching and then with brushing, which he turned out to love.

I think you are very lucky that this cat decided to choose you, most cats are very picky about who they like.

I've been adopted by cats several times and never had any bad experiences.

You have a good heart Wilso :-D

Well done, Wilso...

Join the group of those managed by cats!

Oh, by the way Wilso, I also agree with Roger in giving the cat water instead of milk. Milk can actually cause problems for the cat and if it's thirsty, it'll drink the water ;-)

Will you give it a name or have you already?

Now, what's a cat going to do with a name. First thing you know, they have a credit card, an internet account, and a shipping address.

Mine have names, of course, but they are different that the rest of the cats out there.

LOL Roger! Good point. Next thing we'll know, Wilso will be thrown out on the streets by the very cat that adopted him.

You can never be too careful ;-)

~ Wilso ~ it happened because you have a good heart and all animals can sense this about a person! Your right on the nose ~ you've definitely been adopted. I have fed neighborhood cats before, they visit then go on there merry way. But your new friend likes you. She's curious about you and receptive to you. In my book, Wilso, that says an awful lot about you!
~ If you decide to make kitty a part of your family, here are some tips I thought might help you.
~ It's important to get your new friend to the vet for an examination and tests for disease. You should find out the general health of your new friend, and whether she's been neutered/spayed. The vet can also give you approximate age. It's very important to get those all important shots (vaccinations) for kitty whether or not she is going to be and indoor/outdoor cat.
~ Generally, the vet can groom kitty as well, get her nails clipped, give a bath, flea dip and clean her ears. Even if your new friend is a male, please consider getting him neutered/spayed if this hasn't already been done. It is a real problem (unwanted cats) and there are low cost neutering/spay clinics available.
~ Most of all, enjoy your new friend. One of my kitty's, Angie, adopted me as well ~ when she was about 2 years old. She's approximately 15 years old now and a very precious soul indeed! Best of Luck to you and the new furball in your life, he/she is very fortunate to have found you.

~ One more thing Wilso ~ please come join us in "The Cat Room" and tell us all the adventures you and your new kitty share. You'll find all the "critters" in our lives are quite a fun loving bunch!

a few years ago, there were 3 semi-wild cats living under the house i was living in. they killed pidgeons and mice to eat and wouldn't let me near them. when the weather started to get cold, i couldn't take it anymore, and started buying canned cat food for them. the same thing happend as you have said, wilso, they would suddenly appeared when i came home, waiting for feed time. iwas supplying those little piglets with 6 cans of food a day. i mean, i would go to the market and enjoy perusing the flavor options for them.

then i noticed they were coughing. it was too much...so i enlisted a friend and we managed to catch two of them and take them to a shelter. only one managed not to get caught. so i took him in, he was a handsome guy, a tabby, semi-wild, but he trusted me. then i took him to the vet... eesh, $500 dollars later for anti-biotics for his bronchitis, leukemia test, shots, etc.

after owning him for a few months, he got pudgy, and was gorgeous, but he would not come out to meet anyone who came to visit me. i knew he was kind of lonely, i'd be at work all day and i'd come home and i was his world. i knew he missed his other two friends.

so i put an ad in the paper for someone to adopt him. i got a lot of calls, from a lot of weirdos and was not going to release him to their care. finally, i got a call from a shelter that adopts cats to place in good homes. the woman was great, she picked him up and she called me when they found a home for him-- a family with a 6 year old boy who always wanted a cat. this shelter screened all the applicants.

she told me that the first night he was in his new home, he made a beeline for the boys bedroom to sleep with him. what a relief.

i consider this to be one of the more productive things i've ever done. everyone won something.

oh, and i named him mr. chippy, the name was taken from the shackelton (sp?) voyage to the arctic. they had a female tabby on the ship and her name was mrs. chippy. he looked just like her...

What a nice story, Gala! I love the happy ending.

My favorite cat pet of them all was dumped by some jerk in front of my house. She was a beautiful, gentle calico and the kids named her Samantha. Always with the quiet "meaow" each time she saw me, we kept her for many years before finall she died.