Asking for advice here on how to reencounter a particular stray.
Our building complex has a large parking area with garages for each unit. There are a number of curbside plants and it is not uncommon to spot stray cats here. They also like the area around the dumpsters and I’ve seen a mother cat shelter with her kittens underneath a van.
A few days ago SO and I were heading out to a doctor appointment when I spotted a kitty happily rubbing its face against a nearby plant, occasionally taking a nibble out of the leaves. While SO was pulling the car out I walked over, crouched and called to the cat. It turned to look at me, trotted over while mewing adorably, and leaned into my hand when I reached out. I was instantly smitten.
The cat was quite dirty, skinny, and had no collar so I assume it’s one of the strays; the friendliness indicates comfort with humans, but that could be from other residents giving handouts and pets, not necessarily an owner. When SO called out that we had to get going, I stood to signal to him to wait a moment. With the cessation of petting, cat stood on hind legs and pawed my leg, mewing for more. When I made a move towards the car it followed on my heels. SO insisted we were not having a strange cat loose in the car when we had an appointment to get to. He said we could try to find the cat again later, assuming it was one of the parking lot “regulars”.
I am kicking myself for not insisting we take the cat home. Been scouting the lot ever since without any sightings. SO says if we find it we can post a picture on the neighborhood social media group and have a vet scan for a chip. If there are no claims, it can be our cat. But I need to find it again first!
I am not an intuitive person. I analyze everything to death. But I feel like this cat is special; like we had a spark, a connection at that first encounter. All I want to do is love and care for this kitty for the rest of its life. I’ve never fallen in love with a cat so fast.
The parking area covers a lot of grounds, serving many buildings, and there a numerous twists and turns. Lots of places a cat could potentially be.
I thought of leaving a plate of treats regularly in a specific spot in hopes cats will learn it’s a good spot to check out. Then I could pop out to the spot a few times a day and hope to get lucky. But it doesn’t seem like the odds would be too great. I could start working outside, staking out. Wander the lot at times the cats are more likely to be out (would that be early morning and twilight?)
Or is finding the same cat again just a pie in the sky fantasy?
Anyone have experience wrangling strays?
