Cat/Kitten Meowing in the Bushes

[XRay]

When I was filling up gas in my car, I heard meowing from the bushes. The gas station worker and I went to investigate, and I think he saw the cat, but I did not. I bought a can of food for the kitty and left it there. I plan to go back tomorrow around noon to do a check up and see if the cat ate my food. I am think it is a kitten since the pitch of the meow was kind of high, but I am not too sure.

Should I be more proactive in trying to capture the kitten? Or is it better to let it be and have it wait for the mama kitty? I chose the latter option, but I kind of want to go through the bushes to try to catch it since the nights can be pretty cold for small critters. I hope the canned cat food is eaten when I check up on it tomorrow.

[Etria]

It would be better to get more information first. If you're in that area often, you could try feeding regularly and since you say it's getting cold, maybe build a small shelter. That would also raise the odds to catch a glimpse of the cat in the shelter. A box with some rain protection (like a plastic plane or big plastic bag) and some old blankets for warmth should be enough and hopefully cheap.

I'm not an expert tho, so do try to get some more input. I believe some rescues also give out information about how to deal with something like that.

Edited November 10, 2019 by Sweet Summer Tana
some rephrasing and adding a sentence

[Ertrick36]

Ask vets what the right call would be.

Stray cats could be unvaccinated and carry diseases or flees, so I'd recommend against trying to touch it.  If you want to catch it and bring it to some kind of shelter, try to get it to enter a box or kennel that you can carry.  Then I'd say go to the vet and have it checked on.

There is a chance it's someone else's cat.  If the vet doesn't show that it's chipped and it doesn't have a collar to tell you where it came from, see if you can't find people looking for a lost cat.  Probably post about it on social media, showing a pic of the cat, so that people can spread the word and it can find a home.

But again, the first thing I'd do is try to get consultation from a veterinarian on the matter because you never really know with stray animals.  I'm just shooting in the dark right now.

[EricaofRenais]

I live in an area where people dump their unwanted dogs and cats (i have seen it happen more then once).  My cat showed up as a half grown kitten and was starving, so she decided to just try walking up to me in hopes of food, all my dogs are strays as well.  I have had her two years now.  Anyway I have fed several stray cats, but cats tend to be less likely to trust people so getting it so you can even see this kitty may take a couple of weeks.  Leave food at a set time and wait close by after leaving the food in hopes of seeing it, but it will take a long time to get the cat to trust you.  Dogs for me take a couple of days.  The cat I was feeding before my cat showed up took two months before he would eat in front of me and even then I couldn't get very close the whole time I was giving it food.  You may have better luck since you think it is a kitten, but like I said it will take some time.

Edited November 10, 2019 by EricaofRenais

[Dragoncat]

Poor baby.