How do I attract a stray cat?

[piccolino]

We have been looking after a stray cat for about eight months. He used to keep his distance while we put his food down until after a certain amount of time he was eating on the doorstep in the kitchen. We searched for an owner unsuccessfully. He was riddled with fleas and had infected flea bites due to a flea allergy. He was not microchipped so we had him neutered and intend adopting him. He let us stroke him, played with a piece of string, and used the litter tray. However we set him free after he seemed desperate for his freedom but even then he did not rush out.
We have two other cats, a young male (2yrs) and a female (13yrs) both neutered who accept him as just an interesting adition.
He now returns for his food regularly and then disappears. We have found his hideout, a piece of lattice fence covered by dead leaves, not far from our house.
Now that it is really cold, we are desperate for him to stay indoors. He seems to be a fairly young cat for although he has a few white hairs (possibly due to his hard lifestyle) his teeth are those of a young cat.
Please could you advise me on how to attract him to stay with us as I am really anxious for his well being.
I thank you for your time,
Fiona Bauthier (miss)

[danchip]

i dont think you can do anything to get this cat to move in, he's obviously happier livig outside than in the house and if he gets cold he'll just find somewhere warmer to stay

[karenmac60]

My ex MIL sort of adopted a stray, but as she already had 2 cats in the house the stray wouldn't come in. Se ended up getting a cat flap put in the shed and making a cosy area in the corner with one of those very low voltage electric heaters on an extension and the wee stray lived there quite happily for a few years till she passed away. She never went in the house at all but would happily come and greet any visitors and have her dinner on the back steps (weather permitting). I think all you can do is provide the cat with a warmish, dry place to sleep if it chooses.

[madmaggot]

You don't own a cat ................. they choose who they live with!
Despite all that you have done he obviously prefers to live outdoors so just continue to make food available to him if you want to and perhaps, in time, he might decide to move in. Although as you already have cats he probably won't.

[jules77]

I found myself in a similar situation some 20 odd years ago, and we left the garage door open with a cardboard box and blankets and some food. When the colder weather came we generally found him in the bed asleep, we then started leaving a downstairs window open, and he did eventually find his way into the house.

We knew the owner of the cat, who said he had run away after the introduction of a puppy, the very same breed we had as it happened, but the cat was in such a sad state, I think he was grateful for the attention. Cost us a fortune at the vets too.

[Dee Sa]

when we got a second dog that wsnt used to cats, our cat wouldnt come home and we were really scared she would leave us, so we bought a small size kennel, put it 6ft off the ground in the garden near to the back window of the house,with a waterproof tarpaulin above and a cat ladder, made it cosy and put catnip inside.
t was her sanctuary, after about three months and she got used to seeing the 2nd dog in the garden and they made friends she came home again, we still got the "sanctuary" in the garden, didnt have the heart to remove it, she uses it to get out of the rain sometimes.Maybe your stray needs something similar or as suggested a cat flap in the shed but not big enough for a fox to get in also.
How about moving his food a liitle tiny way into the house bit at a time ? he has probably never been inside a house before.Good luck nice to know that people still care.