I'll call him "Blackie", for obvious reasons. Blackie won't go away, and I can't let Skeeter, LC, or Ayla out until he leaves.
You see, it chased Ayla very aggressively yesterday morning... I was out and saw the cat and chased it out of the yard (just clapping my hands at it as I approached). It went off over the fence. A few minutes later, I let Ayla out. Well, the cat was back in the yard already and it took off after Ayla.
She jumped the fence and so did Blackie. I could hear them running around and I called Ayla loudly. She got back on the fence and so did Blackie. He started chasing her along the fence top. The fence has posts sticking up, so they had to "run slowly". I caught up with them and shoved Blackie off the fence. He jumped right back up and chased Ayla again.
She got to a tree and started climbing. So did Blackie. I'm sorry, but I had to shove Blackie with a tree branch; 3 times before he jumped off and ran away. It took 10 minutes to talk Ayla down from the tree. She ran straight for the deck and inside as fast as I could open the door!
Blackie was at the door 5 minutes later. I opened the door a crack and spritzed water in his face. He ran off. 10 minutes later, he was back. I couldn’t believe it! I went out the basement door, turned on the garden hose and gave him a full shot! I’m sorry about that, but Blackie HAD to stay out of the yard. He only went as far as the fence, so he got another bath. He left.
For only 15 minutes. I was so amazed I just went outside through the basement door again, and he came right over to me (still wet) and rubbed against my legs. He talked to me real nicely too! I walked around the yard for 20 minutes and he stayed right by my side as friendly as can be.
I should mention that Blackie is a healthy, prime age, intact male with good fur and an untagged collar (that is not tight on him). I should also mention that Ayla is NOT in heat...
That night I put out my Have-a-Heart trap with a can of Fancy Feast as bait (I wanted to bring him somewhere to see if he had a microchip). I checked several times during the night, but he just sat there next to the deck door. This morning, I relented and offerred him the Fancy Feast for free. He wouldn’t eat it, and he followed me around the yard again. If I go outside, he stays right by my side. As friendly as he seems to be, he won’t let me pet him. I’m baffled!
He even followed me into the basement! I closed the door on him and let Ayla and LC outside for 2 hours. I tried giving him tuna and water, but he wouldn’t touch either (I tried dry food and even treats too). When Ayla and LC came back in, I let Blackie back out.
Skeeter and LC are too old and tired to chase him away, and Ayla is too young and small. I can’t seem to make him leave myself. I sure don’t want to hurt him, I don’t even want to use the hose again. I don’t want to call Animal Control either, because I’m positive he is someone’s pet.
He just sits at the deck door like Poe's raven...
Any suggestions?
UPDATE 9:15 PM EDT: He is still out on the deck, but thanks to you, I have some better ideas what to do! Keep the ideas coming!
UPDATE 10:00 PM EDT: Well, as Skeeter, LC, and Ayla were all in the bedroom, I closed the door and opened the deck door. Guess who came right inside? Blackie /Raven. I sat down and he came over to me. Obviously, this is a domesticated cat. He is nervous; when I reach toward him, he backs away, but keeps coming closer. When I touch him, he uses his teeth in that light grab they do. Sometimes he accepts a light scritch, sometimes not. Even when "not", he only backs away a foot or so and comes closer again.
I still can't get him to eat. Nothing seems to tempt him. Wet food, dry crunchies, treats, nada! Maybe he is just nervous, but it worries me. At the very least, he is going to spend this cold night in my relatively warm basement (with food, water and a litterbox). I don't know what will happen tomorrow...
Aha, I just got a head butt and a finger lick! And he is checking out the litterbox! This should be an interesting night. He will have to stay in the basement (can't keep Skketer, LC, and Ayla in the bedroom all night), but he really seems to like me.
This is strange. I've never been adopted by a stray kitty before...