Thread: Stray cat won't leave, how do I help it move along?

Was outside smoking and a stray cat starts meowing behind me. It sees me and comes up to my deck. I pet it for a while though it never stops meowing. I try to go inside my house and it takes the chance to sneak in. I put it back outside (with a can of tuna) hoping it would just eat and go away. What is weird, the cat is not interested in the food at all. It just sits there at my door meowing. I've gone back out since to smoke another cig and it continued to rub against me and (when I ignored it) jumped onto my railing in order to get my attention. I really do feel bad for the cat, however; I can't bring it inside and all of the shelters around here are closed for the night (no night drop either). Is there anything I can do to get it to just leave? I have to be up in 6 hours for college and it's incessant meowing is preventing me from getting sleep.

If you have the money, why not keep the cat? It obviously is friendly, and you could get it a collar and ID, and keep it as an indoor/outdoor cat. Putting food outside is just going to keep it there longer, but it was a nice thing to do. If you absolutely cannot keep the cat, tomorrow drop it off at a shelter.

Anyways, put out some food, water, give it a few pats, and go to sleep. Just ignore it. Eventually he'll stop.