Stray cat! Pet food?

For food, just any cat food you can afford realy. The organic stuf fis better for the cat, but it doesnt make much of a diffrence.

For water, Just put a bowl of fresh water and rinse it daily. he/she'll drink it eventually. She might have not been thirsty, but she will be soon!

Everything has germs kiddo, cats dont have any more germs than people do :]

the cat isnt scratching her ear, shes marking her teritory. they have sent glands in their cheeks, and tail, so when the rub against you their marking you (or it) and saying they love you! :D

If the cat is scratching alot, then she might have fleas. and if you look at her belly, you'll be able to see fleas easier. Their just little black bugs .

Im guessing shes just a mut cat. For bedding, you can get a rubbermaid container and set it on its side with an old sheet. She'll love it, i garentee :]

And what i do, everytime i find a stray cat, i get him/her fixed. Its always good to have less stray kittys on the streets, and fixing them just helps that process along.

Just ask the other people you're liveing with if they'd mind another cat around. Im sure if she's gotten use to you in 2 days, she's good with people.

I suggest you take it to a vet for an examination, because she (?) might be pregnant. It's possible your cat was dumped off by some uncaring people. It sounds like an orange tabby cat. If your vet says s/he has fleas, you're going to have to use a product like Frontline or Advantage. The drops work better than the flea collars. S/he could have ear mites. Don't worry about the water. Just leave a bowl out so some is available. Probably s/he is getting enough moisture from the food you are feeding her. You can buy a small cat bed for less than $20, or for now, just made a bed for her out of some soft old towels (easy to keep clean).

Your cat doesn't necessarily have any more germs than every animal and humans have. Only your vet can tell you if she is sick, but I suggest you take her to get tested for FIV/FLV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukemia Virus). Also, there is a nasty virus called FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) which can cause cancer later on, that some cats can get from living in the wild. For her safety, get her checked out. Once you have established a real home for her, then I suggest you check back here for food recommendations. It sounds like you are doing fine so far with the fish you are feeding her. Poor baby. I hope all will be fine and that the other family will agree to have your cat in the house part of the time.

Sounds like the cat has adopted you. I would continue to care for it, and if it lets you, take it to the vet. If it is healthy, then you can bring it inside. If it's ears are itchy, being an outdoor cat, it probably has ear mites. A vet can give you drops to put in the ears to clear up the infection. Any cat food would be good for it. Brand doesn't matter as long as it likes eating what you serve. It may be drinking the water and you do not see it drinking, or it may be getting water from somewhere else. Cats do need water. Just keep a clean water bowl out for it. Good luck!

It depends how much u can afford to feed the cat. Visit your local petsmart or petco, buy the best you can afford. petsmart is starting to carry some organic cat foods, they are the best. The cat will need a vet appointment, needs to be spayed or neutered and checked for diseases (feline AIDS, etc.) Cats often like their heads and ear area scratched, it may just be rubbing or maybe mites. The only way to really know is during your vet appointment.

i dont know about the other stuff, but about the drinking: you should check if (s)he is dehydrated. to do this, try to pull up on the skin on the back and let go. if the skin doesnt immediately fall back down, then the cat is probably dehydrated. you can use this same method on the back of your hand. if you compare to your hand you should be able to compare pretty well. if (s)he isnt dehydrated then i wouldnt worry about the drinking water thing. its probably drinking water from puddles or streams or something nearby.

If you cant get close enough to the cat to test its skin for hydration, i would just leave some water out constantly so that if it does decide that it wants water, there is some available.

I understand that you want the kitten, but you have other animals and people already in the house. I am afraid that you need to take the stray to the your vet or to the shelter to make sure that it will be safe to bring into your home without bringing a disease into the house or making the other people sick. Good luck