<p>Calling Animal Care & Control is a bad thing. AC&C euthanizes thousands, if not millions of cats and dogs each year, particularly strays and those with FIV/FELV. Calling a local no-kill shelter is a much better idea, or even better, go visit them at their location. They probably, like most not for profit organizations, don’t have the manpower to send someone to trap it, but can give you advice on how to do it with minimal interaction between you and the cat. And there’s always volunteer rescuers that they can put you in touch with who do this sort of thing on a regular basis.</p>
<p>If the cat used to be, as you suspect, a house pet, the no-kill shelter will probably be willing to take it and will most likely be able to place it. However, this time of year is kitten season, so they might be overwhelmed. This is another thing: If the cat is a) Female, and b) Pregnant, you’ll have a litter of little ones on your porch in no time at all. And, from what you’ve said, it seems like the kitty may be looking for a place to have a litter.</p>
<p>As for the cat being healthy/not healthy: Most things the cat has you CANNOT get. Things like FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) and FELV (Feline Leukemia, which is a virus for cats) are not transmittable to humans. Cats with FIV can live long and healthy lives, so there is no reason for them to be euthanized like Animal Care and Control does. Cats with FELV typically have shorter life expectancies, but can live for long periods of time as well. Again, neither is transmittable to people, but both are transmittable to other cats, with FELV being the more contagious of the two (it can be passed on through spit and the like, whereas direct blood contact is required for FIV transmission). Other common feline conditions, like herpes and upper respiratory infections are also not transmittable to people, but can be very serious for cats. These, however, can be cured by a visit to the vet, or sometimes even by the animal shelter volunteers. Another common ailement amongst shelter cats and outdoor cats is ringworm, which is contagious to humans, but is no more dangerous than athletes foot. In fact, its the same exact bacteria. You can put skin ointments and antibiotics on it if you get it, and it will go away within a week. You can also leave it alone, and it will also go away within a week. No biggy, and people who don’t have eczema and stuff like that find it pretty hard to catch. On cats, it should be treated because it spreads more easily on them, but again, just a bit of silver can cure it easily. Also, cat bites are more dangerous than scratches because tooth enamel can come off and get stuck and cause an infection. So approach with care, try to touch it. If it doesn’t want to be touched, it will swat at you, so you might want to step back. If you don’t, then just buy a pair of heavy duty gloves from home depot or the like, the leather kind, and try to grab the cat with those.</p>
<p>Again: Try to avoid Animal care and control at all costs, and go for a no-kill shelter.</p>