Few days ago, we noticed a cat hanging out around our house and it kept meowing pitifully, so we fed it and offered water and a little card board box in case it wanted a place to rest. The first night we fed it, it kept trying to enter our house and after a while of blocking him off, he started to scratch and bite. We do not blame him as he is probably stressed and we suspect abandonment or he escaped. We do not know how to help the kitty apart from feeding it and offering a place for it outside our house. It keeps meowing and we feel really bad. We have put up a few posts on social media in hopes of finding its owner. Our plan is to let it get familiar with the pet carrier, that we have now left outside with food next to it, before bringing to a vet to check for a chip and also any illnesses.
We are unable to let it in as a few family members are afraid/wary of cats. We doubt it is a stray as the strays in the area are very well fed. This cat is friendly and approaches us for pets. We do not know why it keeps trying to enter the house - it isn't cold in our area and our family has owned the unit since it was built. We also have never seen any cats, especially because we live on a pretty high floor. I am worried if it was abandoned and is fending for itself now and the stray cats in the area seem territorial and fierce - we can hear them fighting in the wee hours, so we are afraid this cat will get in trouble :(
We also have no experience with cats so any advice is much appreciated, thank you!