Cat behaviorist Johnson said that strangers really do affect outdoor cats by interacting with them. The effect depends on the person in question and what they do. "They could be made fearful if passers-by do not treat them kindly but could be also made more friendly and outgoing if they have a lot of nice experience and are rewarded with food and affection."

One thing that a lot of folks don't think about when feeding cats in the 'wild' is that they might have very specific diets that are meant to treat medical conditions. "Well, who knows what they are eating outside on the neighbors' porch? A Good Samaritan could be putting food out for stray cats that falls short of the special characteristics of the prescription diet the cat needs," Johnson warned.

According to the cat behaviorist, how people react to friendly notes that owners leave behind about cats really depends all on the individual in question. "Quite sadly, many people still see cats as pests, so attempts to run them off of their property may persist despite being asked to be nice to the cat," Johnson highlighted that not everything is as friendly and perfect as we'd like in the real world.

"Another factor that people do not think about is that the roaming outside cats can negatively affect the lives of indoor-only cats and really wreak havoc. Oftentimes, when cats are indoors and they see cats coming up to their home and hanging around their doors and windows, they feel very threatened," the expert said.

"This can result in urine marking in the home especially around doors and windows and fighting with other housemates called redirected aggression. Redirected aggression is one of the most common behavior problems I help my clients within my consulting practice. It is a very challenging problem to resolve because we often cannot get neighbors to keep their cats inside, so the offending trigger is always there. It can be quite a debacle and creating a war between neighbors."

"This is a good time to emphasize that cats should be housed safely indoors with loads of amazing environmental enrichment to meet their lifestyle needs. I am a big fan of cats having outdoor access, I just ask that it is supervised for safety, their safety, and for the welfare of other cats as mentioned above. Train your cat to use a leash and harness, yes, you can do this! If possible provide a 'catified' screen porch, build a catio, or take your cat for a walk in a cat stroller!" she gave examples of how you can enrich your pets' lives.

"I truly practice what I preach! Even if you live in an apartment you can open windows, place bird feeders, and bird bathes outside of windows etc. I'm also a big fan of bringing the outdoors in! Grow cat grass, bring in dried leaves, snow, branches, pine cones, allow them to experience the seasons and the sights and scents of the outdoors in a positive way." Johnson said that anyone wishing to check out fun enrichment examples can find them on the Fundamentally Feline Instagram page; meanwhile, a fun seasonal offering can be found right here.

While we absolutely adore cats, there are some things you should keep in mind. First of all, we’re in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, so petting strange cats (or any pets) could spread the novel coronavirus just like any surface would. Even if we really, really want to hug them and tell them how gorgeous they are, we need to take social distancing very seriously. The CDC explains that we should treat our pets like our family members: they shouldn’t interact with others from outside our household.

Our suggestion? Rescue a cat from your local animal shelter to keep you company and brighten up your life or opt for petting cattos through your screen. Like in our wholesome cat list right here. Go on, you know you can’t resist.

The second thing that we should be aware of is how strange cats (and, by extension, all pets) feel about us. They might be gorgeous, but some of them will undoubtedly be wary of you. Or just plain cranky. So approach carefully. Stretch out your hand for the cat to sniff. Take it slow. If the cat bites you—it’s time to move on and rethink your life.

Finally, consider that you’re not the only person who wants to get the cat’s attention. So it’s vital to think about what’s in the best interests of both the pet and its owner. If you’re bringing the pet scraps to eat, you’re likely wrecking its diet. If in doubt, talk to the owner. Or heed their notes to the letter!