Stray?

[Medusa]

For the past 4 months now I've been seeing a cat hanging around the parking lot of the high rise where I live.He's always wanting food but isn't skinny,fights
with the other cats who are strays,a little dirty and very friendly.

There are a few people people at my high rise who feeds them and when the this cat is done eating he tries to get the other cats food.Over the weekend,I
decided to take this cat upstairs.I'm taking him to vet this week.

My question is,how do I know if he's a stray or not?He's friendly,not skinny but always wanting food,a little dirty,might have ear mites,the pads on his feet have blisters & almost torn,shows no interest in going outside,I've noticed he doesn't use the litter box that much but doesn't pee all over the condo and he sometimes cries because he needs to pee but sometimes can't.

In help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

If he needs to pee and can't, as you say, even though there's a litter box available to him, he needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. He could have a blockage. While there, they can check for a microchip and that can tell you whether or not he's a stray. If he has ear mites and his paw pads are blistered, chances are he's a runaway or a throwaway but if he has a microchip, he may have just darted for the door and escaped. Check around town and see if there are fliers about a missing cat. Good luck at the vet's and please keep us updated. Thank you so much for caring enough to take him in. Many people wouldn't.

Btw, if you have any cats of your own, keep this one isolated from them until he's tested. You wouldn't want him passing any diseases on to your cats.