Why does this happen every year at this time?

[Medusa]

It kinds of sounds like a feral cat. I don't know but, do you think a tame
cat, if it were cold & hungry, would run from a human that offered food? They
are super smart & probably would have "connected" the food outside with
the human nearby.

Mary, are you leaving wet food or dry food? The frigid weather has sure
changed the schedule of my three front porch cats. Only the young Tuxie
boy next door is the only one to show up for food for the last three days.

I leave both dry & wet food out & the wet food freezes up hard as a rock.

Yes, I leave both wet and dry as well. I bring the wet in and nuke it if I see it hasn't been touched but it doesn't seem to make a difference so I'm going to put out only dry and see if that works but it doesn't have a strong smell so it probably won't attract him/her. If it's feral, I would think it would keep coming back to the shelter but it only comes occasionally. Same scenario as last year: my patio furniture is bundled and tarped and I saw cat trax going underneath. I don't get that. It's cold cement and yet there's a warm shelter w/blankets inside and it's covered w/a heavy tarp and it has a wind barrier but s/he only goes in there occasionally.

[Medusa]

Rats! I have the worst timing! I was just about to put out fresh food and s/he spotted me and took off. I hope s/he'll come back and eat and not let the food freeze. I got a better look this time. It's a dark gray, I think tiger cat and tiny. Not a kitten but young. Poor thing.