Originally Posted by newB

First, you have to learn how to tell a story. Take your time, collect your thoughts about everything you want to say, then tell it in the order the events occurred. Seriously.

Second, I can see both sides to feeding the strays, having had neighbors that took to feeding strays but that is where their level of care stopped. The strays now had a 'home' but never got shots nor fixed. Since the neighbors also had a dog, invariably I had litters of kittens taking up residence on my porch. Many places have an 'Operation Catnip' where volunteer vets will spay/neuter strays for a nominal charge, as well as notch one of their ears to let animal control officers know that the cat has been 'fixed' so no need to needlessly euthanize. Also, the SPCA will usually loan you a live trap for catching the strays for this purpose.

Third, if your cat is still young you can train it to be an indoor cat. Indoor cats tend to live longer, plus you need not worry about them getting seriously injured by fighting (isn't that what happened to your first cat?). If you allow your cat to run free, then later try to keep it inside when it wants to go out, it will be much harder to break the habit. Likewise, walking a cat on a leash is just a matter of getting them accustomed to that's how their outdoor forays have to be. Cats are generally very smart and easily trained, but the sooner you start the better.

Incidentally, I have three cats - one goes in and out as she pleases. We live in the country and a portion of the lot is wooded, so she seldom strays from the property. The other two are indoor cats. While one will occasionally get out if the door is standing wide open, he usually just likes to stick his head out. The other shows no interest in going outside and has been known to get under a bush and start crying if he finds himself outside.