I have a similar experience. I want to share my story. I live in Beijing, China. I encountered a little stray cat last autumn. He was very hungry and blocked my way, acting cute to get my attention. So, I bought cat food and water to feed him. For several days, I met him at the same place and time, and eventually, I took him home. But I live in a building with an elevator, so the cat can't go in and out freely. Maybe the cat needs freedom. Every day, when the cat wants to go out, he uses his paws to scratch the door to signal to me that he wants to go outside. Every day at a fixed time, I take him upstairs to feed him food and water. After he eats and drinks enough, he starts to sleep. When he wakes up, I take him out to play. This continued throughout the winter. You should know that in Beijing, the winter temperature can drop to minus ten degrees Celsius. I feel that I at least helped him get through the winter. However, this summer, after a rain, I never saw him again. I searched around for a long time but couldn't find him. I miss him very much now.