Starving cat with a strange meow shows up on woman's porch begging for help, but refuses every bite of food she offers until she realizes he wasn't looking for a meal, he was looking for love

No matter how scared of humans it might be, a cat in need will sometimes risk it and ask for help. It's up to us not to disappoint them. 

If you own a cat, then you will learn this at some point or another: cats do not show us when they need our help. A sick cat - even your house cat - will hide their pain from you. That is simply part of how they are. It's instinctive for them not to show weakness, even to us. Part of what being a good cat owner means is paying attention to your cat all the time, noticing any little change that might indicate they are not feeling well. If your cat is suddenly not eating the same way as before, or drinking less water, or is less cuddly. Any change in behavior is an indicator that something might be wrong. This is about house cats. Stray cats are an entirely different beast to deal with. 

Most stray cats inherently don't trust humans. If you've ever tried gaining the trust of a stray cat, then you know just how hard it actually is, how much work and time it takes. For a stray cat to ask for help from a human, it needs to overcome not one but two obstacles: its fear of humans and its instinct to not appear weak. A lot of stray cats simply never do it. And we think this is part of why stray cats live shorter lives than house cats. If they knew they had someone trustworthy to turn to for help, maybe they would do it more often. But some cats… take the risk. Some cats, at their worst moment, when they can tell that they will not survive much longer on their own, turn to humans. After that, there is only one shot. One chance. Break their trust now, and they will never come back. It is up to us to give them the help that they ask for, to show them that some humans are good and trustworthy and deserving of their fluffy love and affection.