Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
Flippin' heck, that's a dramatic-looking foot and may well benefit from medical attention. However, first things first: she is not your cat.
Most strays were loved at some point in their lives and it seems likely that this wee girl's foot may be preventing her from getting back to an owner who is searching for her, especially if she was hurt / displaced or confused on her travels. For this reason, the first thing to do is to take this stray to the vets. They will scan her for a microchip and try to reconnect her with the person responsible for looking after her. It may be that the owner doesn't want that responsibility any more, or that she has never been chipped, but it may be that her owner is very worried about her and will take full responsibility from here. You may lose contact with her this way, but she will be put on the road to recovery.
If she doesn't have a microchip, then the case becomes more complicated. Legally, it may be that you can adopt her although she is likely to need veterinary treatment, which would become your responsibility. The other possibility would be to take her to a charity cat shelter to get her the help that she needs. This may include surgery, pain releif (never give human pain medication to cats, even the common sorts) and antibiotics.
Best of luck to you both.
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