# A thought on feeding my colony



## angelshelper81 (Mar 20, 2006)

So I was outside feeding the kids and munching on my own chicken-nuggets dinner when I had a thought. Perhaps the restaurant has leftovers that I could get to feed the cats for free. If it would work, it would be a reliable source of protien, and not too inconvenient since I often have to change busses at the mall on the way home from work anyway.

I do have a couple of concerns, though. The first is, how healthy will it be for them to be getting a lot of peanut-oil-fried chicken in their diets? I could possibly set something up with other mall restaurants to get their leftovers, instead of the Chic-fil-a or on different days, if variety is important.

The other concern I have is how long the food can sit and still be safe to give to them. Whatever I get is going to be a few hours old at least, but should I ask them not to start saving it until after lunch, for example? That would cut down on how much food I could get - but then, my colony only has 12 cats, so that's not necessarily a bad thing. (We did this for a wild-animal rescue when I worked at Wawa (rather like 7-11) and we'd have 1.5-2 FULL trash bags every day for the lady to pick up. I don't need _that_ much food.)

I hope this will work. Stretching my budget to cover even inexpensive cat food is getting hard.


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

I would't risk it unless it was boiled chicken. Fried foods aren't good for around the clock meals, not even for kitties. My cousin had 3 fearl cats that use to live in his garage and yard they made friends with his pet Hen & Rooster! The 3 ferals since then has moved in the house. But they still go outside and mingle with the chickens. Just remembered that  

Cheap expensive dry cat food is better then letting the cats eatting mice, birds and bugs. 

If you need help feeding your crew. Here is a thought, take lots of pictures of your colony post them on a large bin and ask one of your nearest pet food stores if you could put in a donation bin so customers can donate some cat food that they have purchased. Also The manager might be able to give you some just recently expired food. Wouldn't hurt to ask.


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## Jet Green (Nov 28, 2005)

One place you can try for inexpensive dry food, if you have one near you and you don't do this already, is Big Lots. Their selection changes from week to week, but I see big bags of cat and kitten chow there frequently. Big Lots is about as low-price as you can get.

Good for you for feeding them! :wiggle I hope you can get some help.


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## Ioana (Jul 12, 2003)

Sweetvegan74 said:


> Cheap expensive dry cat food is better then letting the cats eatting mice, birds and bugs.


 I don't think I agree with that. Although I hate to see them killing other life forms (yah, it's the circle of life), those are natural food sources they have depended on for ages; whilst the only food that we can afford is far from being good for them. 
I give it to my feral bunch because being so many they have exhausted the natural resources (as big as the property is, you won't see a rodent) + nursing or pregnant females need all the nutrition they can get being too busy and tired to fend for themselves. Plus, we've been feeding them for years so we cannot let them depend entirely on those reduced natural resources / protein after having been used to depend on us for most of their nutrition.

But back to the question - I think I would try that option with the restaurants; they will get some meat and your pocket some relief every now and then.
I haven't thought about Big Lots, thanks for the suggestion Jet


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

Ioana said:


> Sweetvegan74 said:
> 
> 
> > Cheap expensive dry cat food is better then letting the cats eatting mice, birds and bugs.


 I don't think I agree with that. Although I hate to see them killing other life forms (yah, it's the circle of life), those are natural food sources they have depended on for ages; whilst the only food that we can afford is far from being good for them. 
I give it to my feral bunch because being so many they have exhausted the natural resources (as big as the property is, you won't see a rodent) + nursing or pregnant females need all the nutrition they can get being too busy and tired to fend for themselves. Plus, we've been feeding them for years so we cannot let them depend entirely on those reduced natural resources / protein after having been used to depend on us for most of their nutrition.



Sorry but I have to disagree. These are not true wild cats, they are domestic cats that have no choice to catch mice and bugs to eat. True wild cats (Courgars, Bobcats, Lynx and their cousins African Wildcat) are completely capable and use to catching their prey. Their bodies are strong enough to deal with the worms and parasites they injest when catching prey. Worms make most feral cats ill.

I fed two feral cats that lived in the woods, no one fed them becasue they were in the center of the park, no trash or handouts before I came. I watched them stalking starlings and song sparrows and chasing mice. I trapped the two young cats and neutered them and tamed em. They became great house cats but were not putting on any weight. The then threw up. Loads upon Loads of ROUND WORMS. After two wormings the cats stopped vomiting and put on weight.

But Sporty's Mix, it sells for like 6.99 for 18 pounds for cats and kittens. It has no BHT or preseratives either (-:


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## angelshelper81 (Mar 20, 2006)

I'm still here, but it seems more informative to let you guys discuss than it would be to jump in and interrupt. I just don't want anyone to think I'm not paying attention.


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## Ann* (Mar 6, 2006)

I don't know what that peanut fried chicken is, but maybe you can rinse some of the oil with hot water. I guess it's less greasy then.


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## Ioana (Jul 12, 2003)

I guess we have two different opinions then since we both have had experiences to back our own side of the situation.
I, for example
I just know that in Romania, while growing up, not only did we not have any type of commercial cat food, but the cats depended on catching mice, birds and bugs, and we gave them some table scraps. They lived to be old cats. I don't even remember having a vet in town nor giving them any deworming medicine or flea prevention. I washed a cat that I let in my house to get rid of the fleas every now and then. My house didn't become infested.
I think there is a Rosemary and water combination that you steep and rub it on your pet's fur after having bathed it. It gets rid of fleas and ticks and gives the fur a shiny coat.
And speaking of table scraps - we raised dogs too that lived 15+ years with table scraps. But those table scraps might be different than what fast food restaurants here have. All the food was not only organic but healthy with meat and vegetables. Some times not so much meat, as weird as that may sound. We had vegetable based soups and stews that were absolutely delicous. The dogs got the leftovers. I always had more left than anybody esle 8)


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## Chrisstine (May 7, 2006)

Sweetvegan74 said:


> I would't risk it unless it was boiled chicken. Fried foods aren't good for around the clock meals, not even for kitties. My cousin had 3 fearl cats that use to live in his garage and yard they made friends with his pet Hen & Rooster! The 3 ferals since then has moved in the house. But they still go outside and mingle with the chickens. Just remembered that
> 
> Cheap expensive dry cat food is better then letting the cats eatting mice, birds and bugs.
> 
> If you need help feeding your crew. Here is a thought, take lots of pictures of your colony post them on a large bin and ask one of your nearest pet food stores if you could put in a donation bin so customers can donate some cat food that they have purchased. Also The manager might be able to give you some just recently expired food. Wouldn't hurt to ask.


 Good idea Sweet vegan, actually putting up the pics at really any community shop will work, since there are so many animal lovers around. 

Http://furryfriendsrescue.bravehost.com/


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I have nothing important to add, only that I agree with Vegan that eating mice, rats, etc. gives cats worms, and is not advisable. I would definitely prefer to see them fed cat food. 

I also agree that greasy food is not good, although an occasional taste would not hurt. And I don't hesitate to give my cats a taste of roasted or boiled chicken or turkey. I was teaching at a summer camp and saw the dieticians throwing away breaded fish fillets. I asked for them, hating to see this food wasted, and thinking they would be a nice treat for my cats. The cats sniffed them and walked away. They were smarter that I was!


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## jcribbs (Jul 13, 2006)

NO offense to the vegetarians here but cats are meat eaters. The rats, mice and small game is generally their food of choice since it satisfies their natural instinsts to hunt they prey. People are the only ones who have the problem with that. Cats don't. You know how cats sit and stare at a bird cage. It's not beause they think its cute. They are not thinking of a veggie burger... They want to kill they prey.

As far as the fat in the chicken, depending on whether you live in a cold climate or not.......might be good for them. It would put warming fat on their bones for the winter months.

I also have cats that in spite of being very well fed .....enjoy nothing better than stalking a bird and eating it or a lizard or even a bat. I have found bats or half a bat on my porch. And I don't feed at scheduled times. It is in two large bowls all the time. Hunting is instinctive. They might like other food, such as commericial cat food, but a cat will always hunt. Well fed or not. 

*Even if you give them cat food, they will still eat birds and mice and rats and other small game.*


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

I am vegan but my cats are of course not, even though Dexter loves to sample my tofurky slices (go figure :lol: )

I neutered 24 feral cats since 2002 since they have been feed and neutered no one has complained seeing dead animals or parts of birds or mice. Ferals want to conserve energy and rather nap then catch their food. A few may catch for sport but the majority of hunting is from feral cats that need to kill to eat. 

I have a neutered tom Bluebeard that waits for his meal there is a bunny that has been living there almost as long as he and there are always Blue Jays and sparrows right above a branch where his food station is. He eats his cat food then walks off. I am not saying that he will never hunt. Bluebeard is a cat, cats are hunters I know this BUT it will happen alot less with managed ferals as like I said their tummies are full and they have more things to worry about then hunting like bigger predators (aka raccoons, humans) inclement weather etc

Now House cats are different, they are fed and completely content, no worries they get bored see a prey so they think why not let's see if I can catch it. That is why my house cats have a curfew with going in their enclosed yard and they are never allowed to roam loose. 

A feral cat is not a true wild animal he lives that way because he has no choice so it is up to us to give them healthy meat based cat food. Humans owe it to them. Any good cat food can be bought at almost any supermarket.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

With all due respect, I don't think anyone of us thinks that cats are vegetarians. We try to feed our cats food with meat as the main ingredient, and stay away from foods with large percentages of corn, etc., and some fat is fine. I don't believe in feeding large quantities of fat, however. Sweet Vegan feeds her cats chicken, so I think perhaps there has been a misunderstanding.


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

Thanks Jeanie. I give my cats and the ferals meat based cat food. There are cheaper cat food that has meat based too just be sure to read the labels before purchasing. My house cats LOVE Purina One and the ferals like that and Purina Cat and Kitten Chow along with can food. Little Tiger Lily will only eat Blue Cat Food that I get at petsmart. It's expensive but it's the only dry she eats.


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## jcribbs (Jul 13, 2006)

mine eat meat based as well, but I lean toward the chicken variety as it has less fat... 

Jenn


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