# Food for Ferals



## Shadow1953 (Oct 13, 2010)

Hey All;

No, it's not a new organization, although it does have a nice ring for a name.

I am feeding between 4 and 6 stray cats. I am planning on doing a Trap/neuter/release the middle of next week.

I've been putting out a Science Diet Growth Formula. One of the cats came up and let me pet her, and she is all skin and bones. I am wondering whether it is better to keep feeding them limited amounts of the expensive stuff (as budget dictates) or should I just give them as much as they can handle of the cheaper commercial stuff.

Thanx for any opinions.

--Shadowcat--


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

I feed the Kirkland Signature "Maintenance" from Costco. It's relatively cheap ($16 for 25 lbs) but pretty good quality. The first three ingredients are Chicken, Chicken Meal, whole grain brown rice...etc. No corn, artificial stuff (flavors or colors).
If you can't get that, I'd recommend Authority from Petsmart. A little more expensive ($29 for 18 lbs), but about the same quality.
Really, I just try to have meats as the first ingredients (meal is okay, not by-products) and no corn.

Depending on how you ration it out, 20 pounds should last you about month.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I would feed them as much as possible! That poor skinny cat is not a feral; it's a stray. It was someone's pet, and would probably love to belong to you. Perhaps you could provide a shelter for them, the poor babies.  I'm so glad you're feeding them!


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## Shadow1953 (Oct 13, 2010)

I generally put out one cup three times a day. One in the morning while I am outside having breakfast, one in the late afternoon, and one at bedtime. Except for rare occasions it's empty when I go out. I put water out too. I have a small (24x30 maybe) cage that I put the food and water in to deter the birds from getting it. The food bowl is in a water bowl ( I call it the 'bowl-in-a-moat). Ants don't cross water, so they don't get to the food.

I don't do the 'Big Boxes' (i.e. Costco, Walmart, Sams, Home Depot) on principle. I know I miss out on some great deals, but I have my reasons, and this is neither the time nor place for them. But I do thank you for the suggestion. I have many friends that do shop at Costco and several that have cats. The PetSmart stuff could be an option. That's where I've been buying the Science Diet, so I can do a good comparison.

--Shadowcat--


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## Shadow1953 (Oct 13, 2010)

I've been putting out three cups a day. One in the morning while I am out there eating breakfast, one in the late afternoon/early evening and one when I go to bed. I have a small (approx 24"x30") cage I put the food and water in to deter the birds from eating the food. The food bowl is inside a water bowl (I call it the Bowl-in-a-Moat). Ants don't cross water, so they aren't an issue. It is rare that the bowl is empty each time I go to fill it.

At least two of them know each other rather well, as they share access to the dish when they both come.

I wish I could take them in, but we already have four 'inside' cats. One is around 14, one around 4-5, and two (the babies) around 2 1/2. The young ones came from a semi wild lot. My mechanic is a cat person, and there are a handfull of cats that he lets stay on his shop property. He puts food out. If they want to become friends, that's up to the cat(s). He regularly does the trap/neuter/release, but one year they apparently missed a couple. We took two of them. They are friendly, but standoffish. They like being in your company, but look, don't touch. After two years, the friendlier of the two finally jumped up in to my lap all by herself. I still have yet to hear her make a meow. The other one talks to us a lot, but is definitely 'no touch'. She doesn't get aggressive at all, she just runs out of reach. She will come and beg for the 'string-on-a-stick' toy.


--Cats & Macs & Chocolates - Who said there is no heaven on earth?--

--Shadowcat


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## Shadow1953 (Oct 13, 2010)

Sorry about the double message. I thought I'd taken it to 'edit', but apparently it posted.

--Shadowcat--


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

No problem.  There's more information in the second post. Thank you for caring for these homeless cats. You are their angel! In time I think they'll get more and more friendly.


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

If you got raccoons or other night critters, I would suggest not leaving food out much more than an hour after dark. Unless you have the money to be feeding other animals... I don't! LOL So just the cats get my charity. The raccoons gotta find something else.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

The morning would be better yet.


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## Shadow1953 (Oct 13, 2010)

I do put a cupful out in the AM.

I also try to hang out a little when I put food out to see who's around.

I am well enough into the city to be out of '**** and coyote territory. I did have a rabbit in the yard a couple times a while back. And I had a hawk circling once eying a cat in the yard, but I think it was smelling the ferrets I'd had at the time. I had watched it coming up the alley, circling each back yard. I went and got my binoculars to watch it. It was low enough that I could see what it had it's eye on. And when I looked in that direction, there was one of our cats. (We used to let them out.) As soon as I picked up the cat, the hawk took off.

That was eerie.

--Shadowcat--


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

They are known to kill cats.


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