Ferals Where?

[nunnc84]

i bought a kitty tube with a heater and heated cat bowl.
I don’t believe a cat is staying there.
What’s the point of my hotel if a cat doesn’t check in?
I have cat visitors proof of cat tracks in the snow.
What should I do to keep an outside cat?
Occasionally I put out dry or canned food.
I want an outside cat

 

[FeebysOwner]

???? Cat prints in the snow can be someone else's cat who eventually goes home at night - doesn't need your hotel. If no one is eating the occasional cat food that you put out, they either don't like it or at a minimum you have no other critters, like possums, etc. running around.

 

[rubysmama]

Are there known feral cats in your area? If not, as FeebysOwner suggested, the cat prints you are seeing maybe pet cats that just wander through your yard on their travels.

 

[nunnc84]

???? Cat prints in the snow can be someone else's cat who eventually goes home at night - doesn't need your hotel. If no one is eating the occasional cat food that you put out, they either don't like it or at a minimum you have no other critters, like possums, etc. running around.

The car food I put out is gone .

 

[FeebysOwner]

The car food I put out is gone .

Cat on their way home, grabbing a last bite for the road... Or, maybe it is possums...raccoons - they'll eat anything...

 

[nunnc84]

Cat on their way home, grabbing a last bite for the road... Or, maybe it is possums...raccoons - they'll eat anything...

Yeah. So what now? Don’t put food out unless I befriend a cat?
I heard a saying
Don’t feed an animal you don’t see
What do you think?

 

[Willowy]

They may be true ferals and don't want you to see them.

If you keep putting food out, cats will come. Right now they're hunkering down in the cold, but in the spring they'll be wandering and some may stay.

Make sure you've made arrangements to have any that show up spayed/neutered or you'll end up with too many!

 

[rubysmama]

TCS has several articles on ferals that you may find helpful. I'll post the links below.

Please remember, if you do have feral cats in your area, and they find the food you leave out for them, they will start to depend on you to feed them. So be sure you'll be able to keep up the expense of buying them food.

Also, keep in mind that you may end up with more than one cat, and that they could start hanging around your property, which could annoy your neighbours.

Also, your own 2 cats could become stressed or aggressive, if they see, smell or sense strange cats hanging around their home. Especially if any of the ferals are unneutered males and they start to spray their stinky pee around the outside of your house.

Not trying to discourage you at all, as feral cats need all the human help they can find. But at the same time, want you to be aware of some negatives that could arise.

Thanks for caring about them. Keep us posted on things.

Here are the links:
Feral Cats - The Invisible Felines
10 Facts You Should Know About Feral Cats
9 Practical Ways For You To Help Feral Cats
How To Help Feral Cats Stay Safe & Warm During Winter
Everything You Need To Know About Tnr (trap-neuter-release)
Tnr And The Law: What Feral Caretakers Need To Know
Quiz: What Do You Know About Feral Cats?

 

[nunnc84]

They may be true ferals and don't want you to see them.

If you keep putting food out, cats will come. Right now they're hunkering down in the cold, but in the spring they'll be wandering and some may stay.

Make sure you've made arrangements to have any that show up spayed/neutered or you'll end up with too many!

Ive seen a female too large for the kitty tube. She is black and white, I think she has a home. She is so sweet and scared of anyone. She is so skinny and matted.
There is a tabby male that comes around, he is not neutered by the look of him; and he is fast. He is the only one I seen go into the kitty tube; I did have an open can of food inside of course.
There is a black cat who has a home, that comes down from a hoarder at the end of the block. She lets them out on trash day, they demolish anyone's trash. When I put out food, it's trash day to deter them from dragging out the trash out of the bags. Peace offering.
I used to have the tube on the porch and I would watch for entertainment. Now it's on the back side of the house.
I have food for them. I don't see possum tracks. The birds are known for coming to eat the food.

 

[nunnc84]

TCS has several articles on ferals that you may find helpful. I'll post the links below.

Please remember, if you do have feral cats in your area, and they find the food you leave out for them, they will start to depend on you to feed them. So be sure you'll be able to keep up the expense of buying them food.

Also, keep in mind that you may end up with more than one cat, and that they could start hanging around your property, which could annoy your neighbours.

Also, your own 2 cats could become stressed or aggressive, if they see, smell or sense strange cats hanging around their home. Especially if any of the ferals are unneutered males and they start to spray their stinky pee around the outside of your house.

Not trying to discourage you at all, as feral cats need all the human help they can find. But at the same time, want you to be aware of some negatives that could arise.

Thanks for caring about them. Keep us posted on things.

Here are the links:
Feral Cats - The Invisible Felines
10 Facts You Should Know About Feral Cats
9 Practical Ways For You To Help Feral Cats
How To Help Feral Cats Stay Safe & Warm During Winter
Everything You Need To Know About Tnr (trap-neuter-release)
Tnr And The Law: What Feral Caretakers Need To Know
Quiz: What Do You Know About Feral Cats?

I understand, my girl cats went through this last summer. I couldn't open the windows because the males spray and my cats were marking inside.
I already plan on neutering some cats. My vet is aware of what is going on. He asked me bring him kittens I find.

 

[rubysmama]

Sounds like you have a plan. Glad your vet is willing to help out. Good luck. And thanks for caring about them.

 

[nunnc84]

Sounds like you have a plan. Glad your vet is willing to help out. Good luck. And thanks for caring about them.

I sent kittytube.com this. The heater pad and warm food bowl stopped working at -55 degrees.
They said to get an outdoor rated extension cord. Tada!!!