How Much Food To Feed A Stray?

[qtpidani]

I have a stray kitty that's been hanging around and I recently started feeding. As an aside, I think it might be the mom to the stray kitten I took in last August

I've been putting out dry food and also feeding her about 3/4 can of Friskies or other wet that my guys don't like. She comes by multiple times at night (not usually during the day, but occasionally has). I try to pull the dry food before bed because I don't want to encourage skunks and racoons (I have a dog and don't need them taking up near or in my yard).

I know 1 can of food isn't enough, and she prefers it to dry, but is it enough to supplement her to whatever else she finds? I have already had a racoon and skunk eating food I didn't pull so I have to be careful, but I want to make sure she is eating enough to survive.

Any suggestions? I've only really had inside cats and free feed them wet and dry.

Ultimately, if I can gain her trust, I want to live trap her and get her into a rescue or the shelter. If she doesn't warm up to me, or can't be socialized, I will just continue to feed her and let her do her thing outside, as her chances of survival are better than they would be at the shelter.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Thank you for caring for her. Yet, there is a saying, "if you feed, they breed". Feeding a stray/feral cat is one aspect of care. Yet, getting her spayed right away is more of an issue or this one mama cat will turn into lots and lots and lots of unwanted cats. There is no need to wait to build trust to trap her. You can do TNR on her and either release her back to your property or keep her inside and work on socializing in a room of her own. Spaying her soon is very important.

As for food, I used to feed my feral cats 1/2 can in the morning and another 1/2 can in the afternoon. I then left dry food out during the day. In the summer months, all food had to be picked up by 7-8 pm. Yet, if a hungry new cat came by, I would feed as much as he/she would eat.

Is there a chance she is a nursing new mom and very hungry as she is feeding kittens? Of possibly she is pregnant and needs extra food.

As you know living outside is hard for a cat. If they do not have a caregiver it is even harder. She will need shelter in colder months too.

 

[qtpidani]

Getting her fixed is also on my agenda. My husband would divorce me if I took any more in, and I fall in love too quickly, LOL.

It is possible she has babies. I believe she "lives" a block west of us, but I haven't been able to determine exactly where. When I first started seeing her, I thought she might be an indoor/outdoor cat but she's really skittish.

She routinely comes out at dusk, so I've been feeding her 1 can then, but I will leave dry food out in case she stops by during the day. She did once, but I didn't have dry out and she took off and didn't come back until night.

 

[MissClouseau]

In my experience if you feed a stray cat, especially couple days in a row, they start to come by more frequently. If possible keep an eye outside. She will probably come back when she gets hungry at other hours of the day. I actually don't know if skunks or raccoons can climb (raccoons could, right?) but maybe you can also leave dry food on a place the cat can climb but raccoon and skunk can't. (though do this only if you see the stray and see her leaving the food there. They don't really smell food from a distance in my experience.)

If she doesn't look too skinny, she probably eats elsewhere too. Maybe another human feeds her as well. But with strays as long as they don't look obese it's totally OK to give food even if someone else does. Usually the same person does not feed them enough daily anyway.

I also recommend getting multivitamin-filled treats (GimCat has one, for example), and maybe another for hairballs. They also help to give something when you're in rush.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I'm still learning. These cats I feed will eat an entire store of food in an hour if I let them. I thought cats didn't gorge themselves.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I'm still learning. These cats I feed will eat an entire store of food in an hour if I let them. I thought cats didn't gorge themselves.

It's very common when cats have been without food that they will eat and eat and eat. They worry there won't be a next meal. It took some of my feral cats nearly a year to settle down and not want to eat so much.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

It's very common when cats have been without food that they will eat and eat and eat. They worry there won't be a next meal. It took some of my feral cats nearly a year to settle down and not want to eat so much.

I've been feeding these cats every day now for 14 months and they still don't get it lol

 

[Talien]

I'm still learning. These cats I feed will eat an entire store of food in an hour if I let them. I thought cats didn't gorge themselves.

This is normal for outdoor Cats if they have ever been starved. They will want to eat every bit of food they see because they will always remember what it was like to go hungry, even if they are brought inside and well taken care of it's actually kinda rare that they will just eat what they are given.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

This is normal for outdoor Cats if they have ever been starved. They will want to eat every bit of food they see because they will always remember what it was like to go hungry, even if they are brought inside and well taken care of it's actually kinda rare that they will just eat what they are given.

Right but they yowl constantly for food. I can't afford to feed them every 5 minutes not to mention if I fed them ever time they yowl for food they'd each weigh 100 lbs. Then of course there's the Mom situation that I'm sure a lot of you know about.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

And the other thing too is that they eat some of the food and yowl for more food even if there's still food in the bowl. As I've been stating over and over since I started coming I'm at wits end with this feeding situation.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

It's very common when cats have been without food that they will eat and eat and eat. They worry there won't be a next meal. It took some of my feral cats nearly a year to settle down and not want to eat so much.

~ I find the same thing with the stray/abandoned cats that come to my yard. I feed them until they are satisfied. I do not like seeing these animals hungry and scared.

 

[bigbadbass]

For these starving strays....its all about the food and survival.

Bug annihilated a full can of friskies within 30-45 seconds when he first arrived here, basically inhaling.
I immediately became a routine stop on his 7-11 schedule, I don't believe he was being fed by anyone so he became dependent on me. The rest, of course is history.

 

[qtpidani]

For those who have fed strays, do you find that eventually, they learn to start trusting you? I can't keep this sweet thing, as much as I'd want to. I already have 4, and when I took the stray in, my husband was *this* close to divorcing me. I would have to find her a home or take her to the shelter But she'd have a much better life if she was somewhat social and I could get her a home, versus living outside. I'm in Southeast Wisconsin so we have cold winters and hot summers.

This poor girl runs even if I look out the window at her. A friend of mine that does rescue was here one night when Mo (what I named her -- short for one 'mo kitty, LOL) didn't feel she was feral because she responded to her verbal cues.

From the sounds of it, a can of Friskies once a day, supplemented with dry should be mostly adequate? Unless he is nursing or has babies.... She doesn't look overly scrawny, but I also haven't been able to get too close to see for sure. She's an all black cat so blends in to the background since she comes around at dusk/night.

 

[qtpidani]

This is my stray gal that I was able to snap a pic of the other night.

Sorry, couldn't get the picture to rotate...

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

A little story. A white calico cat appeared in my life last year. She soon brought 2 other cats with her, a black one and a tabby. I've been feeding them for a year now. Up until 6 weeks ago, the tabby would run the distance of 1/4 acre of my backyard if I even came to the door. One day I was sitting outside and I knew she wanted to go to the food bowl. So while watching the cam while on my phone I turned my back to her and the food noticing that she cautiously made her way to the bowl to eat and hurried off after. The next morning she was waiting at the door and I managed to get her to lick off my spoon I have just for the cats. Two days after she snuck past me she rubbed against me and begged to be petted. She is now the tamest of all the feral/semi feral/stray cats in my yard.


The only thing I know about her is that she was part of a hoarding situation that was later kicked out when the human died. I have no idea if she was living inside or if the man just left the door open and the cats would wander in and out. She seemed to be totally feral when she showed up and now she's the most loving and affectionate cat there is out of these cats. And she can't seem to get enough petting and loving. So don't worry about this one running off.

As far as the food I have no idea because they can eat the food I give them like 1/2 the bowl with perfectly good food still in the bowl and they're still looking for more.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

For these starving strays....its all about the food and survival.

Bug annihilated a full can of friskies within 30-45 seconds when he first arrived here, basically inhaling.
I immediately became a routine stop on his 7-11 schedule, I don't believe he was being fed by anyone so he became dependent on me. The rest, of course is history.

~ I think that cat is now your best friend ...

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Photo of Treasure sitting by me. It does break my heart having to shut the door on them at night but if you have been following my post below you know why.

Shaman is the calico eating behind me. I don’t have to turn my back to her just did it for the photo

 

[bigbadbass]

qtpidani she's an adorable cutie, carbon copy to my little stray Princess, showed up (starving) 6 months after Bug....willingly came inside after just a few days of "bargaining", still here 2 years on. How could you not take her in?
You tell your old man to call me.....divorce my butt.....I'll straighten him out all right.

 

[bigbadbass]

~ I think that cat is now your best friend ...

Best friend?....you betcha. And thinks he owns the place!

 

[qtpidani]

View attachment 290078

Best friend?....you betcha. And thinks he owns the place!

Oh my! He's precious!!!
My 3 older guys BARELY tolerate the kitten I took in last August. I don't think they could handle another one either. It makes my heart hurt because I'm already in love with her, but sadly it's the reality of the situation so now I just need to gain her trust and find her a good home (and hope she doesn't have babies or is pregnant).