In Desperate Need Of Advice

[Willowy]

Hmm, I feed at least 25 cats (21 indoors, at least 4 outdoors plus the possums and raccoons) and still spend less than $200 on food, and the indoor cats get mostly canned food and mid-range kibble like Purina ONE, so I'm sure you can cut that cost quite a bit. My outdoor cats are picky and/or spoiled, because they don't like Special Kitty dry food (I might have to try the "gourmet" flavor again, but they definitely don't like the "outdoor" kind). If yours will eat Special Kitty, that's a good way to save. But even getting dry Friskies or Cat Chow should be cheap enough, especially with your employee discount. Special Kitty canned food is another good way to save, especially if your Walmart has the 22-ounce cans (only $1!).

To be honest I "serve" cat food on the ground. . .just pour the dry food in a heap, plop a can right down on the driveway. If the ground there is dirty, of course that wouldn't be good, but there's no reason to get fancy. A piece of cardboard you get from the recycling pile would work just fine. Each cat should have about 1 cup of dry food per day and most dry foods have 4 cups per pound, so 50 cups would be about 12 1/2 pounds per day. It's likely that the local wild animals are eating there too, so don't leave too much food sitting around all night. Don't go broke feeding the possums! If they get some canned food too, they'll need even less dry food than that, although it's probably safer to always leave 1 cup of dry food per cat so nobody gets underfed.

There are other brands of hairball formula food that might work if hairballs are a problem. Special Kitty, Friskies, and 9 Lives all have "indoor" formulas that supposedly are good for hairball prevention. Indoor foods are usually lower in calories so you wouldn't want to feed that only, but one bag a month shouldn't hurt.

Forget the treats altogether. They're crazy expensive and not necessary. If you need treats to lure cats or make friends, my cats consider different kibbles to be treats, so just buy a big bag of something they don't usually get and use that as treats.

Check with the person who runs the pet section to see if you can get "ruined" bags of cat food for free/cheap. I think there are legal issues with that but it's worth asking about.

If any of the cats are friendly, especially the kittens, you could try placing them in homes.

I'm pretty sure you can get the food costs down to $400 a month easily, probably even lower. Let us know how these suggestions work out!

 

[di and bob]

When I complain how much the possums eat, my husband always jumps in...."Possums need love too!"

 

[supermax1943]

I take care of several large colonies and know how hard it can be. Even so, you, my friend, are a saint. There are very few people like you in this world and that's a real tragedy.

Please get someone to help you set up your GoFundMe page and then leave the link here. Many of us would try to help you.

Goodness! I am struggling with one colony and you take care of "several large colonies"!!! Can you tell me what you feed at those colonies, how often, etc. And what are the medical costs? This one colony consumes all of my time outside of work, so taking care of several must leave little extra time.
Your praise of me goes right back to you for caring for so many. Bless you for what you do.
I have to add some new information to my GoFundMe site and the site managers are going to move me over to the PetGoFundMe section which might get me more traffic. As soon as that is done (hopefully next week) I will add the link here.

 

[lavishsqualor]

You really are amazingly kind. I like you so much and I've never even laid eyes on you! As far as my colonies go, the nature of my job provides me with a lot of help.

I'm a regional manager for a large property management company in Florida. The company I work for owns and manages apartment complexes. Over the years, I've gotten residents, maintenance and office staff involved in TNR on all of the properties in my portfolio. This of course cuts down on reproduction but we still have to feed the existing cats. I came out of pocket to do this for years but finally started a non profit, a 501(c)(3), and actually applied for and got a local grant. The grant was very small and has since been depleted but it did help to defray some of the start up costs. The bulk of our money now though comes from private donations. My company is a large benefactor too. By keeping up with the TNR we reduce the cat populations on their properties. Though many residents do help me take care of the cats, many other residents find them undesirable so my management company sees us as doing a good thing by keeping the cat populations down.

Honestly, the only difference in my colonies and yours is that mine are more visible to those who want to help financially.

As others have said, you can't do this on your own. You need help. And you simply cannot lose your house over something like this. Believe me, I know how you feel. I've driven six hundred miles in a day to feed a colony when no one else could. I know and understand the overwhelming sense of responsibility that you feel to the animals in your care, but you are only one person. Is there a local rescue who could help? What about placing an ad on Craigslist?

Does anyone else have anymore ideas?

Be sure to get that GoFundMe page up!

 

[ashade1]

You are doing such an amazing job! I agree with everyone else's recommendations as far as switching food and no treats. You are such a blessing to these babies. We are with a rescue that manages a few colonies and let me tell you having a colony that already has a caregiver is the absolute best! Good luck and I hope things go better for you soon!

 

[supermax1943]

Hmm, I feed at least 25 cats (21 indoors, at least 4 outdoors plus the possums and raccoons) and still spend less than $200 on food, and the indoor cats get mostly canned food and mid-range kibble like Purina ONE, so I'm sure you can cut that cost quite a bit. My outdoor cats are picky and/or spoiled, because they don't like Special Kitty dry food (I might have to try the "gourmet" flavor again, but they definitely don't like the "outdoor" kind). If yours will eat Special Kitty, that's a good way to save. But even getting dry Friskies or Cat Chow should be cheap enough, especially with your employee discount. Special Kitty canned food is another good way to save, especially if your Walmart has the 22-ounce cans (only $1!).

To be honest I "serve" cat food on the ground. . .just pour the dry food in a heap, plop a can right down on the driveway. If the ground there is dirty, of course that wouldn't be good, but there's no reason to get fancy. A piece of cardboard you get from the recycling pile would work just fine. Each cat should have about 1 cup of dry food per day and most dry foods have 4 cups per pound, so 50 cups would be about 12 1/2 pounds per day. It's likely that the local wild animals are eating there too, so don't leave too much food sitting around all night. Don't go broke feeding the possums! If they get some canned food too, they'll need even less dry food than that, although it's probably safer to always leave 1 cup of dry food per cat so nobody gets underfed.

There are other brands of hairball formula food that might work if hairballs are a problem. Special Kitty, Friskies, and 9 Lives all have "indoor" formulas that supposedly are good for hairball prevention. Indoor foods are usually lower in calories so you wouldn't want to feed that only, but one bag a month shouldn't hurt.

Forget the treats altogether. They're crazy expensive and not necessary. If you need treats to lure cats or make friends, my cats consider different kibbles to be treats, so just buy a big bag of something they don't usually get and use that as treats.

Check with the person who runs the pet section to see if you can get "ruined" bags of cat food for free/cheap. I think there are legal issues with that but it's worth asking about.

If any of the cats are friendly, especially the kittens, you could try placing them in homes.

I'm pretty sure you can get the food costs down to $400 a month easily, probably even lower. Let us know how these suggestions work out!

Thanks for your reply. Wow, I, as usual, am so busy it took me a while to get pencil in hand to figure costs compared with your costs. If I double your cats to 50 rather than 25 (hope to heaven that never!! happens to you) and use a $400 figure per month, then the individual cost per cat, per month would be: $8.00 ($400 divided by 50). The per day cost, per cat would be 26 cents. At my cost for food, that would mean I would be cutting back from two cans a day per cat to less than 1/2 a can per day per cat and feeding no dry food.
Using my costs of $1,241 per month for 50 cats, the monthly cost per cat is: $24.81, so the daily cost per cat/per day is: 82 cents per day. One can of Friskies with my discount of 10% and tax of 8.750%, 46 cents. I feed 36 cans in the morning and 36 cans in the evening for a total of 72 cans per day. So, my cost, just for wet food per day is: $33.12 per day, or 66 cents per day, per cat.
As I explained somewhere on this thread, I calculate what to feed by what is left in the dishes. If there is a great deal left in the individual dishes each day, then I cut back on the wet food until each dish is empty at the next feeding.
If any fighting (hissing, etc.) begins to happen at feeding time around the dishes then I increase the amount of wet food. Generally though, the eating is pretty stable from month to month. The costs I am using now, are based on what I am feeding now. (Winter feedings usually means feeding more). And, there are 16 kittens who eat as much as their little tummies will hold.
That cost at $33.12 per day is $993.60 per month just for wet food. That means, at my figure, I am spending an additional $247.40 on dry food and treats. I go through about 3 to 3 1/2 bags per week. So dry food cost per month is: $224. The balance of about $23.00 per month is going for treats, which obviously is something I can cut back on (although they have been spoiled with treats for all of their lives !)
I have been buying Friskies dry mostly, if I cut back filling in with Special Kitty dry, I can cut my dry food expenses, and I am trying that now.
So, that is the breakdown of my costs. Obviously, there is room for cutting costs, but I don't think it is possible for me to cut back to $400.00 per month.
I wish to heaven some of these cats could be adopted, but I have "adopted" some myself as I had to bottle feed many of the colony cats since they were abandoned by their mothers. Even those cats who know me and come in and out of the house when they want, are still feral cats. They are skittish, not comfortable being picked up, and keep their distance. Of course, there are a few that soften and become less feral, but basically they are all feral cats who will rarely be comfortable in a home. So, I don't attempt to adopt them when they are totally happy in the colony.

 

[supermax1943]

GREAT news, i was able to trap the second feral kitten! I am positive this one is a female and that she is pregnant. Just lifting the trap with her in it is a job...it feels like more than just a "fat" kitten. I will die of embarrassment if I am wrong about this one.
I do want to remind everyone who is doing trapping to never get complacent about the "attitude" of a trapped feral. I would have sworn that the little girl I trapped would have been docile and easy to handle. Luckily, over the years of trapping, I have learned to always treat each one as if I am catching a feral lion.
This little girl was just as wild as can be! I use drop traps because the colony has just gotten too smart about regular traps. When I bring out one of the regular traps they disappear for a couple of days! So, I regularly feed under drop traps which I use at every feeding station. That way, there is no hesitancy (usually) about going under the trap. All it takes is just some enticing food (usually tuna) and I am bound to catch someone!
So, I caught her quickly, but thank heaven I had one heavy rock secured to the top of the trap. When I partially removed the blanket I had thrown over the cage so I could use a "fork" to guide her into the regular trap, she bounced around like crazy, was upside down biting at the cage, and running from side to side. At one point she even ran into the attached regular trap, but ran right out again. I had my knee on the trap too, and I was still afraid she would get out! Luckily I had a couple of other heavy rocks nearby so the cage finally got secured. It took a good 20 minutes to get her into the regular trap.
She is fine now and calm and all snuggled into a holding cage. Her eyes are still as big as saucers and it is 4 hours since she was trapped. Hopefully she will relax at some point.
Anyway, she is caught and I can rest easy that I won't have another litter added to the group!

 

[supermax1943]

Thanks for your reply. Wow, I, as usual, am so busy it took me a while to get pencil in hand to figure costs compared with your costs. If I double your cats to 50 rather than 25 (hope to heaven that never!! happens to you) and use a $400 figure per month, then the individual cost per cat, per month would be: $8.00 ($400 divided by 50). The per day cost, per cat would be 26 cents. At my cost for food, that would mean I would be cutting back from two cans a day per cat to less than 1/2 a can per day per cat and feeding no dry food.
Using my costs of $1,241 per month for 50 cats, the monthly cost per cat is: $24.81, so the daily cost per cat/per day is: 82 cents per day. One can of Friskies with my discount of 10% and tax of 8.750%, 46 cents. I feed 36 cans in the morning and 36 cans in the evening for a total of 72 cans per day. So, my cost, just for wet food per day is: $33.12 per day, or 66 cents per day, per cat.
As I explained somewhere on this thread, I calculate what to feed by what is left in the dishes. If there is a great deal left in the individual dishes each day, then I cut back on the wet food until each dish is empty at the next feeding.
If any fighting (hissing, etc.) begins to happen at feeding time around the dishes then I increase the amount of wet food. Generally though, the eating is pretty stable from month to month. The costs I am using now, are based on what I am feeding now. (Winter feedings usually means feeding more). And, there are 16 kittens who eat as much as their little tummies will hold.
That cost at $33.12 per day is $993.60 per month just for wet food. That means, at my figure, I am spending an additional $247.40 on dry food and treats. I go through about 3 to 3 1/2 bags per week. So dry food cost per month is: $224. The balance of about $23.00 per month is going for treats, which obviously is something I can cut back on (although they have been spoiled with treats for all of their lives !)
I have been buying Friskies dry mostly, if I cut back filling in with Special Kitty dry, I can cut my dry food expenses, and I am trying that now.
So, that is the breakdown of my costs. Obviously, there is room for cutting costs, but I don't think it is possible for me to cut back to $400.00 per month.
I wish to heaven some of these cats could be adopted, but I have "adopted" some myself as I had to bottle feed many of the colony cats since they were abandoned by their mothers. Even those cats who know me and come in and out of the house when they want, are still feral cats. They are skittish, not comfortable being picked up, and keep their distance. Of course, there are a few that soften and become less feral, but basically they are all feral cats who will rarely be comfortable in a home. So, I don't attempt to adopt them when they are totally happy in the colony.

I wanted to add that my situation with the cats is opposite of yours in that all but 4 of the feral cats live outdoors. Living outdoors all of the time means they need more calories than those that spend most of their time indoors. That may account for the significant difference in the amount of food we feed.

 

[Sarthur2]

Glad you caught this gal! Sounds like she wore herself out struggling. I hope she comes around to trusting you soon!

 

[maggiedemi]

Wow, you use 72 cans of Friskies per day? And I complain about the cost of 1 can per day for each of my two cats. You are wonderful, your story made me cry. God bless you for the work you are doing. These cats are so lucky to have you.

 

[Willowy]

Living outdoors all of the time means they need more calories than those that spend most of their time indoors

I feed 36 cans in the morning and 36 cans in the evening for a total of 72 cans per day.

Yes, it is true that outdoor cats need more calories, so do kittens. But I still think you can manage to cut back the costs a lot, if you're willing to change some of their feeding habits. If you think they're too spoiled for that, that's OK too . But if their current feeding regimen ever becomes absolutely impossible, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. I'll break it down just for explanation:

Canned food is not very calorie-dense, which makes it great for sedate housecats but dry food gets you a lot more calories for your money. I believe dry Friskies has about 400 calories per cup, canned Friskies has about 30 calories per ounce. It's generally accepted that most outdoor active cats need about 25-30 calories per pound per day. Pregnant and nursing mothers and growing kittens may need more.

And let's assume an average weight of 10 pounds. So even with the highest estimation, we can safely figure on 400 calories for each cat, we can even say 500 just to be sure for the big guys (and leave a little for the possums ). I figured what you're currently feeding at 72 5.5-oz cans and 8 pounds of dry food a day, divided by 50 cats, that does come to 493 calories each, so, yep, I'll stick with 500 calories each. And I think you can provide 500 calories each for a lot cheaper if you have to.

1 cup of dry food and 4 ounces of canned food would provide about 500 calories. That would be 36 5.5-oz cans a day and 12.5 pounds of dry. So half the amount of canned, right there would save quite a lot. If you don't change brands or can size or anything, that would be, at the prices you listed, $27.22 a day, so $816.60 a month (30 days). A decent reduction.

If you switched to Special Kitty canned and dry: OK, I haven't priced the 5.5-oz cans---I always buy the 13-oz cans (Mixed Grill is a good choice). Those are $8.38 for a 12-pack. So about 15 cans of that---$10.50 a day. Special Kitty dry is about $10 for 16 pounds, although I'm not sure of the calorie count (I'll check next time I go shopping). So we'll just go high and say $10 a day for dry food. So $20.50 a day = $615 a month (probably less, as I think SK dry has about the same calories as Friskies. In that case, it would only be $7.81 for dry food per day so that would come down to about $550 a month).

You could take it down to 2 ounces each of canned food a day, that would be adequate although fussy kitties might fuss. With Special Kitty, that would be 8 13-oz cans, so $5.60 a day for canned, and, idk, let's say 20 pounds of dry so $12.50-ish for dry food = $18.10 per day, $543 a month (if SK is the same as Friskies, about $470).

Or you could, if things get really tough, cut out the canned food entirely. 50 cats would need just about 16 pounds a day, for $10, so you could get it down to $300 a month, if you had to. Kitties might not be too happy without any canned food though, but it's better than going hungry.

You can mix canned and dry so they get the taste of canned but the calories of dry food. If they'll eat it that way.

 

[supermax1943]

Yes, it is true that outdoor cats need more calories, so do kittens. But I still think you can manage to cut back the costs a lot, if you're willing to change some of their feeding habits. If you think they're too spoiled for that, that's OK too . But if their current feeding regimen ever becomes absolutely impossible, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. I'll break it down just for explanation:

Canned food is not very calorie-dense, which makes it great for sedate housecats but dry food gets you a lot more calories for your money. I believe dry Friskies has about 400 calories per cup, canned Friskies has about 30 calories per ounce. It's generally accepted that most outdoor active cats need about 25-30 calories per pound per day. Pregnant and nursing mothers and growing kittens may need more.

And let's assume an average weight of 10 pounds. So even with the highest estimation, we can safely figure on 400 calories for each cat, we can even say 500 just to be sure for the big guys (and leave a little for the possums ). I figured what you're currently feeding at 72 5.5-oz cans and 8 pounds of dry food a day, divided by 50 cats, that does come to 493 calories each, so, yep, I'll stick with 500 calories each. And I think you can provide 500 calories each for a lot cheaper if you have to.

1 cup of dry food and 4 ounces of canned food would provide about 500 calories. That would be 36 5.5-oz cans a day and 12.5 pounds of dry. So half the amount of canned, right there would save quite a lot. If you don't change brands or can size or anything, that would be, at the prices you listed, $27.22 a day, so $816.60 a month (30 days). A decent reduction.

If you switched to Special Kitty canned and dry: OK, I haven't priced the 5.5-oz cans---I always buy the 13-oz cans (Mixed Grill is a good choice). Those are $8.38 for a 12-pack. So about 15 cans of that---$10.50 a day. Special Kitty dry is about $10 for 16 pounds, although I'm not sure of the calorie count (I'll check next time I go shopping). So we'll just go high and say $10 a day for dry food. So $20.50 a day = $615 a month (probably less, as I think SK dry has about the same calories as Friskies. In that case, it would only be $7.81 for dry food per day so that would come down to about $550 a month).

You could take it down to 2 ounces each of canned food a day, that would be adequate although fussy kitties might fuss. With Special Kitty, that would be 8 13-oz cans, so $5.60 a day for canned, and, idk, let's say 20 pounds of dry so $12.50-ish for dry food = $18.10 per day, $543 a month (if SK is the same as Friskies, about $470).

Or you could, if things get really tough, cut out the canned food entirely. 50 cats would need just about 16 pounds a day, for $10, so you could get it down to $300 a month, if you had to. Kitties might not be too happy without any canned food though, but it's better than going hungry.

You can mix canned and dry so they get the taste of canned but the calories of dry food. If they'll eat it that way.

Thanks so much for giving such detailed information about the food! The majority of the colony weigh in at 10 pounds+. What I didn't mention is that, with my work schedule, the only way I can feed the second meal of the day is at night when it is already dark. When I remove the bowls in the morning they are always scraped clean, so how much of the food is actually being consumed by them and not the opossum's, skunks and raccoons is anyone's guess. I feed around 7:00 p.m. so at least the majority of the "freeloaders" are not around until later in the evening. But I am sure they are the ones licking those bowls clean!.
Some of the colony are morning eaters and just pick at the dinner meal, and some are just the opposite. With all of the "freeloaders" and cats being hungry at different times of the day, it is hard to be exact about how much to feed. Especially with working full time, I seem to just have time to get the food in bowls, put out fresh water and dry food and I am already late for wherever I am going! How I long for the days when I didn't have to work and could keep a really close eye on all of the activity.

Wow, you use 72 cans of Friskies per day? And I complain about the cost of 1 can per day for each of my two cats. You are wonderful, your story made me cry. God bless you for the work you are doing. These cats are so lucky to have you.

 

[supermax1943]

Oh fellow feral people, such sad news. The little "girl" kitten I trapped last evening didn't make it through surgery. She started having breathing problems right after they sedated her, and after almost an hour of CPR (they weren't able to reach me cause I was feeding and not near the phone) she/he was euthanized. The embarrassing part of this is that I was wrong again! it was just a male eating too much again...not a female.
I am sad, relieved, and glad all at once. So sad about the little one. Such big eyes, so wild and yet so calm after settling down in the cage. Relieved that I am not facing an extra litter, and glad that I can relax a little about the other 14 because none of them look even the slightest bit pregnant. Of course, I will keep trapping through January and February to make sure everyone is neutered! But I won't be so frantic about it.
The SPCA clinic that did the surgery asked if they could do exploratory surgery on the little one to see if there was some condition that caused the reaction, and, of course, I agreed. This is only the second time one hasn't made it through surgery and out of nearly 100 cats I'd say that is a pretty good statistic. But, it doesn't make it any less sad. And the little boy who was neutered last week and sat patiently by this ones cage will be very sad too. The two of them were inseparable "pals".
I am going to sleep before work. I will check in with all of you tomorrow. I wish I had better news.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I am so very sorry to hear this. It is so hard losing them. Yet, he went to the Bridge knowing he was loved. My thoughts are with you.

 

[maggiedemi]

Oh, that's so sad. Are they going to let you know why he didn't make it?

 

[supermax1943]

Just a quick post to let you know the autopsy showed the little one had a very enlarged heart and they think that is the reason he didn't make it. The Vet asked me to call her back, which I will do tomorrow. Not sure why the enlarged heart caused the reaction, although I will ask the Vet that question. Do any of you know the answer to that? Still feeling so sad for him and his pal.

 

[Willowy]

Yeah, when there's an unexpected anesthetic death in a young animal, it's almost always a heart defect . I'm not sure why heart defects cause trouble with anesthetic, maybe the drugs put stress on the heart or something. Let us know what the vet says. So sorry for the loss, poor little guy.

 

[supermax1943]

The Vet said the anesthesia does put stress on the heart, and the enlarged heart puts stress on the lungs as it pushes into the lungs. She was so kind, and kept saying how terribly sorry they were that it happened. No wonder the clinic is so special. I have no idea how many animals they care for in a day, but to have that compassion for just one was really heartwarming.
My sorrow was as much for the little guy's companion, Harvey, who I worried would be so sad and lost. But, when I came home this morning one of the younger kittens was playing with him. They were really engaged with one another and he seemed happy and full of joy. It was such a blessing for me because even though it was no one's fault about his little companion I hated that his pal was taken from him.
I also hated that the deceased one was given CPR for so long because the clinic couldn't reach me. I was no more than 30 feet from the phone (I was feeding at the time) but I never heard it ring. I hate that he spent his last hours being confused, alone and afraid. I know these feelings will pass with time.
Thanks so much to everyone's messages of sympathy and kind words. It helped so much.

 

[supermax1943]

Yes, it is true that outdoor cats need more calories, so do kittens. But I still think you can manage to cut back the costs a lot, if you're willing to change some of their feeding habits. If you think they're too spoiled for that, that's OK too . But if their current feeding regimen ever becomes absolutely impossible, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. I'll break it down just for explanation:

Canned food is not very calorie-dense, which makes it great for sedate housecats but dry food gets you a lot more calories for your money. I believe dry Friskies has about 400 calories per cup, canned Friskies has about 30 calories per ounce. It's generally accepted that most outdoor active cats need about 25-30 calories per pound per day. Pregnant and nursing mothers and growing kittens may need more.

And let's assume an average weight of 10 pounds. So even with the highest estimation, we can safely figure on 400 calories for each cat, we can even say 500 just to be sure for the big guys (and leave a little for the possums ). I figured what you're currently feeding at 72 5.5-oz cans and 8 pounds of dry food a day, divided by 50 cats, that does come to 493 calories each, so, yep, I'll stick with 500 calories each. And I think you can provide 500 calories each for a lot cheaper if you have to.

1 cup of dry food and 4 ounces of canned food would provide about 500 calories. That would be 36 5.5-oz cans a day and 12.5 pounds of dry. So half the amount of canned, right there would save quite a lot. If you don't change brands or can size or anything, that would be, at the prices you listed, $27.22 a day, so $816.60 a month (30 days). A decent reduction.

If you switched to Special Kitty canned and dry: OK, I haven't priced the 5.5-oz cans---I always buy the 13-oz cans (Mixed Grill is a good choice). Those are $8.38 for a 12-pack. So about 15 cans of that---$10.50 a day. Special Kitty dry is about $10 for 16 pounds, although I'm not sure of the calorie count (I'll check next time I go shopping). So we'll just go high and say $10 a day for dry food. So $20.50 a day = $615 a month (probably less, as I think SK dry has about the same calories as Friskies. In that case, it would only be $7.81 for dry food per day so that would come down to about $550 a month).

You could take it down to 2 ounces each of canned food a day, that would be adequate although fussy kitties might fuss. With Special Kitty, that would be 8 13-oz cans, so $5.60 a day for canned, and, idk, let's say 20 pounds of dry so $12.50-ish for dry food = $18.10 per day, $543 a month (if SK is the same as Friskies, about $470).

Or you could, if things get really tough, cut out the canned food entirely. 50 cats would need just about 16 pounds a day, for $10, so you could get it down to $300 a month, if you had to. Kitties might not be too happy without any canned food though, but it's better than going hungry.

You can mix canned and dry so they get the taste of canned but the calories of dry food. If they'll eat it that way.

I had absolutely no idea that dry food was more calorie dense than the wet food. I never really researched it, I just went with my instincts that surely the "wet" food was better for them than the dry. I really looked at the dry food as just "junk" food, thinking that the wet was in every way better for them. Thank you so much for enlightening me!
On my first day off each week I really need almost a whole day to sleep and recover from work. It is so hard to get up and feed in the evening I kept thinking it would help so much if I could leave enough dry food out for them so I could avoid that.....now, I for sure will do just that. While they may object, even the youngest kittens are carrying enough weight for them to be fine with dry food for one meal. Just doing that alone will also save some money.
So, thank you ever so much for all of the time you took to explain in detail all about the food. I have also now been mixing Friskies half and half with the Special Kitty Outdoor food. The kids seem to be fine with it, and it is all being eaten so that is going to help too.

 

[supermax1943]

Wow, you use 72 cans of Friskies per day? And I complain about the cost of 1 can per day for each of my two cats. You are wonderful, your story made me cry. God bless you for the work you are doing. These cats are so lucky to have you.

Thanks so much for your kind words. I feel the "luck" goes both ways as no matter how much work, or how much the cost, they are all so special and I get such happiness just watching over them. It really is, I think, just like watching over a pride of lions. The interactions are so fascinating, and even though some still think of me as some frightful predator, it is obvious that they are really grateful for the help.