noticed new feral in the area and need guidance

[SylverCat]

hi y’all.
i can use some guidance on how i want to go about this. the cat is spayed. someone else must have done this already. i know there are two ferals/strays in the area and i want to start taking care of them. i have knowledge of taking care of cats as i have two indoor ones. and i don’t have any experience with ferals/strays.
i have lots of questions.
my questions are will it be effective to leave dry cat food out until they start coming around more often and then add wet food later on? should i make sure both cats are spayed? i know some people build shelters, what is the best option for these and is this a good idea? should i leave out water for them as well or should i wait for them to come around more often before i leave out water

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS. I think to start off with, you are overthinking this. My neighbor leaves out food and water and the strays come. When you see a pattern of the same one(s) coming over and over again, then you can start to think about what else you might want to do.

Are you certain these cats are not pets that are allowed to roam outside? That too makes a difference. And, yes eventually, if you are sure they are strays/ferals, the one who you don't know has been spayed, should be. But, that will require you working with rescues/centers who handle TNR programs.

Let me ask you something else - why not work with rescues to find them homes, if you don't want any more cats yourself? Why do you want to leave them as strays/ferals outside?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Some of the best feral cat shelters I've seen are made from large tupperware storage containers.