Are you an animal lover who's looking for ways to help homeless cats in need? Committing to a role as a neighborhood stray and feral cat feeder is one way to help an entire population of cats, many of whom have been tossed away and forced to live on the fringes of society.
Why Feed Feral Cats and Strays?
Cat lovers can greatly improve the lives of local strays and feral cats simply by providing a daily meal. The food will greatly improve the cats' quality of life, making a difficult existence a bit less so.
A daily meal will improve the general health of the neighborhood's homeless cats. An animal who is well-fed will have a stronger immune system, enabling the cat's body to fend off opportunistic infection and disease. A healthy cat poses far less risk to pets who spend time outdoors.
An area with a high feral cat population may also be somewhat void of wildlife, especially birds (cats not only hunt birds, but they also hunt the birds' prey – rodents and other small animals). Feeding the colony will result in a decreased need to hunt; this will lead to a recovery in the local wildlife population – perfect for bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Maintaining a stray and feral cat feeding station will also enable you to rescue neighborhood strays, if you desire to do so. Unlike feral cats, who are truly wild and typically quite hesitant to approach humans, stray cats are quite apt to approach humans who provide food. Over time, you can build a positive relationship with neighborhood strays; this provides you with an opportunity to tame and rehabilitate the cats.
How to Feed Feral Cats and Strays
Consider the following advice for getting started as a feral cat colony caretaker and feeder.
- Find a good location for your feral cat feeding station – The food must be protected from rain and snow and the cats should feel safe and somewhat "hidden" while eating. The feeding station should also be situated away from foot traffic and other pets.
- Purchase food bowls – Opt for stainless steel bowls, to prevent ants from invading the food. Avoid the traditional dog bowl shape; a normal bowl is more suitable as the shape prevents ants from climbing in. The stainless steel is also easy to clean and disinfect. Start with at least three or four bowls and increase the number if necessary.
- Place the food bowls at least five feet apart to lessen the chances of fighting – Ferals tend to live in colonies and fighting is relatively rare, but strays tend to be independent, so fighting is much more common. Intact males are most apt to fight.
- Provide a large water bowl and provide fresh water daily – Many feral feeders forget to provide a water bowl, which is unfortunate because many wild cats do not have access to clean water. So remember to provide water!
- Fill the food bowls at dusk – Cats are nocturnal, so it's best to put out food in the evening. This will also prevent the food from spoiling in the sun and heat. Fill the food bowls at the same time every night.
- Back off after filling the food bowls – Shy strays and ferals will not approach the food if a human is nearby, so it's important to back off so the cats can enjoy their meal. This may change over time, as the cats learn to trust and associate their caretaker with food. But in the beginning, it's important to back away after filling the food bowls.
- Signal that dinner has been served – Many cats will anticipate the meal, arriving before you've filled the food bowls. But others may still be in hiding nearby. Therefore, provide an audible signal that indicates that dinner is served. You can do this by yelling a particular phrase, ringing a bell or even by slamming the screen door on your way back into the house. Over time, the cats will come running in response to your signal.
Remember to disinfect and wash the food bowls between each meal. This will help to prevent the spread of illness and disease. Also, wash your hands with antibacterial soap after handling bowls and other items that have been in contact with the outdoor cats.
If you cannot find a suitable location for your feeding stations, you can make a few simple feeding stations fairly inexpensively. You can use a medium-sized plastic storage tub, placed on its side. Or you can make a wooden cube, with one open side. Both options will protect the food from snow and rain, while creating a safe, "hidden" atmosphere for the cat.
If you wish to provide a second daily meal to your wild cats, dawn/early morning is an ideal time to serve the meal.
Not sure if there are needy cats in your neighborhood? Place a food bowl outside on a nightly basis and monitor it from a distance. Cats have an acute sense of smell and they'll find the food fairly quickly (usually, within a few days.) Virtually every neighborhood has ferals and strays in need, though they're not always visible. Most wild cats come out at night and they tend to avoid humans.
Additional Tips for Helping Ferals and Strays
It's vital that you're consistent if you decide to make the commitment to become a feral cat feeder. After a few days of regular meals, the cats will come to rely upon your feeding stations. Therefore, be consistent in providing food for the ferals and stray cats in your neighborhood. For instance, if you plan to go away on a vacation, you can ask a neighbor or friend to feed the cats while you're gone.
If you're committed to being a feral cat colony caretaker (in addition to just a feral feeder), meal time serves as the perfect opportunity for documenting the colony members and, if necessary, trapping in the event that you need to spay/neuter or provide medical care to an injured cat. During meal time, you can photograph the cats, observe them in an attempt to determine gender, look for injuries or other issues such as pregnancy and you can provide each one with a name for identification. This information can be kept in a binder for future reference; it will aid in your trap-spay/neuter-release (TNR) efforts.
A few communities have bylaws that prohibit you from feeding feral cats; it's an offense that's typically punishable by a fine. This is an important point to keep in mind when committing to feed ferals and while selecting a location for your feeding station.
If you don't have a neighborhood cat population, but still want to help, consider donating pet food or time to a local animal rescue organization. Many feral-friendly organizations also need volunteer feeders for larger, established feral colonies, which often reside in industrial neighborhoods. You can also volunteer to care for feral kittens and strays who are in need of rehabilitation and fostering.
As a feral colony caretaker, you may also encounter orphaned kittens or kittens who are suffering due to a sick or injured feral mother. For information on this, read "How to Care for an Orphaned Kitten."
Wondering "What is a feral cat and how is it different from a stray?" Curious about a feral cat's behavior and how it's different from a stray cat's behavior? Read "What is a Feral Cat? -- Behavior and Identifying Ferals."
Many feral cat feeders and stray caretakers may be inclined to pray for their cats. If so, check out "Prayers for Feral Cats: Blessings for a Wild Cat and More."
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
