Feeding The Feral Cats

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
I noticed jiminks mentioned feeding his cats, the indoor residents, and outdoor visitors. For ten or twelve years, I fed a colony of feral cats at a local campus where they were set up with small shelters and dishes. People had dropped them off surreptitiously, supposing students would adopt them, and the school was afraid a student would be bitten and they'd be sued. The cats weren't domesticated, but had been spayed and neutered, and wouldn't be approached or petted, but they knew me and a campus employee they saw daily. I'd feed them once a week. The elder of the tribe I called Bessie Boss Cat, and the others had names, some from me and some named by others. I think Bessie was the last survivor, and was finally trapped after much effort by the friendly campus employee and taken to a safer place when the campus administration was going to get rid of her to do construction on the building. I always enjoyed seeing the various ones, and taking others to see them. It was good territory for a cat without in-home human sponsors. The campus security guards would let me through the gate on holidays when I showed them the bag of cat food. It felt pretty eccentric, but pretty good too, helping to keep the grande dam and her courtiers fed through the years and the weather. Do you have any animal "friends" that aren't per se pets?
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,157
3,807
Kansas
Oh yeah. About 4 months ago a calico and her then several month-old kitten took up residence in our yard. Initially leery but soon after feeding they took to me. Wonder if the momma is a stray and not feral as they both love to crawl into my lap at the same time for cuddling. About time for their daily cuddle.
 

kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,472
22,028
77
Olathe, Kansas
Every few years a stray will show up at our house and the wife will feed them. We had one that was a black cat with beautiful green eyes. We fed her for six months and then she disappeared. My wife was broken hearted. The three years ago an orange tabby showed up and we began feeding it. It has since become one of our pets.
 
Dec 6, 2019
4,296
19,375
33
AL/GA
Had a cat on the porch for a few weeks.. I ran him off more than a couple of times. Headed up the steps one day after work feeling extra charitable, so I decided to share one of my beloved cans from the potted meat cellar. After that I never saw the cat again.. either cats shouldn't eat potted meat or it just moved on to better meal choices.
 
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JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
61,258
563,515
if they are tame enough please take them inside or otherwise rescue them.
Two of the outdoor cats (Tomato and Daisy) have a home, but they are mostly outdoors during the day. When I do my walking, they walk along with me. I give them treats and regular food every day. The other cat, Fluffy, is very affectionate as the other two, and she has a home, sort of. She's fixed and her "owners" only feed her twice a day, and never seem to pay her much attention, and certainly don't let her in the house. She always tried to come inside, but Suzy and Molly would never stand for it. I wish I could find a real home for Fluffy so she can have the love and attention she desires. At least Tomato and Daisy are better provided for.
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,370
42,531
Alaska
My parents have a condo in Hawaii on the big island. There is a feral cat colony near one of the beaches by their place. Someone puts food out for them, and they basically lounge in the sun all day watching the people come and go on their beach. Big ol bellies. I envy them.

We also have regular visitors to our home in Alaska. A couple cats and a neighborhood dog named Callie that loves to visit and mercilessly torment our bloodhound with her agility when they play.
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,157
3,807
Kansas
Two of the outdoor cats (Tomato and Daisy) have a home, but they are mostly outdoors during the day. When I do my walking, they walk along with me. I give them treats and regular food every day. The other cat, Fluffy, is very affectionate as the other two, and she has a home, sort of. She's fixed and her "owners" only feed her twice a day, and never seem to pay her much attention, and certainly don't let her in the house. She always tried to come inside, but Suzy and Molly would never stand for it. I wish I could find a real home for Fluffy so she can have the love and attention she desires. At least Tomato and Daisy are better provided for.
Yeah, our indoor cat would never tolerate newcomers. That plus inability to afford the extra vet bills prevents us from taking them in and fully adopting them.
 
Jun 9, 2018
4,051
13,066
England
There's a great movie starring Roger Moore, James Mason and Anthony Perkins called North Sea Hijack, it's (unsurprisingly) about a gang of criminals who take hostage a north sea oil platform.
Perkins plays the evil boss of the hijackers and Moore the ex special forces commando who, along with his men tries to save the day (I've provided a link at the very bottom to the full movie on YouTube)
He plays a REALLY big cat lover and below are a couple of classic quotes/scenes.
By the way I'm with Roger on this. Even if he is wearing a Where's Waldo? Hat.



 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
All three household cats are rescues, and two of them look like pedigree Maine Coon cats but presumably aren't. Each of the "boys" has had a cataclysmic health crisis, but we saw them through. I figure for the same money, I could have bought a thoroughbred, but never mind. When my wife was a young farm girl she'd go into the hay loft in spring and search out the kittens to snuggle. The mama cats somehow knew that was okay. I have had quite a line of cats in my life, of course each quite different, separate as people in their personalities. All favorites, but unique. I had a big old orange tabby shelter stray who looked like a cougar but could wrestle me to stay out of a carrier and never put out his claws. They really get close, as brad says, when they know who's gonna treat them right.
 

Bowie

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 24, 2019
980
4,352
Minnesota
yeah everyone wants to help until it comes to actually taking that cat from you! We have been lucky to rehome close to 20 that we have rescued, however we still have 9! Three are from a litter of kittens we bottle raised. So sweet.
Nine! Wow. Our house cat turned into a raging maniac when we tried to adopt an abandoned young cat, otherwise we'd have more than one. But nine is hard to imagine.
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,157
3,807
Kansas
Be careful about feeding a stray kitty cat, he might tell his mates then you could have a 'cat Island' situation on your hands. :oops::LOL:

That's what I'm afraid of come spring. It's very tough for me to know what's best to do. Am a pretty firm believer that generally cats are better off being strictly indoor pets. Our local shelter is reputedly no kill but there are so many ifs involved in knowing whether that is the better option for them starting with if anybody would actually adopt them. I think they tend to seek shelter under our house and I've taken to leaving the side door to our unattached garage cracked open to give them that option for shelter. Even laid a tarp in the floor with a blanket on it for them. Tried to entice momma cat into our enclosed porch but it freaked her out. So, don't know if she'd adjust to that and unsure if she'd come to attach to anyone else. Seems like momma and her kitten don't want to be separated either.
 
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