Would you offer a daily meal to a stray cat?

Question

Why or why not?
I have this cat that was born on our door mat 2 years ago. We took care of it and its mom by feeding them (we didn't take them in though, we just gave them chicken scraps and so on). When he grew up he disappeared and returned only last week (with a scardy looking girlfriend).
My brother and I fed the cats. After they ate they lefy. Now they come in a freakish punctual manner. At 6 PM everyday they come looking for dinner.
Would you continue to feed them?
Isn't that worsening the situation by having even more stray cats?
Please tell me what to do...

Answer 1

Personally,

I would not act as a soup kitchen for homeless cats. If you feed a domestic animal, it depends on you and you have an ethical responsibility to provide the animal with a decent quality of life. It is rough being a feral cat. They are not healthy, prone to fleas, worms, and all sorts of diseases that they spread to other cats. They are BRUTAL on the songbird population. And they die painful, early deaths.

Homeless animals need HOMES. People who act as animals' soup kitchens are alleviating their own guilt and are not doing what is in the best interest of the animal. Take the next step. Take the cats to a shelter, where they can be fixed, protected, and have the chance for a good home, if you are unable to provide one. If you are able to get them into a no-kill shelter, so much the better, but they are often full.

Here is a perspective: our new neighborhood, is about overrun with feral cats. A few folks are fostering the problem by feeding them and 'free kitten' signs come up regularly. I once had a wonderful 'indoor/outdoor' cat who contracted feline AIDS (from an infected stray) and I had to put my sweetheart down. We now have two cats which we do not allow beyond the screened-in porch. They miss their freedom, perhaps, but the risk to their health is too great.

Answer 2

Strays will continue to come back to where they were fed. Ditching them now would be kind of heartless. One person is correct in saying that come local agencies will do a spaying of strays and re-releasing them. Another option would be to do a search on the Internet of shelters in your area and find one that is a "No kill" shelter. This will allow the animal to be cared for yet not be put to sleep until it can be adopted. The only downside to this option is that there have been stories of "cage rage" after a long period of time for some of these animals that are keep locked up but this is more humane then the County facility that puts them to sleep (the nice way to say kill or dispose of)

Answer 3

Honestly, you should never have started caring for it if you werent prepared to do it for the long run. Now that you have taken care of it, are you just going to let it starve?

My suggestion... first off, call the local animal control.. many now do what they call "catch and release". They will catch the animal, neuter it, then re realease back into your neighborhood. Atleast now, you wont have more kittens..

Usually a stray cat will keep other cats away, because they are territorial. So, make sure they are fixed, and you prob will only have to deal with the few.

But, now that you started feeding them, you will have to continue unless you want animal control to take them away or you wish to watch them starve.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I have a soft spot for animals and I feed strays all the time, it is bad because more cats do come around but my thought is you can't let them starve. If you can afford to feed them then do so if not call the local animal shelter to pick them up, that way they are safe, have food and water and have a chance at getting a home

Answer 5

Yes, continue to feed them. You have a heart, and care about poor unfortunate hungry animals, and its only natural to you to want to provide for them. Your giving these cats hope by supplying them with a daily meal which is great. However, you MUST try to either rent a humane trap and have them fixed, or call around to see if there are any people or agencies who will do the trapping and taking them to a discount vet for you to be fixed for you.
Cats are very territorial, and they will do a good job keeping their food source to themselves, and not allow other strays from coming over for food. ( I have been feeding 4 fixed,feral, cats for over a year now, and there hasn't been any outsiders coming to where I feed them)
Your a great person for feeding the strays, just please try get them fixed!!

Answer 6

I've been feeding the strays here for 12 years, it's not hard. Make sure they have a water bowl, buy a heated one for winter, it makes a huge difference in their health to have reliable food and water available.

If you do TNR you reduce any kitten population.

It's not freakish to show up at one time, they know the time by the sun, and follow your habits. Ours show up when I get home from work, that's when I put out two cans of food. And in the morning as I leave I put a bowl of dry food out for the day. They pick up fast what times I do that, and adjust for the weekend when I sleep in.

Answer 7

I used to feed strays all the time when I lived in an apt complex. One in particular, I fed for 3 years and I even took him in on cold winter nights or very rainy nights. After 2 years, he started bringing his 2 kittens around (I guess he got custody, LOL) and I started feeding the kittens. The one never came near me, she was too scared, but the other, he literally pushed her towards me so I could pet her/pick her up. Naturally I started taking that kitten in with the father and guess what...its almost 12 years later and I still own that kitten. Her father disappeared when she was about year old, but I took her in permanently and that cat is SO loving, I've never owned another like her. She sleeps curled up next to me at night with my arm around her every single night.

Answer 8

i've got had journey with a cat that may not consume. the priority with rigidity feeding is that a million/2 of the foodstuff finally ends up on the floor or interior the cat's face, so which you at the instant are not even giving the cat the finished 2oz you think of you're. attempt warming the foodstuff interior the microwave a pair of seconds, this might help the cat scent the foodstuff. you additionally can attempt feeding it toddler foodstuff. It must be a easy toddler foodstuff without onions or garlic (basically meat without greater components). I used Beechnut degree a million rooster, beef, or turkey flavors. My anorexic cat enjoyed it and at last regained his urge for foodstuff. toddler foodstuff should not be used interior the long term because of the fact it does not have each and all of the supplements a cat needs, yet its greater significant now that your cat initiate eating so it could earnings weight. you additionally can attempt a nutritional supplement like Nutro-Cal to enhance your cats weight loss plan. additionally counseled is Hills A/D prescription cat foodstuff, many human beings have had sturdy consequences utilising this cat foodstuff with cats that may not consume. you are able to in basic terms get it out of your Vet and it rather is quite costly ($2+ for small can). attempt some cans to work out if it rather works with you cat. additionally it rather is a quick term foodstuff for ill and underweight cats in basic terms.

Answer 9

I have fed strays and tamed them so they could be caught and spayed or neutered. You are kind to care for them. If you don't want them contact a shelter. Strays often do not live a easy life. They are killed, freeze or starve and the females have multiple litters that add to the trouble. All three of my cats are strays that I tamed and they are all extremely loving and gentle.

Answer 10

I would stop feeding the cats as they will continue to come by. The best thing you could do is catch the two and bring them into your local humane society. There will get their shots and fixed and will be fed regularly. Once they are adoptable, the humane society will put them up for adoption.