concerning the skinny cat?

Question

earlier, i posted a question asking what i should do about this skinny (poss. stray) cat in my back yard.

well, ive decided to leave food out for her, to try to gain her trust. she is still out there, she finished the tuna i put out there.

i believe its a "her" because i saw her belly, and it wasnt a guy

she doesnt have tags on. and she didnt run, but is still shy.

i put water out for her too, but i was wondering if i should go out and buy cat food (i dont own cats anymore), or what else should i feed to her?

it is very cold outside now, it snowed two days ago... so i put a box lined w/warm blankets. the cat is still out there. i bought some cat food, and i think she/he is eating it.

when i gain her trust, i will try to catch her and take her to the vet. idk if i will keep her, but im a softie with cats, so i prob. will!

Answer 1

Tuna's great, if she's a street cat she'll have eaten almost anything. I have a cat a mine wont even touch tinned cat food, she eats the biscuits but eats only tuna, shrimps, and other fish. Cat in general will only eat what they wont to eat so if you leave something out and she eats it then you can do it again. the biscuits are good for their teeth so may be some cat biscuit would be a good idea.

Tina g has got the right idea

Earn her trust don't try to catch her unless she needs help, but if you do want to try WEAR GLOVES!

Answer 2

Your best approach would be to get some decent quality dry food, and put it in a protected spot, safe from rain, etc. You really don't want to be providing human food for her, so nix on the tuna you eat, but all right with cat food tuna.

That way, the cat will associate your yard with food, and be more willing to stay around. You may even be able to approach her(?) without scaring her off. I say her(?) because just looking at a cats belly is not sufficient. If the cat is three colors, it most likely is a female.

The cat could be skinny due to worms, or other health problems. If you should decide to catch and adopt her, then a vet visit right away after capture would be a necessity.

Often groups that do rescue or run shelters can provide a trap that you could use. Whether you want to adopt her, or have her trapped, for a possible future home, you are doing her a big favor. Life on her own is not a good life.

Answer 3

If you plan on feeding the cat regularly it's important to get a quality cat food. Feeding only tuna or an all muscle diet can result in vitamin deficiencies that can have sever health consequences.

You can feed a mixture of both dry and wet, though if the cat is not always around at feeding time, it may make more sense to just stick with dry. Wet food can spoil rapidly in the heat and generally does not keep long once it has been put out.

It's likely to be cheaper in the long run to buy a bag of dry cat food, rather than feeding cans of tuna all the time. :)

If it's getting cold in your area, you might also consider putting out a box lined with blankets in a sheltered area. She may not use it, but it gives her the option of a warmer place to sleep.

Answer 4

By all means, get her some regular cat food. A small bag of good cat food isn't that expensive, and you'd find out real quick if she'll eat it. Canned food can get expensive really fast! BUT.....if you plan to leave dry outside, and not stand around with it, you'll need to protect it from the weather and ANTS. Put the bowl of dry food...into a pie pan that's larger around than the bowl, and put some water in the pan. That'll keep the ants from getting into and ruining the dry food. Also, put the food in a large box (turned on it's side) to protect it from rain, etc. If you want to "adopt" the cat, and take her to the vet for a checkup, you can probably borrow a "humane" trap from the vet and use that to catch her. Then she can be checked over and see if she's in good health. Good luck....................

Answer 5

first of all it would depend on weather or not you are going to keep her or him it could be a tom it might have been neutered.if you don't want it phone cat protection they will come and pick it up.It might take a while for you to gain her trust,its up to you if you want to get it cat food,i'm soft with animals so i would put out a box with an old blanket or anything woolly so that if it was homeless it will have somewhere cosy to rest.hope all goes well good luck with what ever you decide

Answer 6

Cat food would be your best bet for her. Though if you don't have the chance lunch meat like ham or turkey can suffice for now. If you plan to keep her around I'd suggest the cat food as it has things to regulate their diets and help out their immune system. Wish you luck with her.

Answer 7

Yes you should feed her, somebody has to. You need to know, you can not tell the sex of a cat by looking at its belly. Cats are not built like dogs.

Answer 8

put cat food in a box...
and when she gets in. Catch her and take her to a local vet

Answer 9

keep feeding her, but if you can stay within the garden with her so she learns to trust you. have a word with your local vets/animal rescue centre about a humane cat trap.