Feeding Community cats
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Food is the strongest connection to humans that outdoor cats have. It is a vital component to any successful TNR effort. It is also one of the most contested aspects of TNR. When done correctly, feeding helps to establish caretaker oversight and is a key component to keep colonies healthy. Metro East Friends of Ferals supports feeding colony cats on a routine schedule for the sake of colony maintenance and caretaker collaboration.
Helpful Tips to Keep in Mind
- Feeding Location: When feeding on private property other than your home, please make sure you have permission to feed. If feeding on public property, you may need to get permission from the city or township. Be respectful of where you place the food containers. Keep them easily accessible for feeding, but also hidden from plain sight. If you live in a rental unit, please check your lease for any provisions against feeding.
- Establish a Routine: Try to feed on a routine schedule. Plan to feed during hours when you would be most likely to trap cats for TNR surgery if needed.
- Type of Food: Keep in mind the type of food you leave. If you're feeding wet food, especially during the hot months, you should be available to pick it up as soon as it spoils (within 20 to 30 minutes). Dry food is usually easier and more budget-friendly.
- Don't Forget Water: Outdoor cats need access to fresh water each day. Please make sure to leave a bowl of water for any colony where you feed. During the warm months, leave extra so they can stay hydrated.
Common Feeding Issues
- Cleanliness: One of the most frequently heard complaints about feral cats is the mess created when people feed without regard to local residents, businesses, or the environment. Leaving behind loose plates, empty cans, paper towels and plastic spoons, or dumping large amounts of cat food on the ground and leaving the excess, are all going to create hostility towards cats and their feeders. On the other hand, considerate caretakers who leave the colony site clean, including picking up other people's trash, will engender good relations and be welcome. Some tips to help:
- Only leave enough food for the cat or cats you're feeding. Keep in mind that outdoor cats will still hunt and likely have other food sources. Don't leave too much food.
- If you're feeding in an area where you can't leave food on the ground, put it on a tortilla. It won't create any trash and it will provide the same protection as a plate.
- Wildlife: If you're in an area where wildlife is common, you'll need to adjust your feeding habits to avoid attracting other animals to the colony site. Most wildlife is nocturnal, so feed during daylight hours and don't leave any food out overnight. Keep in mind also that cats are very habitual creatures and will quickly learn to show up at the same time every day and eat within a small period, like half an hour. Use this to your advantage.
- Ants, slugs and flies: Ants won't cross water so create a moat by filling a tray with 1/2 inch of water, then place the food bowl in the middle of the tray. There are also ant-proof bowls for sale, using the same idea. Another trick to keep ants away, as well as slugs, is to make a circle around the feeding station or bowls with chalk, the kind used to mark lines on athletic fields. Or crush some soft sidewalk chalk into powder. The chalk feels smooth to human hands but is made up of sharp little objects which ants and slugs won't cross over. Instead of chalk, you can use diatomaceous earth which is also sharp on a microscopic level - just make sure you use food grade. Copper tape too, will stop slugs in their tracks. Flies are tougher. They're most attracted to wet food on hot days, so limit the amount of time this food is left out in hot temperatures or use dry food instead. Training the cats to eat during a certain window of time daily and then removing all food will minimize flies.