How to Feed Ferral Cats Wet Food

Where there is one feral cat, there are usually several more living as members of a colony.

Feeding feral cats is different than giving food to a stray cat that appears on your porch. While a stray that has wandered from home is used to human contact and will likely let you pet it and even trap it to return to a shelter or owner, feral cats are not used to human contact and may not come near enough for you touch them. Feeding stations for feral cats need to be set up in a safe place for the cats and kept clean at all times. Feral cats live in colonies, so you will likely be feeding several cats, not just one.

Things You'll Need

• Clean plates and bowls
• Plastic storage container
• Canned cat food

Instructions

1. Identify a safe location for a feeding station to be erected. Safe locations include underneath a bush or other area protected by foliage, beneath a porch or behind an outbuilding on your property. Feeding stations should be placed where they will not be disturbed by other people or animals.

2. Turn a plastic storage bin on its side to create a feeding station. The cats can come and go as they please, but the food you put out will stay dry. Additionally, the storage bin is easy to clean.

3. Place plates of wet cat food in the plastic storage bin at the same time each day. Just as you would feed a pet cat in your home at similar times of the day, you want to create a routine with the feral cats. Usually a feeding in the morning or early evening is best.

4. Leave enough food for multiple cats to eat at once. A bowl of dry food set out alongside plates of wet food will ensure that all the cats get plenty to eat. Ideally, when you return for the next feeding, there will be no food left from the previous one. Food remaining in the dishes means you may be putting out too much; cut back on the amount of food you leave. Extra food becomes littered with dirt and debris and can attract other animals.

5. Clean the food shelter regularly. It is important to remove plates dirty with dried wet food promptly and replace them with clean plates. No less than once a week you will want to clean the entire storage bin by removing all food containers and hosing the bin out with warm water and soap.

6. Research whether or not your community has a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program. Such programs trap feral cats so that they can be neutered and treated for rabies and other common feline diseases. The cats are then released again to the wild. TNR programs help to curb feral cat populations, which is important to many communities. Your local Humane Society or animal shelter should have information on TNR programs in your area.

Tips & Warnings

• Always leave fresh water at feeding stations.

• Some communities have feeding ordinances aimed at preventing homeowners from feeding feral cats. If you choose to feed feral cats regardless of such ordinances, be aware that you could face fines or other penalties.

References

• Humane Society: Feral Cats: Frequently Asked Questions
• Feral Cat Caretakers' Coalition