Help needed again please!

 Not sure what to do anymore! The cats I'm feeding have gotten pretty fussy

and leave almost everything I put out for them anymore! I do have a feeder filled

with dry food 24/7 so they can eat that anytime they like!!

I have literally no income and can't afford fussy wild cats! The plan at the moment

is to stop the canned food (tuna, chicken and ham) and just have the dry out

for them. I don't know what else to do! I've been giving them my food but can't

let it go to waste since they've gotten so picky! I don't want them to suffer

in any way but I don't want little princesses either! They used to eat ANYTHING

I put out for them!

What to do??????

I suspect they have also another caretaker.  OR they did found a good source of natural food. Say, some sort of mices easy to catch.

Apparently they arent hungry much.

If they dont want although your food is perfectly OK, it means they apparently dont need it.

Trap down your project, spare also yourself the costs. Have just some little out, just to keep in touch with them.

Good luck!

StefanZ said:

I suspect they have also another caretaker.  OR they did found a good source of natural food. Say, some sort of mices easy to catch.

Apparently they arent hungry much.

If they dont want although your food is perfectly OK, it means they apparently dont need it.

Trap down your project, spare also yourself the costs. Have just some little out, just to keep in touch with them.

Good luck!

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Thanks! I appreciate it!!!!

Hi there, I agree with StefanZ.  My 4 inside kitties get only dry food.  My outside ferals have 24/7 dry on the front porch and back porch.  They get wet food at night.  6 are "mine" and a few extras who are probably neighborhood pets that know where to go for a good meal.  The outside cats do get huffy when I buy the cheaper food!  I just remind myself that if they are straving they will eat!  I also help with a colony at an empty building, I started bringing them wet food and I noticed that the dry food was still there from the last feeding.  I think this is a good sign that the cats are being well cared for.

I bought some of the "dollar store" cheap cat food, and the strays wouldn't eat it, either. When I checked the protein, there was very little in that cheap dry food. Switched to Purina cat chow, and it goes quickly. I guess squirrels and voles have the protein they needed, but not my cat food!

I'd been trying to transition my spoiled feral cat to Indigo Moon and he is eating some and then trying to bury the rest throwing dirt on it!   So I'm thinking maybe the Purina was the way to go after all....

Old Fart, I'd say do what you can and know that if they were really starving they would eat whatever you put out.   I think any cat from feral to spoiled purebred princess will become finicky once regularly well fed.

And the litmus test is:  are they a decent weight, are they too skinny, just right?  If of normal weight, then they are getting all the food they need.

Thanks all for the replies! They are getting kinda plump and their coats are very clean and shiny!Seems now they are spraying all over the front and back porch! They seem to be urinating allover the chairs out there! With my handicap I've lost my home and job and had to move in with my sister! She's very upsetand I have to do something or I'll need a new place to live! I don't know what to do! After nowfeeding them for so long they'll never stop coming and apparently never stop spraying all over!I guess no good deed goes unpunished!

TheOldFart said:

Thanks all for the replies! They are getting kinda plump and their coats are very clean and shiny! Seems now they are spraying all over the front and back porch! They seem to be urinating all over the chairs out there! With my handicap I've lost my home and job and had to move in with my sister! She's very upset and I have to do something or I'll need a new place to live! I don't know what to do! After now feeding them for so long they'll never stop coming and apparently never stop spraying all over! I guess no good deed goes unpunished!

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For temporary help, try lemon juice, it is natural cat repellent, also oranges tend to work if you scratch their surfaces, but placing fruit outdoors if there are insects outside might just change problem to another.

But lemon juice might work best, maybe first is needed to be put kind of trail around porch so that it acts as a fence and make sure feeding and drinking is not at porch but bit away. They should then learn that porch is off limits for now as it is probably only way to get control of situation.

Are there unneutered males?  Spraying would definitely be worse with them.  Maybe you could TNR them or if your disability makes that hard ask a rescue group if they'd come do it for you?

JTbo said:

For temporary help, try lemon juice, it is natural cat repellent, also oranges tend to work if you scratch their surfaces, but placing fruit outdoors if there are insects outside might just change problem to another.

But lemon juice might work best, maybe first is needed to be put kind of trail around porch so that it acts as a fence and make sure feeding and drinking is not at porch but bit away. They should then learn that porch is off limits for now as it is probably only way to get control of situation.

Click to expand...

I will try the lemon juice thing and see if that helps or at leastkeep them from spraying all over the porch! Thanks very much!!

Bastfriend said:

Are there unneutered males?  Spraying would definitely be worse with them.  Maybe you could TNR them or if your disability makes that hard ask a rescue group if they'd come do it for you?

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Yes exactly! The toms seem to be the problem! The females are very timidand cause no problems at all! I wish I could get the whole bunch fixed butthat will never happen! Thanks so much for the advice though! I appreciate it!

If you are feeding feral cats who are un-neutered/spayed, you may be causing bigger problems.  Please check to see if there is a TNR program that can assist. 
 

TheOldFart said:

Yes exactly! The toms seem to be the problem! The females are very timidand cause no problems at all! I wish I could get the whole bunch fixed butthat will never happen! Thanks so much for the advice though! I appreciate it!

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Well no wonder, yep those tomcats want to mark this wonderful food filled territory!    Why will the fixing never happen?    There may be some groups in your area that do TNR who could help.

Hi OldFart!! (what a name ) I would think that the cats are not hungry if they are not eating up all the food and have another feeding resource. I replied to your other thread about the spraying problem earlier and the need to get them all neutered. The only and best option is to get them TNRd or stop the feeding of these cats.