feeding feral cats.

I would try not to worry too much about her. I know when I have had females spayed they can seem really confused as they recover. Especially if they are a little older and have been through a couple or more "seasons". And, since the weather is nice now, a time when she would be getting pregnant; she might even be out looking for a home for she and her " about to come kittens". So, I wouldn't worry too much. And, especially if she knows food is there, she will come back when she is hungry.

I know it is unbearable worrying about them when they decide to disappear for a few days. I have learned over time though that a wanderer will usually be gone for three days, or multiples of that. i.e. six days, nine days. So, try to not be too worried until you pass that first three days. And, if you do have a cat that wanders a lot, I think its important to have a place in your calendar to keep track of when you first notice the disappearance.

And, in my experience, the cats will use the shelters and usually have no trouble finding them. Some of mine in the colony of 50+, use a shelter without fail in the winter, but don't use a shelter in the spring or summer.

At some point, you will know what works for her. Sometimes, too, another cat will spray a shelter, so the original cat won't go back into it. I usually keep the shelters separated one from one another and have a few more than there are cats, just in case. Sometimes one cat will decide it doesn't want to sleep near another one just because.....

I will keep my fingers crossed that the female will return.

Super huge gold stars for getting her spayed and all the work that goes into that. I think those of us who do this work should get Oscars or something for each one we get fixed. The "other world" out there (the one where no one even thinks about Feral Cats) has absolutely no idea of how much work goes into just one trap and neuter. But, I do, so many thanks to you.

Sally

Maybe you misunderstood my question. My feral was spayed and was eating with no problem. I had to clean off my back porch where the feeding station was. I only moved it off the porch. Now it seems like she doesn't come. She did come twice but looked around and left because her food wasn't there. I moved the food and water off the porch. Why can't she smell it and know where it is at? Its not that far away. Now I feel bad because she probably is hungry. I guess she isn't coming because she thinks there is no food there anymore. But it is right there. Why can't she find it?

I think I did misunderstand. I thought she was missing. If she is around, but just not eating, try putting her food  back in the original place. If she eats it there with no problem again, then you will have to make change to the new location very slowly. 

Feral cats can be very wary of any kind of change. And yes, even if she is hungry she could simply not feel safe to eat in the current feeding place. When one of my Feral cats does something that doesn't make sense, I try to imagine what it might be like for them. For instance; maybe the food is too "out in the open" for her. Or maybe she can't see if something were to come up behind her. Or maybe an animal has found the food and left their scent near the food. Or maybe she found a huge mouse or gopher and she doesn't feel like eating.  So many things to think about.

Try taking the food back to the original place. If she starts to eat happily there again, then you will just have to move the food to the new location in very tiny steps.  Like six inches or so every couple of days. As soon as you see she can eat comfortably after you have moved it a little, then move it again a little.

Try to be patient. Of course, you can feed her where ever you want, but you just may need to help her with the change. 

I also have found that putting the food in a Rubber Maid storage box, or any box sometimes helps the cats to feel a little more comfortable about eating in a new area. You will just have to try it all and see what works.

Hope you find a solution that works for both of you soon.

I agree with Supermax1943.  If they are not comfortable with the new feeding spot  they won't eat there.  With the feral colony I have I actually have two feeding areas for them.  One is winter based and it's up on my porch where they have protection when they eat and the other site for summer is on my deck.  And it took me awhile but I actually have them trained? to come and eat when I stand outside and yell, "Breakfast Babies!" and they usually come running or sauntering for the food.  Both spots feel protected to them and I have no problem switching them back and forth.

And, I agree with you...I have 50+ in the Feral colony, and have five separate feeding stations. It seems as if around 10 Feral Cats per feeding station is what my colony prefers. It took a while to figure the whole thing out, but I measure success by the food being eaten, and no fighting around feeding time.

Now, after all these years, each group is really comfortable with their place to eat. In the Spring and early summer when the baby raccoon, skunks and possums are running around everywhere it causes some disruption.

If I feel that is what is causing a problem, just moving half of the food a few feet away for a few days seems to solve the problem. I think the feral cat's reaction is to avoid an area where babies of other animals are feeding. But after a while they usually gain control (i.e. let the little ones know it is their feeding area) and the food get moved back.

It all comes down to learning how to think like a Feral cat, as much as possible, I think.

I saw her last night and she was looking up where I put her food. She and another cat were eating at the old station. The other cat did find the new feeding station without any problem. But last night she did see the other cat up there and she was looking. So she has to know it is up there. Don't you think she would smell it? It is a three sided box up on a table, with a roof on for shelter, high enough to try and keep the raccoons out. So far they haven't gotten up there. Anyhow the old feeding station is completely gone. I had to clean all that mess up for the summer. And to just put food on the ground for her won't work either, because I have the neighbors dog that seems to come and eat, which I found out. So since I did see her looking last night just maybe she will jump up there. I hope.

Raccoons can climb anything. I have seen one climb  a telephone pole with no problem. So, putting food up on a table won't keep a Raccoon from getting to the food. In fact, if anyone has found a way in the Feral Cat World to keep them away from cat food, please let us know!

The best information I can give you is what I wrote in my last reply to you. That comes from the experience of feeding Feral Cats for 13 years. 

And one thing I didn't mention, if the table is at all unsteady, that would deter the Feral Cats from eating there as well.

Please don't forget you trapped this cat recently. Sometimes it takes months before they can trust you again, and sometimes they simply won't ever trust again. Moving food to a new location that in any way looks like a possible set up for a trap is not going to make this cat eat, even if she is starving.

There is a way to create a raccoon-proof cat feeding station. I've never pursued it because I don't have the know-how to build it, but here's a site about it:

http://www.forgottenfelinesofforsyth.org/newslettervol3page4.htm

Thanks so much for that article! I have tried so many things to keep them away, but that is a fantastic solution. Never thought of "going up". And, it doesn't look too difficult to make. 

I don't want them around only because they have injured 3 of my cats. I am pretty sure it is a momma Raccoon just protecting her babies that has been around here for some years. But I live in an area with miles of open space around me, so I can't be sure.

It is certainly worth a try.

It's easy to make one out of one of those poolside / deck tables that has only the center support.

Well, nix the all day DIY to construct one! What a great idea. Thanks so much. A, quite a bit easier too!

MsAimee said:

 
There is a way to create a raccoon-proof cat feeding station. I've never pursued it because I don't have the know-how to build it, but here's a site about it:

http://www.forgottenfelinesofforsyth.org/newslettervol3page4.htm

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If you go and look into that sight a little further you will see that if failed. The person has it on camera how the raccoon gets on top. I think if he does a few changes it will work.  My thoughts are to do what he did but make a larger base so when they do climb up the pole they can't stretch there body's enough to reach out and and then up around or also make the flashing a little longer so when they climb they are stuck under the flashing and have  nothing to grab on to.  I  will try that next year if what I have this year doesn't work. I have a resin table with the legs up on some blocks to make it higher. So far they haven't gotten up. I saw them standing and trying to look and also hanging off the leg but no raccoon has gotten up there yet. Hopefully I haven't spoken to soon. 

If one of you constructs a raccoon-proof feeding station that has long-term success, and are willing to build another one, let me know. I'll buy it from you. I have zero skill when it comes to such things!

Starlings and raccoons are the smartest, most determined problem-solvers I've ever seen in wildlife. They will stop at nothing to get at cat food. Right now I'm having a problem with both. I would love to be able to solve one or the other so I can go back to leaving out dry food for my feral all day long like I used to, or leave food out for him at night.  For the past few weeks the starlings have not only figured out every single booby trap for my cat's food and devoured his food all day long, but covered my carpeted porch with their disgusting feces. The mama raccoons are out sniffing around at night and I don't want them on my porch, either! My poor cat probably shows up looking for his bowl during the day while I'm at work, wondering why it's no longer there. I have to keep my eye out for him to make sure he gets fed.

We live in an area with crows, raccoons, skunks, possums, free-roaming dogs, etc. I just rely on regular feeding times and a call to let them know the food's going down. I use wet food, not dry, other than in winter when it would freeze too quickly. I use ... 30 gallon? totes on their side as feeding stations - just to protect the food from rain (or snow). I dig moats around them and keep those filled with water to protect the food from ants (as necessary).

I put the food out twice a day, early morning and at dusk. The cats know when it goes down. It likely only lasts an hour or two at most before "something" eats it. If they want to eat, they know when, they know where.

I don't try to outwit the wildlife, I won't win. :lol3:

Besides... if there ever are kittens, I want them to have access to the food. Fortunately we've been at a 99% spay/neuter rate for the past 1.5 years. We do have a male that has been exceedingly difficult to trap, even with a drop trap set and at the ready...

I often wonder how come my older neighbor doesn't feed the ferals in our area. Every year starting in spring I swear he would have over 100 cats and kittens. Mostly looked like mid-age kittens. Not full grown cats but not small kittens.
We use to see him and/or the kittens this year.
Funny he kept a gate around his house... cats don't or can't get in until the gate is open.

I have seen the cats run across the road at feeding time. Amazing how many there were last year. No idea if they were spayed or not.

I did find there are a lot of places here who fix cats and do any and all shots for about $60ish per cat. Not sure if Arizona have a higher rate of kittens and cats or why we have so many vets.

During the winter time I am still feeding my ferals wet cat food.  It is difficult to keep it from freezing before they get a chance to eat it but I feel that they need a little extra to help withstand our Minnesota winters.  Am going to experiment with a few things this coming winter and see if I can find something that will keep it thawed out until they have had their fill.  Sometimes it's amazing how fast it freezes up.  I also keep dry cat food available for them.  We also have the nocturnal visitors and I just bring in what hasn't been eaten and set it back out in the morning.  Cat food is to darned expensive to be feeding the other critters!

keyes said:

 
During the winter time I am still feeding my ferals wet cat food.  It is difficult to keep it from freezing before they get a chance to eat it but I feel that they need a little extra to help withstand our Minnesota winters.  Am going to experiment with a few things this coming winter and see if I can find something that will keep it thawed out until they have had their fill.  Sometimes it's amazing how fast it freezes up.  I also keep dry cat food available for them.  We also have the nocturnal visitors and I just bring in what hasn't been eaten and set it back out in the morning.  Cat food is to darned expensive to be feeding the other critters!

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We had a bad winter this last year and I had the same problem. I looked everywhere and most of the heated bowls were gone because everyone else was having a bad winter too. I was lucky enough to find two though. And they do work great. I used one for water and the other for soft food. I put a plastic bowl inside the food one so you didn't have to keep moving it to clean. But if you can find one this time of the season I would purchase it for the winter now. 

buffy2011 said:

 
If you go and look into that sight a little further you will see that if failed. The person has it on camera how the raccoon gets on top. I think if he does a few changes it will work.  My thoughts are to do what he did but make a larger base so when they do climb up the pole they can't stretch there body's enough to reach out and and then up around or also make the flashing a little longer so when they climb they are stuck under the flashing and have  nothing to grab on to.  I  will try that next year if what I have this year doesn't work. I have a resin table with the legs up on some blocks to make it higher. So far they haven't gotten up. I saw them standing and trying to look and also hanging off the leg but no raccoon has gotten up there yet. Hopefully I haven't spoken to soon. 

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Well tonight was the night. The raccoon got up on the table. I usually go out and pick up the food I have on the ground for the cat that won't get up on the table and the raccoons beat me to it. They were there quite early tonight.  Now I am back to square one. 

When I feed my feral and it's dark--either before sunset or after sunset--I sit beside him on my porch and talk to him. The wildlife hear my voice and stay away. A few times I have used a broom to chase off persistent raccoons and opossum. If more than one raccoon is approaching, then Muffin takes off and I go into my house--but this hasn't happened so far this Spring since there isn't food being left out in the wooded area for kittens. It can be a pain when the weather's bad, and my cat also tends to be a slow eater, but this is the only way I deal with his night time feedings since I don't want wildlife hanging out on my porch or approaching my cat.

I do use a heated bowl for water and that's been a winner.  And actually I was wondering about a heated dish for the food also.  I love your idea about using another bowl inside the heated dish for the food!  That would make it much easier for cleanup.  Never thought about that.  Because I was just thinking that if I put the food straight into the heated dish what a mess it would be for cleanup in between feedings.  Thanks for the helpful tip.