What and where do you feed your ferals/strays?

DH and I have noticed a couple of cats hanging around the dumpster in our small apartment complex the last few weeks. They give us both a start when we see then b/c the resemble the markings of our two cats and we always worry that it might be them. We want to start feeding them but are new to this. Of course we know that the landlord here probably wouldn't be happy about it so we would have to be sly. Also should we just feed them by the dumpster? It feels like a dirty idea, but obviously they are eating from there anyway. Do we use paper plates or just put it on the ground? What kind of food do you feed your ferals/strays?

There are a lot of homes around us so they could very well belong to someone, or they could have been abandoned. They are very skittish and won't let us get near to them at all but don't look unhealthy.

Thanks for helping out some newbies.

Hi - welcome to TCS! I would not advise feeding the cats until you have a plan in place for a couple of things. First off, they should be spayed and neutered to prevent them from breeding. By feeding them, you actually make them healthier and thus, more able to produce viable offspring. This is actually not a good thing, as it increases the population and makes it harder for the cats to share resources.

Secondly, will you be able to provide shelter? Once they have a reliable source of food, they will begin to congregate and will need spaces to sleep and relax. This brings me to three, which is actually the most important thing. If the landlord is against feeding, he or she will most likely try to trap the cats. If they are trapped, they will most certainly be euthanized.

So you may want to determine how likely that is before you do anything. Even if you decide to sneak the feeding, please get help and spay and neuter them first.

Online gave some excellent advise. I was in your shoes around four years ago. Lived in condo, surrounded apartments and houses. People moved out and left their cats, most of whom were not spayed or neutered. First step is to start feeding them for perhaps a week so they get use to the routine. Meanwhile researcher low cost spay neuter clinics. Plan on trapping the cats to get them s/n. Otherwise you will soon be feeding their kittens. And tenants will complain. Luckily the president of my condo association was supportive in my efforts to trap neuter spade return cats (especially since I did it out of my own pocket). He ran interference for me when people complained. Alley cat allies has some great videos on how to trap cats. And people on this site can help you too. In 2.5 years I TNR 35 cats. Then I moved. I still feed the remaining cats on the weekends, and I'm sure I could TNR many more.

Flirts you have to spay and neuter this cats,,is free,don't used any plates maybe people noticed ,some people don,t like,look for help for neuter every city have org to help ferals hide the water pots

There are no free spay/neuter clinics where I live, so I wouldn't assume this service exists everywhere. The vet I use for feral spay/neuter is a 24 hour clinic, but it's costly, so thankfully I haven't had to utilize them too often.  I think it can be a burdensome task for many people to attempt TNR by themselves, both financially and in terms of time. The best thing to do is to contact your local Humane Society or ASPCA and see if they have a TNR program; if they do, they will come and TNR the cats and it won't cost you any money. Another option is to see if there are neighbors who are willing to help you with the TNR. I had a friend on my block who helped me last summer to trap and fix 5 ferals on my block, and that made the task a hundred times easier. We did not release the feral kittens, however-- we adopted and socialized them. 

I would never tell someone to not feed a hungry feral or stray cat. I know that I cannot refuse any cat in need that shows up on my property. Just understand that if you do begin feeding them, they will depend on you, and you will be making a commitment to them. I have been feeding and caring for an outdoor feral for 3 years, which means I get up every morning at daybreak (which is 5:30am in the summer) to feed him, and sometimes I stay awake until 11pm if he hasn't shown up that day to eat (I don't leave food out on my porch in the dark because of other wildlife). I love him as I do my indoor cats, but it is a big commitment. So I would not tell you to not feed a hungry cat, only that becoming a caregiver for even one feral requires commitment.