What, and how much, do you feed your adult ferals?

I'm still feeding Little Mama kitten chow, which is what I was originally putting out for her and the kittens. But the kittens have all been in foster care for two weeks or more, and she has been spayed, so her body is no longer going through the stresses of pregnancy and lactation. So I think it is probably time to start the transition to adult food.

I think I need to stick with dry chow, since she comes at irregular times and wet food might spoil before she gets to it. She mostly comes late, after it is pitch dark. (A couple of times she has come at dusk, when it was light enough to catch just a glimpse of her.)

What food do you feed your ferals? And how much? How did you reach your decisions?

Thanks for your advice!

I feed the new Purina Beyond and the new Rachael Ray dry food.  In the winter I add a higher protein dry as well.  I also feed wet food year round.  It is hard to catch them when they are around, but mine are always here in the morning.  I feed Trader Joes' wet food or Natural Balance wet food.  During the summer months, I leave dry food out all day.  I have small cat food bowls and I just fill them up.  Some days I refill them if they seem really hungry.  Yet I don't measure.  They each get 1/4-1/2 can (5.5 oz) of wet food too.  In the summer they don't often want as much.  In the winter I up their wet food as the wet food is much easier to digest.  They don't have to use all of their energy digesting food.  I want them to save their energy for staying warm. 

I leave out Purina One Smart Blend chicken dry food in his feeder from sunrise to sunset and he comes and goes and eats when he likes. In hot weather, I change the food, at least the food on the top of the bowl, with fresh food a few times a day because it becomes stale.  But less expensive dry foods such as Purina Cat Chow also have all of the essential vitamins and protein content, so you don't need to buy top brands of food for your feral if you don't have the financial means. I wouldn't buy the worst ones, though--Meow Mix is the poorest quality cat food on the market, it's mostly fillers.

I feed canned food mixed with water once or twice a day when my feral is on the porch. I feed him half a fan of Fancy Feast. I  used to feed him Little Friskies canned food, but over the years he's become finicky.  Fancy Feast is pricey, so if your feral will eat a less expensive brand such as Little Friskies, you can go with that. Many cats will eat refrigerated leftovers if you heat them a bit in the microwave. Wet food goes bad very quickly outside, so it's best to put it out when your cat is in sight.

I also feed my feral Greenie treats to help keep his teeth clean. I don't know whether it actually works--but he loves them. Cats also love the occasional treat of a plain baked chicken breast with plain broth.

It's best to buy food in bulk when there's a sale at Petsmart or other supermarket. I feed 5 cats indoors and 1 cat outside so everything gets bought in bulk and with coupons.

One thing, though, is that you may want to make a gradual transition between the kitten chow and whatever new food you introduce, mixing them together for a few weeks. It's wonderful that you're taking care of this kitty. 

I feed mine dry...Purina cat chow in the morning about 1/2 cup each and 1/2 can Friskies in the evening with another 1/4 cup of dry.  If I put any more out they don't eat it.

Dry during the warm months except ever once in awhile wet for a treat.  Colder months both because the wet can only be outside for awhile "freezes" and I leave out the dry all day long.  Wet I do during the morning for the first gathering and then wet again in the evening for the second gathering.