How Much To Feed Ferals

[muffy]

How much do you guys feed your ferals? I have a little orange cat that comes to my front door and I give him 2 cans of Fancy Feast every morning and every night. I was worried if maybe this is too much. Sometimes when I come back to pick up his plate he is still sitting there and he hollers for more. One time I gave him 4 cans and he ate every bit of it. I won't do that again. I am afraid he might get sick. He acts like he is starving all the time. I saw on a TV show the other day that a cats stomach is only as big as a ping pong ball.
I have 4 ferals that I feed all together. I feed the rest of them on my deck in the back yard. I give them 2 cans of Friskies and 2 cans of Fancy Feast twice a day. I leave dry food and fresh water out all day for them. I feed them Blue Buffalo.
I was wondering how much I should be feeding the cats.
Muffy

 

[keeneland]

I am no expert but that seems to me that you are over feeding. There is also a good chance this cat has worms and is not getting the full benefit of the food he is getting. I would try to mix some worm meds into his wet food and go to mixture of one can of wet and a large red solo cup of dry food per day. After our ferals found they had a regular food source they slowed down on the eating and much prefer smaller snacks through out the day. This is much more do able with dry food than wet. Best wishes and thank you for caring!

 

[muffy]

I am no expert but that seems to me that you are over feeding. There is also a good chance this cat has worms and is not getting the full benefit of the food he is getting. I leave out their food

would try to mix some worm meds into his wet food and go to mixture of one can of wet and a large red solo cup of dry food per day. After our ferals found they had a regular food source they slowed down on the eating and much prefer smaller snacks through out the day. This is much more do able with dry food than wet. Best wishes and thank you for caring!

Thank you for replying. I never thought about him having worms. Can you recommend a brand of worm medicine I could give him? I don't like the idea of giving him over the counter meds but I doubt if a vet would give me some without seeing the cat. He won't let me touch him.

I agree I am overfeeding them. Any food they have left over the raccons and the possums come up at night and eat the left overs.

Thank you for your help.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yeah, that does sound like a lot of food. He should only need one 5.5oz can of Friskies per day if he's also getting dry food. I agree he probably has worms...I know orange&white uses Panacur for her feral, if you want you could PM her for advice. I know Drontal wouldn't work in food because it's way too bitter.

 

[kmbishop111]

It depends on what you're wanting to worm for. If you're concerned mainly with rounds and hooks, I would get some Strongid (Pyrantel Pamoate). It is in liquid form, and available OTC or you could call your vet and tell them your needing enough for your colony. It has a nice flavor, (don't ask how I know Lol), and is very forgiving if you happen to give too much. For say a 7 lb cat, I would give 1 1/2 mLs and then repeat in 2/3 weeks.

Panacur is another excellent option, and can be added to food for 3 consecutive days to take care of rounds, hooks, whips, and some tapes.

If you're seeing little segments that look like rice around the anal area, more than likely tapes. This is also available OTC. Look for something with Praziquantel for tapes. (Cats more times that not acquire tapes from eating a flea, but can also get by eating a rabbit, bird, rodent etc with tapes.)

I would make up a very small serving of wet food for each cat of something they can't resist. Just enough to make sure they're getting the dosage. I hope this helps.

**I am not a Vet and my advice should not be taken as that of a Vet. These are my opinions, and mine only. Always check with your Veterinarian before administering medication.**

 

[msaimee]

Use can order Drontal online without a script from a pharmacy overseas, I can PM you the link if you like. I've had no problem getting Drontal into my cats, just smash the pill up and mix it with tuna fish. You usually only need to administer one dose.

Most outdoor cats get parasites at one time or another. You didn't mention the weight of the cat. If he is eating a lot, but still slim, then he likely does have parasites. I wouldn't cut back on the amount of food you're feeding him until you get a dewormer in him.

I used to feed my outdoor feral a can of Fancy Feast in the morning and again in the evening, and I left dry food out during daylight hours. Cats need more calories in the winter, and in general outdoor cats burn more calories than indoor cats. If cats know there is a steady food source, they won't gorge themselves, unless they have parasites. You might also want to order Frontline Plus on Amazon or Ebay. Can you get close enough to your cat to dribble it between his shoulder blades while he eats? When cats get bad flea infestations, they can become very anemic, which will also increase their appetite.

 

[muffy]

Thanks everyone. You all have been a great help. I will call my vet tomorrow and see if I can get the meds from him. I don't know how much the cats weigh as they are all feral. I would guess Ralphie weight is about 8 pounds.