How Often Feed Ferals?

[jefferson cat]

hello all. 5 feral cats were born in our backyard 3 years ago, a couple kittens left the fold, so we now have momma and 3 siblings living outside our house. feeding schedule follows:

7am/dawn = 1st feeding, as soon as first cat shows up, they must be fed, per my wife
12-1 pm = 2nd feeding from mother in law, who gives them hard food
6pm = 3rd feeding - the problem here is my wife and I constantly argue about who has to come home from work early to feed the cats, as she is concerned if they aren't fed at same time every day, they will leave and not come back.

I feel the need to feed at specific times is unreasonable, and 3 times a day is too much as it is.
i say feed the ferals in the morning at a reasonable time, let mother-in-law feed them in later afternoon, and we can feed them whenever we get home, after 7 or 8, or whenever we get home.

am I the unreasonable one here? do cats need to be fed at specific times, and if they are not, is there a chance they will leave and not come back? my life has turned into a full-time job, where we can't take vacations anymore, and I can't make plans without taking into account one of us being home to feed the cats at 6PM. mother-in-law can only feed once a day, she does not give them wet food.

thanks for your feedback.

 

[msaimee]

When I cared for outdoor feral cats, I left dry food out for them on my porch from sunrise to sunset. When starlings invaded I switched to a bird proof pet feeder. I gave them wet food twice a day when they were hanging out on my porch. You can't overfeed outdoor cats too easily because they burn up a lot of calories especially in the winter time.

 

[jpatootie]

They won't leave, if 'their' schedule isn't perfectly adhered to. I've had backyard ferals for years. I would never consider rushing home, or leaving work early to feed them. They'll be fine. Your wife sounds very attached to them. She might enjoy letting them wait for her to get home to feed them, as she would most likely get a grand welcome from them.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I feed AM and PM and also leave dry food out from sunrise to sunset. I feed wet food in the morning and wet food in the evening. I then pick up all food at sunset as I do not want other critters. I try to stick to feeding around the same time each day, but it can vary an hour here or there.

The most important thing when feeding the feral cats is that they are all spayed/neutered. If you are feeding them, you are making them strong to continue breeding.

Thank you for caring for the cats. It takes lots of dedication!