BS: Should i feed feral cat?

Subject: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 02:25 PM

Alright, go a bit of a dilemma here. This big cat has appeared in my garden, and looking at me cutely, so i've been feeding it. I don't know if it's wild or feral, it looks a bit wild so maybe it's half and half? It's huge compared to the other two cats i have, and very hairy.

I don't mind feeding it, the problem is (apart from the fact my dad would have me hung, drawn and quartered if he found out), am i interfering with it's ability to catch food by feeding it?

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: grumpy al
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 02:33 PM

feed it if you want to the cat will appreciate it but you will never interfer with it's ability to feed itself, cats are very like humans they have a predisposition to the easy life.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 02:41 PM

feed it if you like, but NEVER try to stroke it. They don't play!

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 02:57 PM

Lol, i wasn't planning to. Looks like it could take my arm off, it's bloody huge.

I have two cats anyway, the first, Pepsi, we got from a lady who couldn't keep her anymore as she'd move to a smaller house, and the sceond just appeared out of nowhere as a kitten, so we called her Burglar. I think Burglar was the offspring of a feral cat, but she's now extremly tame and affectionate. She might be related in some way to the strange cat, except she must have been the runt cos she's tiny...maybe that's why she broke into the house, looking for food and affection...

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:13 PM

Definitely feed it! Any recipe that you decide to use it in will turn out much better if the cat is well fed.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:22 PM

Lol! I'll bear that in mind when i'm making my famous fried feral feline fritters...

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: My guru always said
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:37 PM

Yes, feed it, especially if the weather's bad.

Hopefully your own cats won't have any problems with the feral(?) cat. If they do, you may need to discourage it as your garden should be your cats territory & this could lead to more problems. Also beware if it's a 'full' tom-cat, smelly, territorial etc.

As to touching it, if it is 'wild' or 'feral' it may take a long time for it to trust you enough. I've persevered with 2 very feral cats over the years. The first one took me 6 months before it would let me touch him.

If it's really living on the streets it may get into all sorts of trouble & could turn up on your doorstep obviously needing a Vet's treatment. That's a good reason to gain it's trust & get to the point where you can touch it. If you can eventually get it to a Vet, then a full check-up is worth doing, with necessary jabs & possibly the 'snip' too.

This all sounds expensive, but is something to think about at the start of your friendship. Lots to think about.

Of course, it could be a 'lost' cat & someone is missing it terribly??

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Rapparee
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:37 PM

Is it a housecat gone wild (feral) or a native wild cat of some such? Either one will hurt you, but a bobcat, lynx, wildcat or other such will rip you arm off.

I'd call the animal control people.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:46 PM

That doesn't sound like a feral cat, it sounds more like a wandering Tom who fancies his chances with Pepsi or Burglar, or both. He's very likely got a home somewhere. Toms have quite big terrritories, especially ifvthe haven't been neutered. Or he might have decided he prefers moving around and getting fed by nice ladies - you can get more meals that way.

If you feed him he might decide to stick around, so you'd best ask Pepsi and Burglar if they want him to stay.

We used to have that every now and again, but since both our female cats had been spayed, the didn't show much interest in the poor lads' advances, so they moved off in time.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:50 PM

I don't think it's lost, my dad has seen it wandering around for years (so it's obviously quite old). From the smell, i'd say it was a tom, but i haven't seen it acting all macho...both my cats are females, and seem to be fairly unconcerned with such things! :0)They've both been spayed.

If it is a wild cat, it's a Scottish wildcat...they're considerably smaller than other wildcats i think. I don't think it's all wild anyway, as it acts like a domestic cat quite lot, ie. it approaches to within two feet of me and miaows plaintively when looking to be fed.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: My guru always said
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:55 PM

Sounds like it's found a good friend :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:58 PM

I am feeding a ferral cat,when hes hungry he comes to be fed.My cat doesnt seem to mind as i think she knows i am trying to help a less fortunate one than her.So carry on feeding it but remember it may disappear without a thank you!!!!!.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 04:07 PM

I found some interesting information about thbe Scottish wildcat at this big cats

website. Having looked at the pictures i can see a definite resemblance, and i can also see a similarity to Burglar...it's like she was a white cat, and someone painted patches of wildcat on her :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 04:19 PM

Feral cats steer clear of humans. If this one is coming around and crying plaintively for food, I doubt it is feral. Feral kittens can be tamed simply by handling them early enough. Feed the poor dear and don't be surprised if he decides to visit indoors.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 04:35 PM

If this cat is big, as in fat, then he likely isn't living off the land, he's living out of cat dishes. Not a typical feral profile or behavior.

Except for the fact that I know at least two of my neighbors feed the neighborhood strays, I might feed it. I would, however, be leery of a stray cat because of the possible Feline AIDS and Feline leukemia problems. Are yours indoor cats? Even if yours have been immunized, you still need to be careful. Be sure you wash your hands between handing this outdoor cat and his stuff and your housecats. If yours are outdoor cats then they've probably already exchanged germs.

Both of my cats were strays before our mutual decision to adopt each other. Now they stay in the house. Neither one was remotely "feral," but both were apparently young, lost, and wandering around our neighborhood.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 04:44 PM

Well, that's why i was making the distinction between feral and wild...wild being a different species, feral being a domestic cat who is no longer domesticated, if you see what i mean. I think this one is a mixture of both. As i said, my dad had seen the cat around for many years, and he'd never asked for food until now. I think maybe his ability to hunt has been diminished by age, and he's seen the other two getting fed...

In some ways he behaves differently from domestic cats, he is a lot stealthier, and if you stare at him he just calmly returns your gaze, instead of getting all nervous and turning away like other cats... I don't know. after looking at pictures of purebred wildcats, i can certainly see a lot of resemblances.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 05:28 PM

Course, if i'm going to feed him i'd better give him a name...any ideas? :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 05:30 PM

Wildcats (the species) and domestic cats can interbreeed, and have kittens, so if you're living in the right part of Scotland it might be one of those.

I gather the way to identify a true wildcat from a big tabby living rough is that the wildcats have a tail that seems to be wider at the far end. (It shows in those pictures on the site you linked to, Blissful) That's apart from the fact that wildcats are a lot shyer of humans. A crossbred probably wouldn't have that distinctive tail, and might be a bit friendlier.

There's a distinction between a cat that is really feral, and living off the country, and which probably grew up that way, and a cat that is just a stray living off the kindness of strangers, which very likely used to live with some human family.

If he's just a randy Tom waiting for Pepsi and Burglar to come into season, he'll hang around until he realises they aren't going to, and then slope off. Unless he decides you are a good retirement home.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: freda underhill
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 05:42 PM

I have a feral cat i've been feeding for over a year. It's feral alright, runs away and hisses when I go near it. but has learnt to come and eyeball me or bleat plaintively when hungry. it wont feed until ive gone inside. but in the last month, it has let me hold out my hand, fist closed, and sniffs my hand. this is the closest contact i have achieved after a year and a half.

i have a domestic cat who lives with me, and another who lives between my place and my neighbour's place(my ex lives next door and we have joint custody!).

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: My guru always said
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 06:18 PM

Well done for persevering Freda! It's making a difference!

When my first feral/wild/stray cat called Scraggy (and Boy was he ugly) had to be put to sleep after enjoying his last years, there was literally a queue of cats doing a model catwalk up the garden path knowing there was a vacancy :-) The one who made my garden part of his territory I called 'Wolfie'.

A name will suggest itself....

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 06:21 PM

There's always "Mudcat".

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 06:30 PM

Brilliant!

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: freda underhill
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 06:35 PM

thanks guys, my feral does have a name - Soxy (a black/dark brown cat with white socks) - but we dont know if its a he or a she - hasnt let us get close enough!

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 06:37 PM

Where my office is in Shanghai there are a number of feral cats and I am feeding one now who is a cute black and white cat with crossed eyes.

When I was in the RN I spent some time at both Portsmouth and Chatham RN dockyards. They had a huge population of feral cats who were large and very fierce. In winter they lived in the underground runs where the dockyard steam supply pipes ran through.

In Chatham, because it was a non tidal (locked) basin dockyard, ships could not discharge anything into the water which included food that had not been eaten and went throught the gash gobbler. So after meal times the waste food went into special skips. The cats all knew the human feeding times and gathered in large numbers for breakfast, dinner, supper and 9 O'clockers. They were never culled as they kept the rat population down.

There was even a study done on them in the 70's by a Portsmouth Poly researcher.

Pity the poor drunk matelot who retruning from a run a shore who tried to pet one of these beasties.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Deckman
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 07:34 PM

Great question for a website on folk music. Everyone knows that folksingers are always suckers for animals.

Two questions and one piece of advice:

Is it a Democrat?

Is it a Republican?

Advice: Feed it a little, watch it very carefully, don't extend your fingers. (by the way, my most successful "wimmen" friends started out as ferrals)!

O.K. I know the rules. I'l find my guitar case and quietly sneak out the back door!!!! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 07:51 PM

Sadly a lot of 'Pet' cats finish up on the loose , due to family changes or moving to a different area . IF yours is one of those , Bliss it may well have had some unpleasant experiences , making it wary of people . If it is a feral cat , you wont get near it , but it will still appreciate the food , then move on in its own time .

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Bobert
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 08:43 PM

Another consideration...

First, yer, feed the poor thing but...

...this cat will take up residence somewhere undewr your house or some other place safe, yet close to the food bowl but...

...may also no be a "fixed" cat. Hmmmmmmmm? So, should if be a female feral cat and not fixedm you are going to have lots of company in late winter meaning that you are going to have to trap it and take it and have it fixed!

If not, yer screwed. You will have a bunch of wild cats living under yer house...

But, yeah. Feed it...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Cats at Work
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 04:43 AM

We have 2 school cats which were feral, Mumsie and her kitten (now 7years old), Joshua. Both are now neutered. Mumsie is now as tame as anything but Joshua only likes to be near people on her own terms and the only ones she will let touch her are those who feed her on a regualr basis. In 1999, Mumsie won the Arthurs 'National Cat of the Year' Competition for her work in helping Autistic youngsters cope in a mainstream school. Both her and Joshua are still living off her winnings. So, Feral cats? Feed it? Yes, most definitley.

Cats

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: ossonflags
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 05:57 AM

If you whant to find out if it is a wild cat, sprinkle a little petrol on it then ignite.If it raises it's eyebrows more than a tad, you have got yourself a wild cat !

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Davetnova
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 06:12 AM

If it was a Wildcat the chances are you'd never see it and if you did it would be fleeting glances and not very many. They are considerably bigger than most domestics. If your dad's seen it around for years but it only started coming for food it could mean anything from it's housemates moving or changing to a different brand of catfood or it could just fancy one of your cats, BUT if it is staring at YOU beware.....

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 01:02 PM

If the cat is old or infirm, a warm, dry place to sleep would not be amiss. Not too big, though.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: sue exhull
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 02:28 PM

Hello   I used to feed a 'stray cat' when I lived in Hull, it started with one, who told her mate, she told her mates, and I ended up with 5 !! Eventually some got fed up with it all and I was left with 1, a big black and white, I called him Blackie :) I bought him a kennel and he lived in my Garden(away from my dogs) for 3 years, he did go away during the day,after breakfast(unless the weather was bad) and he'd come back every night for tea, Sometimes Id bring him in for a warm,the dogs ignored him and he learnt to ignore the dogs, but he would only stay about 20 mins, then want out again, he cost me a bomb, but he was worth it, one night my son came round to see me and after he left he rang me to say he thought my Blackie was dead on the roadside, I went to look and it was him, I was heartbroken :(, the guilt I felt was terrible, if I hadnt fed him he wouldnt have crossed the road to come for his tea, but, at least he got well fed for 3 years, he probably went home during the day! Keep feeding your cat, he might adopt you for good eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 04:06 AM

So thats where the bugger went!
- Postman Pat

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: sue exhull
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 05:53 AM

Hee Hee yep sorry :)

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 09:38 AM

NO.
Unless you feed it squirrels.
RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: KathWestra
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 08:16 PM

My big tabby Zeke turned up on my back deck just about a year ago--very hungry, skinny, flea-ridden, and skittish. I fed him for about a month, then coaxed him into my basement one pouring-rain September Saturday, where I set him up with a bed, a litter box, and food/water bowls. He was away from my other two (you never want to bring an unknown new cat in without getting it checked out by a vet). So I called my vet, and asked her if she'd check Zeke out. (By the way, once a cat is named, all is basically lost.). She said sure, and told me to try to get Zeke in a carrier, and to drop him off on my way to work on Monday. He went into the carrier like a lamb, and checked out clean for FIV and feline leukemia. She gave him a one-year rabies shot. and a de-flea/de-worm treatment. He had already been fixed, but clearly had been living outdoors for awhile.
I picked him up on my way home, brought him upstairs, and he has been happily living with Marble and Buddy for the last year. We think he was abandoned by someone who moved (which my vet tells me happens a LOT), because he got really upset and anxious and skittish while I was packing to move from Maryland to Maine. I reassured him frequently that I would not abandon him, and now that we're here, he's just fine again.

That said, you DO need to be careful about stray or feral cats. I got my face quite badly mauled by another cat who came around for food a couple of years ago. Ended up with cat scratch fever, which is no joke. So prudence is always a good idea. Kathy

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: freightdawg
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 12:20 AM

The Mrs. and I captured a little feral kitten that had taken residence in our backyard. We first started feeding her by the back fence, and slowly moved the food closer to the house. Then we moved her food inside the house but kept the door open. One night I snuck outside while she was munching and closed the door. The poor little thing went berserk in the house for about 2-3 minutes (or hours, it was a little confusing) but then collapsed in a terrified little heap. We managed to wrap a blanket around her and move her to a bedroom where she could "acclimatize" for a while. We set her up a litter box (which she used immediately) and fed her in "her" room. We would play games with her and left her plenty of toys to amuse herself. After a couple of weeks we left the door open so she could roam the house. It took a long time and a major surgery (spaying), but she has turned into a beautiful cat. She is still extremely skittish, but little by little she becomes more loving and trusting every day. I wouldn't trade her for any cat alive today. When I think about my life there is little that I do not have any regrets about. Saving that little kitten's life is one of the few things I think I have done right.

Freightdawg

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Cllr
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 11:41 AM

*just joining thread*
Depends on what are you going to feed it to...
*runs leaving thread*

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: jeffp
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 03:46 PM

My sister lives in rural West Virginia and has 5 cats, all of them former strays. She seems to attract them. The latest is Raalph (he named himself), a handsome male. He started hanging around in the late spring. After some soul-searching, my sister fed him. He promptly disappeared for 3 weeks. Well, he started hanging around again, so she started feeding him regularly. He got less and less skittish, so she trapped him and took him to the vet for testing. He tested negative, so she had his balls lopped off and set him loose again. Amazingly, he didn't run away. He is now part of the family. She sent me pictures this week of Raalph relaxing with both humans.

Another happy ending.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 09:11 PM

The exact date escapes me but cats have been keeping human pets for something like 11 thousand years. One day they'll have us domesticated.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 12:56 AM

Feral cats should be fed - into a shredder.

They do terrible damage to wildlife.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 01:00 AM

Well, i kind of want it to do terrible damage to wildlife. Especially rodents, who would, given half a chance, do terrible damage to my wiring...:0)

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 04:44 PM

Learned a good trick from the vet this week, when we revived a very chilled, very little abandoned kitten. Wasn't breathing, and I could not feel a heartbeat. But the farmer's rule is, if it ain't stiff, warm it before you assume it's dead. It did indeed revive, with lots of brisk towel-rubbing and a hot water bottle, but I thought it also needed a lookover and a glucose boost, so we went to see Doc Carlin. She plopped a cotton swab-full of Karo corn syrup in its mouth, and this stimulated appetite so the kitten formula was soon sucked down quite noisily. Seems the sugar absorbs right through the gums and tongue, and presto! Not too much, maybe a total of a half teaspoon for the 3/4 pound it weighed. She says more is bad for them. But that bit did the trick.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: My guru always said
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 05:51 PM

Brill Tip Susan, may come in handy to save a life one day - well worth knowing! Thanks :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 22 Nov 04 - 02:45 AM

You could call him Errol the the Feral

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Cluin
Date: 22 Nov 04 - 05:15 AM

Sure, feed the wild kitty.

But keep in mind this little parable from Al Wilson...



On her way to work one morning, down the path alongside the lake
A tender-hearted woman saw a poor half-frozen snake
His pretty coloured skin had been all frosted with the dew
'Poor thing,' she cried, 'I'll take you in and I'll take care of you'

Take me in, oh tender woman
Take me in, for heaven's sake
Take me in, oh tender woman, said the snake

She wrapped him up all cozy, in a comforter of silk
Then she laid him by her fireside with some honey and some milk
When she hurried home from work that night, as soon as she'd arrived
She found that pretty snake she'd taken in had been revived

Take me in, oh tender woman
Take me in, for heaven's sake
Take me in, oh tender woman, said the snake

Now she clutched him to her bosom, 'You're so beautiful,' she cried
'But if I hadn't brought you to my home, by now you might have died'
She stroked his pretty skin, and then she kissed and held him tight
Instead of saying thank you, that snake gave her a vicious bite

Take me in, oh tender woman
Take me in, for heaven's sake
Take me in, oh tender woman, said the snake

'I saved you,' cried the woman, 'And you've bit me, tell me why?
You know your bite is poisonous and now I'm going to die'
'Shut up, you silly woman,' said the reptile with a grin
'You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in'

Take me in, oh tender woman
Take me in, for heaven's sake
Take me in, oh tender woman, said the snake

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: freda underhill
Date: 22 Nov 04 - 05:32 AM

One afternoon i was sitting on the back verandah of my sister's farm, sipping a cup of tea, reading a book and listening to the water from the river down below. after an hour or so i got that strange feeling you get when you feel someone looking at you. I looked up but there was no one there and i kept reading. i looked up again, and there was a huge diamond python coiled around the top of the verandah post. I froze, and just sat as still as i could watching it, not wanting to scare it into action. I noticed it seemed to be jerking its head in a strange way, rubbing it back and forward on the post. it was as if it was scratching an itch, rubbing its head back and forward. after a while i could see it was shedding its skin, slowly rubbing back and forward, peeling off the old, dry, transparent skin as the new improved snake emerged.

After a while my sister came out and i whispered to her to watch out.

She laughed and said, oh, dont worry, that's Fred, he lives in the roof. we like having him here, he keeps the rats and mice away.

what did fred look like?

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: GUEST,lpaso
Date: 13 Dec 04 - 12:43 PM

Hi, This is a little off topic,but our cat Smokey(7yrs old,neutered male,he weighs probably about 8lbs maybe a bit more) He's decided to hang out at house a block or so behind our house. Its like he's picked a new place to live. We can't figure out why he never comes home anymore. He started out as an indoor kitty when he was small. But we live in the desert in texas and he had free roam, and lots of hunting so he's been an outdoor/indoor whenever he wants for the last 7 years. All of the sudden hes just stop coming home. The nice lady where he's been living/hanging out said it took her a week or so before she got brave enough to look at the tag ("he's so big!"). Once she did she brought him home and told us where she lived. Its really not far away. She also said that she'd been feeding him regularily, but now she would stop since she knew he had a home.   She does have an indoor female cat, but she is spayed. We don't understand. He's got free roam of our house, plenty of food and water. We do have a dog we got Dec 2003 but they acclimated to each other just fine. The dog will sniff and smokey will let the dog know in no uncertain terms to back off! They don't bother each other. Anybody got any ideas why our Smokey has chosen a new home? How do I get my cat to come home regularily again like he use to?

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Cluin
Date: 13 Dec 04 - 01:52 PM

Cats! You do and do and do and do for them. And this is the thanks you get.

"Well, up till now, the chicken soup's been pretty good, y'know..."

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: freda underhill
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 03:11 AM

Today, my feral cat soxy let me stroke him/her for the first time. he came up to me, and just sat there looking like he wanted patting. I stroked him on the back, and scratched the back of his neck. he seemed to be enjoying it and than scared the life out of me by hissing and scratching me. later today he/she has started coming into the house, eyeballing me.

ii i could work out how to tame a feral cat, i might be able to work out how to tame a feral human!

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 05:45 AM

A buddy of mine was feeding a "stray" and it became friendly enough to attempt to come in the house. He gently nudge it away from the door and was scratched. Within a few days he lost three toes and a portion of his foot. My ex was feeding a stray and it became friendly. I heard a great commotion on the deck one day and discovered him pinning our older female cat to the deck, clawing her severely and pissing on her. The abscess at the base of her tail was bad by the time we noticed it and got her to the vet. As well, there are several nasty diseases that your cats (?, sorry, didn't read thread completely) can catch from other cats. I vote no on feeding any animal I don't know.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: 42
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 09:22 AM

My outdoor cats (3) have adopted a skunk with whom they share everything willingly.
It's been around for a couple of years now without incident although I have never tried to 'stroke' it.

I guess a beware of skunk sign might warn prospective burglars off!

j

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 09:46 AM

Hmmm, 42 0 reminds me of those 'Pepe Le Phew' cartoons.. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: hilda fish
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 01:10 AM

Feed the little buggar I say but don't assume the cat is now your cat or wants to be your cat or is going to be nice, or is going to let you stroke her/him. Poor little creature is dependent on humans anyway; alternative is hunting down birds etc. (or killing rats and mice but they are usually already carrying poison). I feed feral/lost whatever cats as the mood takes me and I enjoy that we eyeball, have a bit of a chat, and then off they go. Maybe they/it will turn up again, maybe not, but at least that feed was nice. And yes, they're all Pepe Le Phew - that's cats for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Teresa
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 01:29 AM

I am a firm believer in spaying/neutering, especially if you live in an urban area. That way there aren't yet more of the poor homeless dearies. There are already far too many potential pets without homes who'll have to be euthanized!

Teresa

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: GUEST,Cat-A-Dine
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 01:34 AM

Yes, you should feed the feral cat to a feral dog.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: freda underhill
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 02:49 AM

Almost three years since soxy employed me as his slave, I can report that he is domesticated to the point of enjoying being picked up, being affectionate and courteous (no more scratching) and wanting friendship as well as food. But he is still a bit peculiar, not like an ordinary domesticated cat, and while i let him come in occasionally for a few minutes, that's all.

Last night when I got home another cat was waiting quite determinedly outside my door, miaowing loudly and demanding to be let in. It was a large, dark, mottled cat with big green eyes, and a long furry tail. Because the cat had no collar, I suspected another attempted adoption, and was trying to get in quickly when I saw the cat was caught in a plastic bag and couldn't get out. I decided to let it in, got rid of the plastic bag, and then had to deal with a very friendly and amiable big cat which just would not go out. He ignored gentle persuasion, firm directions, clapping, shouting and chasing, and just sauntered around me & the house like I was his long lost friend. I rang my neighbour (a musician, who was at a gig out of town) - and after extensive discussions just took the assertive method, picked him up & removed him. He sat outside for another two hours howling to be let in, but has wandered off to greener pastures today.

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 03:16 AM

Awwwwwwww.....

My aunt feeds a whole village worth of feral cats. There are about a dozen and all are regularly vetted, microchipped back to her and in good health. It's a farming community with lots of horses around. The spilled feed attracts mice and they attract the cats. The cats do a community service by keeping the mice down, and my aunt keeps the cats healthy. A starving cat will not hunt unnecessarily, it's a waste of what little energy they have... so she makes sure they get a few good meals a week (more in winter) and checks them over. She gets the minor toms neutered and the females spayed (if she can catch them in time), but leaves the Alpha tom whole. He makes a better hunter that way, and he's been seen catching for other cats. The villagers are very fond of their feral cat population. Each cat has its own favourite 'house' where they'll get attention, but none of them has a permanent home. If you ever go to Abbotsbury in Dorset, stop at the Swan Inn. If a short, pale tabby cat comes to inspect your car, that's the Alpha tom.

Remember that magic sign that Gandalf put on Bilbo's front door in 'The Hobbit'.. the one that said 'adventurer lives here' or somesuch? I reckon cats do the same. There's an invisible (to humans) sign on certain doors that says 'free food here', 'don't come in here unless you want your knadgers removed' and 'clean bed sheets today, come in if you're muddy'....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 03:47 AM

A fairly well known and widely posted web picture:

Why the Dog Left.

This one appears to be quite tame(?). I wonder what variety it is.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 04:03 AM

JohninKansas - that's not a cat, that's a Newfoundland dog in a costume!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Should i feed feral cat?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 04:36 AM

"Should i feed feral cat?"

No!!!