To Feed or Not to Feed...
When a new cat appears in the garden, some cat-lovers immediately offer it some food; but is this always the right thing to do? If the cat is lost or abandoned it may be a lifesaver, but otherwise it may only cause problems for the cat and its real owner.
The cat might be on a specially medicated diet and ordinary cat food (and even more the popular dish of milk, which is bad for most cats) can compromise its health. The cat might be greedy and receiving extra meals may cause obesity. If the cat is new to the area and exploring its new neighbourhood, whilst not totally familiar with the outside of its new home, food offers may stop it from returning home altogether and we are then dealing with a lost cat.
This can also happen to “holiday cats”, which are in the care of a friendly neighbour with keys to the house. The cat misses the usual attention of its owners, gets bored and seeking human company it may venture further than usual with potentially disastrous circumstances. Every year, we receive requests from people to “collect a stray” which they have started feeding, unaware that they may have caused the problem in the first place.
How can you tell if a cat is lost or not? Lost cats are usually desperate and hungry and will eat anything but resist the temptation to start feeding the cat regularly. If a cat hangs about take it to the nearest vet, where they can scan for a microchip for free.
Find a local Scan Angel who will visit and scan the cat for you. These are often volunteers from local rescues.
Make extensive enquiries in the area. Particularly with young kittens, who cannot survive for long without regular feeding and cannot be left to fend for themselves. Look for posters, Facebook Posts and check in local vets.
Go online and find a template to make a paper collar. Put a message on to ask if this cat is owned and your contact details.
Feral cats
They look less fat and may be dirty and unkempt. They will usually behave in a shy and furtive manner and show fast reflexes when scared; unless they are used to the feeder they shoot off when a door opens, although they are hoping for a meal. To suggest, “do not feed them and they will go away” is cruel and neither helps the cats nor the people. It is a myth that feral cats are self-reliant.
If the cats are breeding, call in a rescue organisation as soon as possible. The cats can be trapped, neutered and returned to site where they can be monitored and fed.
Feral cats need at least one meal a day in order to remain healthy, this includes “working” cats in factories, hospitals etc.
For us animal workers it is important that feral cats are “attached” to certain sites so that we can recognise them all and have every single one neutered. If you monitor a feral cat site and notice a new cat appearing, make sure this cat is trapped and scanned ASAP (it could be an owned stray) and neutered if feral.
© Cat Action Trust 1977