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It looks like 3 different cats. The food will draw coons, possums and neighborhood dogs - depending where you live. Coyotes also like cat food.
I know. I'm not ignoring this aspect, just trying to figure out a solution that allows for letting the cats feed.
I'm not in the right place for neighborhood dogs though. Still have leash laws and stuff, and people follow them. There's been exactly one wandering dog incident that I've seen in almost 10 years, just one that got away for a minute from a neighbor.
I wish I could figure out a way to feed the cats without drawing the wildlife. I don't have a particular issue with possums (which are benign to beneficial), and nor do cats usually, apparently (most of the time they leave each other alone supposedly), but I don't need it to eat all the food. Also I don't want it to progress to raccoons which are actually destructive. I don't know if there are any coons around but there could be. I don't have a problem with coyotes as a whole but in this scenario don't really want one coming up to the house or killing the cats. I suspect in the very immediate vicinity there are not coyotes, but that doesn't mean one couldn't come through now and then so I wouldn't dismiss that idea out of hand.
Cats may well feed anytime but these ones are not showing any indication that they will come during the day. Not sure what that means but so far that's what we've got. There hasn't been so much as a cat walk by during the day in the last, hm, 4 or 5 days I guess that the camera has been this way and left on all day.
Location: Los Angeles>Little Rock>Houston>Little Rock
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We feed several outdoor cats and the food draws skunks, raccoons, and possums. We just bring the food in when it is just starting to get fully dark. If we forget we can watch all of the above feeding with our night vision web cam. The cats will just sit in the patio chairs watching the other animals.
It's just one of these: Amazon.com: Foscam FI8910W Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera with Two-Way Audio and Night Vision (Black): Camera & Photo Pointing it out the window has one main issue: glare from the window. You get glare from any lights on in the house, enough to completely blind it depending upon the position of the lighting. And you get glare from the camera itself. The "lights" on the camera are actually mostly infrared if I understand it right, but it will still glare off the window if too close or pointed exactly straight at it. Other than that it's not bad. Setup for things like the still captures (which it sends via email) could be a little tricky for the non-technical. But when looking for one last year I looked at several and all the easier setup units had other drawbacks, either much more expensive or did not have remote tilt and pan. Although I will say after having it for a while the tilt and pan is interesting but not strictly necessary for what I use it for after all. I got it to monitor Amber, and in doing that I mostly aim it at HER food bowl as well.
I don't think it is a good idea to invite these cats and the other nocturnal guests to your house. Territorial fights can ensue and your own cat could be in danger. I've lost too many outdoor cats to wildlife over the years to even let my cats in the last 15 years outside. If Amber does not go outside she is safe but otherwise it could be a problem.
I don't think it is a good idea to invite these cats and the other nocturnal guests to your house. Territorial fights can ensue and your own cat could be in danger. I've lost too many outdoor cats to wildlife over the years to even let my cats in the last 15 years outside. If Amber does not go outside she is safe but otherwise it could be a problem.
Amber has never been outside in her life beyond sticking her head out the door when I am standing there to push her back in (and she doesn't even do that unless I purposely encourage it; she doesn't try to get outside after 16 years of being inside). Oh, back when I had a 3rd fl apartment with balcony I invited her out supervised once or twice to investigate that, but that was 10 years ago. Otherwise the only way she has been outside is in a carrier between car and building. She was not born outside either.
That said, she has exchanged "words" with the one cat through the window, watched that happen "live" last night as the cat came early. But I suspect that has happened from time to time over the last several months at least (since the construction out there has gotten more complete) whether invited or not. It sort of all falls into place when looking at Amber's behavior sometimes regarding her appearing to look for something outside. My main deal is to try to find if these cats are stray/feral and if so attempt to TNR. Their schedule and reactions and some of their habits and such do seem to suggest feral from more recent reading. The one looks right in through the glass but seems to be looking for Amber not for us and not really to get in I don't think.
Amber is not in any danger. It's possible I should push this stuff a bit farther away from the house, or at least away from the glass door, it's true. It's a bit of an experiment and don't want it to be detrimental to any of the cats but I also want to help if necessary. I keep trying different things; last night I put the food up on the chair that is visible in one of the pics. Only the tabby/white cat visited, and even at the later time did not appear to get up there for it. No sign of the fluffy cat or possum last night. Arrangement of things is made difficult by not really wanting to put it in what is generally still the mud that surrounds my patio construction project. I still have a hill of excavated dirt (from the trench that is now a low retaining wall to hold the patio material in) and other various obstacles. Plus the idea of monitoring with the camera has taken hold now, but I can probably find a way to still do that even if I move things. (They make outdoor safe versions of such cameras.) But I don't think moving any of the stuff, or even taking it away, will really deter the one cat from interacting with Amber through the glass.
Homeless people might eat cat food too don't forget that.
If you keep leaving food out a stray might be very attracted to coming around your house more often.
Oh, yeech!
Years ago, we had a possum eating our cat food, she disappeared, then showed up with a "pouch" filled with babies.We didn't have the heart to shoo her away....we even named her Martha---the marsupal.
I know. I'm not ignoring this aspect, just trying to figure out a solution that allows for letting the cats feed.
Gotta be some solution but what I don't know.
What works for us should work for you. I hope. Cats will quickly learn when the food it out there for them. I put the food for the strays out twice a day only. Once in the morning and again a few hours before sundown. At sundown I bring any food in that was not eaten. Coons and other pests come around AFTER dark, not during the day. I try to put out no more than the cats will eat. If you leave food out 24/7 you are going to attract all kinds of pests including field mice and wood rats.
What works for us should work for you. I hope. Cats will quickly learn when the food it out there for them. I put the food for the strays out twice a day only. Once in the morning and again a few hours before sundown. At sundown I bring any food in that was not eaten. Coons and other pests come around AFTER dark, not during the day. I try to put out no more than the cats will eat. If you leave food out 24/7 you are going to attract all kinds of pests including field mice and wood rats.
If you leave food out after dark, you may see this. One of my neighbors was nice enough to fill the bowl with cat food when I wasn't home to attract the skunks. These are baby skunks.
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Homeless people might eat cat food too don't forget that.
Cats will quickly learn when the food it out there for them. I put the food for the strays out twice a day only. Once in the morning and again a few hours before sundown. At sundown I bring any food in that was not eaten. Coons and other pests come around AFTER dark, not during the day. I try to put out no more than the cats will eat. If you leave food out 24/7 you are going to attract all kinds of pests including field mice and wood rats.
