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For years I toss leftovers out the back door for the racoons and skunks or whatever out there may be hungry. Possums are the usual customers. Tonight I turned on the light over the steps and saw a small fuzzy kitten go down and run under them. It had been eating from an old baking pan I leave out there on the small stoop to dump my cat's leftovers on. It can't be more than 5 weeks old judging by it's uncertain steps and small size. The light is dim so I couldn't catch what color it was. It looked like a medium haired gray kitten. But in that light it could be almost any dark color.
By the time I got my shoes on and a flashlight, it was gone.
What will Sheba do to it when she comes across it. It must have been dumped off today sometime. We were out for awhile.
If you put food out, of course you are going to get stray cats.
It is very impractical to feed wild animals. And against the law in most places. Rabies being the main reason, probably.
I strongly advise you to stop putting "food scraps" outside. Dispose of it in the trash.
Most human food isn't appropriate for wild animals anyway. In fact, it is downright bad for them.
And worse, what do you suppose happens to them when you leave for the winter? These animals that are used to surviving on handouts? They starve to death, because they have not learned how to forage and hunt for themselves.
Let the wild things eat what nature intended them to eat.
I agree with Catsmom, leaving food out is asking for problems. When I met & moved in with my wife in the early 90's, she was putting food out for a couple of semi feral cats that had taken up residence on her front porch. Our house is located in residential neighborhood but next to heavily wooded railroad property, and the cat food she put out was a magnet for all kinds of critters... raccoons, skunks, possums, foxes, not to mention other stray cats. These visitors became a nightly occurrence and went on for a year or so until the outside cats moved on & we stopped putting food out. We never did it any more after that. Lesson learned.
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No way to tell for sure, but I don't think Sheba will harm the kitten, unless it gets too close to her... even then she may not. They're outside & should be able to avoid each other.
If you put food out, of course you are going to get stray cats.
Especially when they're dumped them right here at the curve.
It is very impractical to feed wild animals. And against the law in most places. Rabies being the main reason, probably.
I strongly advise you to stop putting "food scraps" outside. Dispose of it in the trash.
Most human food isn't appropriate for wild animals anyway. In fact, it is downright bad for them. [/quote]
If wild animals aren't eating fruit, veggies and meat - what are they eating? Sorry but I disagree with you. I've been doing it for 20 years. How can vegetables and meat be harmful for animals that eat these things naturally?
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And worse, what do you suppose happens to them when you leave for the winter?
What makes you think I'm putting several pounds of food a day out there so they don't have to seek their own meals? Or that there's leftovers every day? I'm not that wealthy. Most nights there are no leftovers or food trimmings. If even on possum had to depend on our leftovers it would starve to death quickly.
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These animals that are used to surviving on handouts?
Surviving on handouts? My husband and I are two seniors - how many pounds of food a day to you think I put out there?
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They starve to death, because they have not learned how to forage and hunt for themselves.
Let the wild things eat what nature intended them to eat.
OMG! I can't believe you. You must think I cook 10 lbs of food a day for my DH and myself, eat a bit, then toss rest out for the critters.
Let me repeat: Many nights there are no leftovers, from us or the cats. I try and cook just what we eat per meal or enough for 2 nights so there is no waste. Scraps consist of meat trimmings (fat, gristle) a few TBSs vegetables not worth saving, a few TBSs canned cat food (meat) and sometimes over-ripe fruit. The same things all the creatures here eat in nature. What we toss out wouldn't support one small possum but the critters look forward to it. We have 2 small ponds on our property so nightly visitors for water check and see if there are any snacks out there for them.
What would that little kitten have had to eat last night if there were no scraps out there?
I agree with Catsmom, leaving food out is asking for problems. When I met & moved in with my wife in the early 90's, she was putting food out for a couple of semi feral cats that had taken up residence on her front porch. Our house is located in residential neighborhood but next to heavily wooded railroad property, and the cat food she put out was a magnet for all kinds of critters... raccoons, skunks, possums, foxes, not to mention other stray cats. These visitors became a nightly occurrence and went on for a year or so until the outside cats moved on & we stopped putting food out. We never did it any more after that. Lesson learned.
See my reply to Catsmom.
Let me clarify something here. You may not know that we have 2 small ponds right in front of our house that draw all these animals anyway, that drew them long before I started to put out scraps. And that includes dumped cats and dogs. These animals include deer, herons, rabbits, squirrels and wild turkeys in the daytime. At night we have the blue and red fox, possums, owls, skunks and raccoons - and we used to have the occasional coyote. We also have a wide variety of snakes and both box and two kinds of water turtles. These creatures also come for the pears that fall to the ground and both good and rejected vegetables from the garden. Would you suggest I stop gardening and fill in the ponds? Cut down the huge pear tree?
To get rid of these animals I would have to have both ponds filled, cut down the pear tree AND stop putting out the table scraps. The ponds are the biggest draw since TN summers are hot and mostly lacking in rain. I'm not about to do that. They're not only supplying these animals with water during our hot and humid summers, but are full of pollywogs, frogs and newts.
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Edit to add;
No way to tell for sure, but I don't think Sheba will harm the kitten, unless it gets too close to her... even then she may not. They're outside & should be able to avoid each other.
That's what we're hoping. We didn't see the kitten this morning but the woods are right behind my house. It could also be under the outbuilding.
Let me clarify something here. You may not know that we have 2 small ponds right in front of our house that draw all these animals anyway, that drew them long before I started to put out scraps. And that includes dumped cats and dogs. These animals include deer, herons, rabbits, squirrels and wild turkeys in the daytime. At night we have the blue and red fox, possums, owls, skunks and raccoons - and we used to have the occasional coyote. We also have a wide variety of snakes and both box and two kinds of water turtles. These creatures also come for the pears that fall to the ground and both good and rejected vegetables from the garden. Would you suggest I stop gardening and fill in the ponds? Cut down the huge pear tree?
To get rid of these animals I would have to have both ponds filled, cut down the pear tree AND stop putting out the table scraps. The ponds are the biggest draw since TN summers are hot and mostly lacking in rain. I'm not about to do that. They're not only supplying these animals with water during our hot and humid summers, but are full of pollywogs, frogs and newts.
That's what we're hoping. We didn't see the kitten this morning but the woods are right behind my house. It could also be under the outbuilding.
Sorry, I forgot you were in a rural area. I lived on a farm many moons ago, so I know what you're talking about. The problem that I described in my post was self-created (yours wasn't), and was meant as a cautionary tale to those who live in town or suburbs about leaving food out very close to your house.
BTW- been following your situation with Sheba, and you deserve credit for doing what you could to try and help her, even though in the end you may not be able to. Wish there was a better outcome for her & you.
I realize the cats are being dumped there anyway. And I know what you have been through,and are going through with Sheba, and how Callie came to you.
But I stand by my opinion. Regardless of what type of food, or how much or how little, or where you live, or any other circumstance you care to describe, you should not be putting food out for wild animals. Your food is processed for humans, it is not what they are meant to be eating.
Stray/feral cats should be fed in daytime only, all cat food should be picked up before nightfall, and no human food should be put out at all.
If not for any other reason, to protect yourself, your cats, and the stray cats dumped, from rabies.
But you are doing those animals no favors at all. Feeding wild animals can lead to malnutrition, overpopulation, it upsets the natural balance, encourages the animals to hang around, becoming a nuisance, spreads disease.
Sorry, I forgot you were in a rural area. I lived on a farm many moons ago, so I know what you're talking about. The problem that I described in my post was self-created (yours wasn't), and was meant as a cautionary tale to those who live in town or suburbs about leaving food out very close to your house.
When we lived down in town no one put scraps out because of the problems you mention. Townspeople know doing that not only draws stray cats and dogs, but rats and mice and 'coons and more. Out here in the boonies we're awash in wildlife. We're across the road from CORP land - thousands of acres that surround Percy Priest Lake. No one hunts there so the animal population is high. As the crow flies the lake is about 3/4 miles from us. All our trashcans are the locking type. But the ponds are the biggest draw. After they were put in in 1995 we noticed the number and diversity of wildlife on our property was raising rapidly.
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BTW- been following your situation with Sheba, and you deserve credit for doing what you could to try and help her, even though in the end you may not be able to. Wish there was a better outcome for her & you.
We are really heartbroken looking at the cage in here knowing she is alone out there. If only we could make her understand that if she left the others alone she would have a home for life. My husband, tender hearted soul that he is, keeps trying to lure her in for a visit hoping somehow she would work into the family - but she wont come in. Now she wont even let him pick her up, probably fearing he'll carry her back in. Sheba is her own worst enemy. She doesn't sit by the Catio spitting and hissing at the others anymore. She comes up, eats her food, barely looks at the Catio, and runs back down to the yard. It's like she's resigned to living in the garage. We believe she knows she can't intimidate or fight the others into leaving. She may understand they can't leave,.... that there is nowhere for them to go. We also believe she came to understand Callie was not going to let her have the sunroom and was willing to keep fighting for it. It was a stressful situation for all of us that for sure. It was a real surprise when she went to the door and cried to be let out.
I realize the cats are being dumped there anyway. And I know what you have been through,and are going through with Sheba, and how Callie came to you.
But I stand by my opinion. Regardless of what type of food, or how much or how little, or where you live, or any other circumstance you care to describe, you should not be putting food out for wild animals. Your food is processed for humans, it is not what they are meant to be eating.
You ignored my description and are focused on what you're choosing to believe. You're entitled to your opinion but I disagree and have my own opinion. I don't know what you mean by "processed." Cooked? That doesn't make food "bad" for animals to eat. If it did, us humans, an omnivorous animal, wouldn't reach reproductive age. We are mammals BTW.
Except for the cats they're all omnivores out there. Possums will eat anything. The others are vegetarians such as rabbits, squirrels and deer. They're not interested in meat scraps. They don't come up on the stoop.
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Stray/feral cats should be fed in daytime only, all cat food should be picked up before nightfall, and no human food should be put out at all.
What "human" food do you mean? I don't follow you reasoning. Meat scraps, Lima beans, 1/2 a baked potato, and leftover canned cat food aren't going to harm any cats that are dumped here - or racoons who are omnivorous and thrive and reproduce in towns on garbage and scraps alone. Scraps are put out after dinner so it's still daytime here though I doubt a hungry cat or 'coon looking for a snack would care.
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If not for any other reason, to protect yourself, your cats, and the stray cats dumped, from rabies.
All my cats are vaccinated for rabies. What do you suggest we do with the biggest wildlife draws we have - the ponds, the vegetable garden and that large pear tree? Why haven't you addressed those things?
My neighbor has a large livestock pond a few hundred feet from my house - do I tell him he has to fill it in? WATER will draw more animals than a handful of scraps a few times a week. I know this because I live here. It was seeing all the wildlife around all the time that gave me the idea to toss leftovers and scraps out for them instead of wasting them by throwing them in the trash.
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But you are doing those animals no favors at all. Feeding wild animals can lead to malnutrition, overpopulation, it upsets the natural balance, encourages the animals to hang around, becoming a nuisance, spreads disease.
So you believe I'm putting out many pounds of "processed human food" every night and feeding all the animals that come to my ponds.... where do you think I would find enough "processed human food" to cause malnutrition, overpopulation, upset the natural balance, encourage animals to hang around becoming a nuisance and spread disease? Do people buy barrels of this processed human food, waste, trimmings, leftovers etc from restaurants to feed the wild animals where you live causing all these issues? Where would anyone get enough scraps to cause all that damage to their wildlife? I know when I was a kid in NYC the pig farmers from NJ used to buy what was scraped from plates in restaurants to feed their hogs. It was sold in barrels. I never heard of anyone doing it to feed the wildlife where they lived.
Cooked food loses nutrients, so the wild animals who eat it aren't getting the proper nutrition. Whatever it is cooked in or added to it, also isn't good for them. As I said it doesn't matter what or how much or how often. People should not feed wild animals for this and the other reasons already stated.
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Sorry but I disagree with you. I've been doing it for 20 years. How can vegetables and meat be harmful for animals that eat these things naturally? 
I'm not that wealthy. Most nights there are no leftovers or food trimmings. If even on possum had to depend on our leftovers it would starve to death quickly. 
You must think I cook 10 lbs of food a day for my DH and myself, eat a bit, then toss rest out for the critters. 
Getting rid of animals....
I don't know what you mean by "processed." Cooked? That doesn't make food "bad" for animals to eat. If it did, us humans, an omnivorous animal, wouldn't reach reproductive age. We are mammals BTW. 
