What do I feed a feral cat that keeps showing up at my door??

[ScubaCTB]

Seems weird that ever since January 1, this cat that always walks around like it's hunting, hangs around my patio. I do not like cats. But since it kept showing up, I left some tuna out there. Two days later the tuna was gone. The cat showed up again tonight. It has to be feral because I've never seen a cat always in hunting/crawling mode. Guess I probably shouldn't have fed it. But I think this guy/gal is my CTB soul mate. This cat has shown up like 9 of 11 days since the new year. It does not look domesticated.

Anyway I know people love cats. What do I feed it? Treats that it will like? I've let he/she hang around my place for about 30 minutes now.

 

[Abyssal]

I feed my cats dry food (one of those big heavy bags!) meant to help digestion and avoid stomach problems. I am no expert, but I bet it'd be beneficial for a feral cat.

That said, if you don't want to get straight up cat food, temptations go a long way. Just toss a few out there and the cat will go nuts, no need to even put it in a bowl or anything.

A little water can go a long way, never give a cat milk, uh avoid human food when possible because you never know what's bad for them.

Tell the kitty I said hi!

 

[ScubaCTB]

I feed my cats dry food (one of those big heavy bags!) meant to help digestion and avoid stomach problems. I am no expert, but I bet it'd be beneficial for a feral cat.

That said, if you don't want to get straight up cat food, temptations go a long way. Just toss a few out there and the cat will go nuts, no need to even put it in a bowl or anything.

A little water can go a long way, never give a cat milk, uh avoid human food when possible because you never know what's bad for them.

Tell the kitty I said hi!

LOL! I cooked myself some burgers and tots. Tried to give the cat some, but it didn't like it. I had to look up Temptations because the first thing i thought of there was the 1960s band! :) The cat treats are not cheap, or at least more than I thought cat treats would cost. If the cat shows up again tomorrow, I'll get Temptations! LOL! It is drinking water though now. Like a lot of it. Think it was parched??

 

[nightmare_moon]

I'd recommend really any cat food or just canned tuna, but most cooked meat should do fine. Remember that most cats are lactose intolerant so giving them milk is kinda a bad idea. I see a lot of first time cat owners and people who care for stray cats giving them milk because it's done in cartoons.

 

[Slow_Farewell]

Maybe it's your guide to what comes next?

 

[Anonperson1]

Cat food. He's your cat now

 

[Abyssal]

LOL! I cooked myself some burgers and tots. Tried to give the cat some, but it didn't like it. I had to look up Temptations because the first thing i thought of there was the 1960s band! :) The cat treats are not cheap, or at least more than I thought cat treats would cost. If the cat shows up again tomorrow, I'll get Temptations! LOL! It is drinking water though now. Like a lot of it. Think it was parched??

Haha yeah they can be pricey. My cats are picky fuckers so they demand only to most high end of food. It's worth trying cheaper cat treats though.

THEY DRINK SO MUCH WATER I love my kitties but god damn when they aren't drinking they are peeing. At least you don't need to worry about cat litter

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

Just cat food.
How is the cat looking? If it has a bit of belly it might be pregnant

 

[pole]

like others have mentioned, cat food.

dry food or wet food. there's affordable options for both. you can soak the kibble so you make sure that the cat is meeting their water needs as well.

but, wet food does that as well and there's cheap options like fancy feast, which are only like 90 cents a can.

also, perhaps check if the cat is chipped, maybe a lost pet? or, if they're in good shape, they could be an outdoor cat with an owner nearby.

nonetheless, I'm sure the cat will be appreciative of any help.

 

[iusedtobehappy]

Finally something I know something about. The kitty needs lots of water and just wet food. Merrick Limited Ingredient chicken would be good for him. Blue Buffalo dry food for nibbles but mostly wet food. Kitties don't drink enough water and that leaves them susceptible to UTIs. Also, hyperthyroidism is a thing for all kitties, so no store Meow Mix or Friskies or any of the crap foods. Blue Buffalo moist treats are good and fun for him. NO fish whatsoever ever. It contributes to the hyperthyroidism. Trust me, you do NOT want your kitty to get that! Treatment options suck for them and well, you are dealing with greedy vets. Lots and lots of toys and playtime. Clean litter box always. You are lucky he found you. He might just save your life.

Haha yeah they can be pricey. My cats are picky fuckers so they demand only to most high end of food. It's worth trying cheaper cat treats though.

THEY DRINK SO MUCH WATER I love my kitties but god damn when they aren't drinking they are peeing. At least you don't need to worry about cat litter

Oh wow, have you had them checked for hyperthyroidism or kidney issues? One of the symptoms is excessive drinking and peeing. How old are your kitties?

 

[ScubaCTB]

Just cat food.
How is the cat looking? If it has a bit of belly it might be pregnant

It's female I think...unless cat dicks are so small you can't see them. Don't think she's pregnant. Showed up again tonight.

@Abyssal said "Haha yeah they can be pricey. My cats are picky fuckers so they demand only to most high end of food. It's worth trying cheaper cat treats though."

I got the Temptations and holy crap...this cat chows down on those things!! I got some cheap dry food too. An ex-girlfriend of mine, who I broke up with because of her cat, used to squeeze the tuna water on the cat dry food. I'll maybe do that for a while, along with the treats, since this cat apparently won't leave. It's cold now so I get it. I'll be dead anyway. So even though I never, EVER liked cats, I'll let this one hang out. And when I saw it today outside, there was a dead mouse right by it...??? WTF??

@iusedtobehappy said "NO fish whatsoever ever. It contributes to the hyperthyroidism."

Is the tuna liquid bad for the cat too? I won't feed it anymore tuna or juice if that's the case.

@rhaenyra said "also, perhaps check if the cat is chipped, maybe a lost pet? or, if they're in good shape, they could be an outdoor cat with an owner nearby."

How would I know if a cat is chipped? It doesn't seem domesticated at all. It hissed at me when I picked it up tonight, hugged it and brushed it a little because the fur looked kind of nasty...but it didn't scratch or bite me or anything. And afterwards it jump on my desk when I was sitting there doing some work. I held the cat in my hands for like 30 seconds, and it let me do it (with some hissing then a few meows). So i don't know. Seems kind of wild and kind of calm.

Anyway thanks everyone. I hope to be dead soon. But this cat is providing some much-needed levity. Hope when I'm gone it finds a good person to live with. But I'm paranoid and it seems way too coincidental that this cat showed up right around New Year's, when I decided to definitely CTB.

 

[ScubaCTB]

Just cat food.
How is the cat looking? If it has a bit of belly it might be pregnant

I want to post a photo. But I can't find definitive instruction to delete metadata on photos.

She lets me brush her now, so looks good. She stank bad oo, and let me wipe a semi-wet, soapy rag on her (with some hissing though). Probably old or older. like 8-9 years old. But looks healthy as long as she has water and food.

 

[Black Sheep One]

Hummmm.... What does one feed a cat? Try dry cat food, meat, and water. Stay away from chicken bones. Place high off the ground to keep dogs away. Expect crap burried in any soft dirt near bye. And as a cat lover, thanks.

 

[Unattainable666]

Seems weird that ever since January 1, this cat that always walks around like it's hunting, hangs around my patio. I do not like cats. But since it kept showing up, I left some tuna out there. Two days later the tuna was gone. The cat showed up again tonight. It has to be feral because I've never seen a cat always in hunting/crawling mode. Guess I probably shouldn't have fed it. But I think this guy/gal is my CTB soul mate. This cat has shown up like 9 of 11 days since the new year. It does not look domesticated.

Anyway I know people love cats. What do I feed it? Treats that it will like? I've let he/she hang around my place for about 30 minutes now.

Dry kitten food definitely. This way the kitty will get all the vitamins he or she needs no matter how old and it's better for their teeth. I have a 14 year old girl who eats it because of her age.

 

[kittyswift]

this was a surprisingly wholesome post to see on here! was not expecting to read something like this on this site but thank you for posting this, it put a smile on my face :) best of luck with your new friend

 

[Neowise]

Besides dry / moist cat food cats often like any kind of meat or fish. Either raw or cooked. If there is spices on it they will most likely not eat it though, and salt might not be healthy either.

 

[iusedtobehappy]

Seems weird that ever since January 1, this cat that always walks around like it's hunting, hangs around my patio. I do not like cats. But since it kept showing up, I left some tuna out there. Two days later the tuna was gone. The cat showed up again tonight. It has to be feral because I've never seen a cat always in hunting/crawling mode. Guess I probably shouldn't have fed it. But I think this guy/gal is my CTB soul mate. This cat has shown up like 9 of 11 days since the new year. It does not look domesticated.

Anyway I know people love cats. What do I feed it? Treats that it will like? I've let he/she hang around my place for about 30 minutes now.

Wet food, not dry. Kitties are prone to UTIs and get them from dry food. A little dry is ok to leave out to nibble in between wet meals - like 4x-5x a day. Merrick Limited Ingredient chicken or turkey are good. Blue Buffalo makes good dry food and treats with no grains. No tuna or fish! Cats are also prone to hyperthyroidism and fish contains large amounts of iodine. Oh nothing with onions, garlic, chocolate or avocado. All toxic to cats. A lot of love is super important too. You are so lucky!

@iusedtobehappy said "NO fish whatsoever ever. It contributes to the hyperthyroidism."

Is the tuna liquid bad for the cat too? I won't feed it anymore tuna or juice if that's the case.

Yes tuna liquid bad too. No tuna or fish. How is the kitty?

 

[iusedtobehappy]

Anyway thanks everyone. I hope to be dead soon. But this cat is providing some much-needed levity. Hope when I'm gone it finds a good person to live with. But I'm paranoid and it seems way too coincidental that this cat showed up right around New Year's, when I decided to definitely CTB.

Um he showed up to stop you. Guess you'll be hanging in for another 15-20 years Sorry you're in it now!

 

[Anonymoususer1234]

Seems weird that ever since January 1, this cat that always walks around like it's hunting, hangs around my patio. I do not like cats. But since it kept showing up, I left some tuna out there. Two days later the tuna was gone. The cat showed up again tonight. It has to be feral because I've never seen a cat always in hunting/crawling mode. Guess I probably shouldn't have fed it. But I think this guy/gal is my CTB soul mate. This cat has shown up like 9 of 11 days since the new year. It does not look domesticated.

Anyway I know people love cats. What do I feed it? Treats that it will like? I've let he/she hang around my place for about 30 minutes now.

All the cats I've had prefer wet (canned) food to dry food but every cat is different. Part of the fun of it is discovering your cat's own unique personality and preferences.

 

[ScubaCTB]

Um he showed up to stop you. Guess you'll be hanging in for another 15-20 years Sorry you're in it now!

LOL! I would have been gone yesterday if this cat wasn't here. I have everything for CTB/inert gas/scuba. The adapter was the complicated part that I believe I solved last week. But I got hungry when Cosmic started eating the food I gave her! So I needed money for food.

The job I took on will expire in a couple months. I will not be here after May 1. But if the cat didn't show up, I'd already be dead/gone/escaped from hell. So you're kind of right. The cat prolonged my stay.

 

[iusedtobehappy]

LOL! I would have been gone yesterday if this cat wasn't here. I have everything for CTB/inert gas/scuba. The adapter was the complicated part that I believe I solved last week. But I got hungry when Cosmic started eating the food I gave her! So I needed money for food.

The job I took on will expire in a couple months. I will not be here after May 1. But if the cat didn't show up, I'd already be dead/gone/escaped from hell. So you're kind of right. The cat prolonged my stay.

JSYK cats have a way of making you feel better. After my husband died, I stayed because of my kitty. Now I'm here because he's not. Taking care of him and seeing his sweet beautiful eyes every day and playing with him are really healing

 

[ScubaCTB]

JSYK cats have a way of making you feel better. After my husband died, I stayed because of my kitty. Now I'm here because he's not. Taking care of him and seeing his sweet beautiful eyes every day and playing with him are really healing

Yeah it's crazy that I've never, ever liked cats. But the last two nights/days, I was woken up from my drunken pass out times to the cat rubbing her face against mine. And somehow she knew to go #1 and #2 in my makeshift sand litter box. But every day when I wake up, I leave the patio door open in small increments so if she wants to leave, she can at any time.

I've laughed hard twice in 2024, which is two more times than 2023. It's almost as if the cat knows how to make me laugh (e.g. doing this roll over on the back dancey thing which I have NEVER seen a cat do, and the singy-sounding meow when I'm singing a song). I'm just trying to figure out where this cat came from. Either someone drove out here and threw the cat out of their car, or it's really been living in the wild its whole life.

I hope she leaves on her own at some point because I have no idea what to do with her when I CTB. I'll probably just release her back in the wild. BTW love your user name. Everyday I say a variant of it out loud when I'm drunk: "I could have been happy."

 

[iusedtobehappy]

Yeah it's crazy that I've never, ever liked cats. But the last two nights/days, I was woken up from my drunken pass out times to the cat rubbing her face against mine. And somehow she knew to go #1 and #2 in my makeshift sand litter box. But every day when I wake up, I leave the patio door open in small increments so if she wants to leave, she can at any time.

I've laughed hard twice in 2024, which is two more times than 2023. It's almost as if the cat knows how to make me laugh (e.g. doing this roll over on the back dancey thing which I have NEVER seen a cat do, and the singy-sounding meow when I'm singing a song). I'm just trying to figure out where this cat came from. Either someone drove out here and threw the cat out of their car, or it's really been living in the wild its whole life.

I hope she leaves on her own at some point because I have no idea what to do with her when I CTB. I'll probably just release her back in the wild. BTW love your user name. Everyday I say a variant of it out loud when I'm drunk: "I could have been happy."

You are so lucky! I mean, they really are the best companions and they surprise you with their silliness. Nothing, I mean nothing, could make me laugh after my husband died except for my kitty. I don't think yours will leave. She found you and she's obviously happy. The back dance is the best and their meows and when she shows you her belly, it means she totally trusts you. Also, they do love the ones who say "I hate cats". It's like the thrill of the pursuit for them at that point. Game on!

Thanks for the compliment on my name. I really was at one point.