Responsible Feeding
How You Can Help
No animal deserves to go hungry. It is a noble deed to want to help the community cats in your neighbourhood! Since there is an overpopulation of strays and never enough food for them all, many cats are underweight and sickly. This is where our selfless feeders play a part in providing regular supply of appropriate food to help to keep them healthy.
BENEFITS OF FEEDING COMMUNITY CATS πΎ
β They get nutritious food every day which boosts their energy and health
β They learn to be more approachable and less afraid of people
β Meal times can be used to keep track of cats in your area
β The comm cats get used to being handled which makes it easier to trap them for sterilisation or for any other vet visit
β You make new fuzzy friends!
WHAT YOU NEED πΆπ₯£
Feeders use plastic, paper plates or metal plates/bowls to feed their animals and take the containers with them to dispose or reuse later, when the cats are done eating. For dry food, we recommend storage in an airtight container, or ziplock bag for on-the-go feeders, for portability.
If you are feeding wet food, we recommend a waterproof bag or container to store the empty food bowls after meals.
WHAT TO FEED π
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need meat to survive. While there are ways to prepare homemade meals for cats, it can be complex and costly to acquire the right ingredients to meet nutritional requirements. Handling meat also comes with the risk of spreading unwanted bacteria and parasites in your home and potentially causing gastrointestinal infections in cats if the meat is not cooked properly. Hence, canned cat food that is already available in pet stores is the safest way to feed stray cats. A small can of 85g wet food can feed 1-2 cats per meal (if they are getting regular feedings) whereas the bigger, standard-sized can of 400g serves about 3-4 cats.
Dry kibble is the least expensive and most convenient form of commercial cat food since it can be stored and distributed easily.
π»π― Note: DO NOT BE A 'GHOST FEEDER' β Be mindful and considerate of the people around you. Within 2 hours after serving, the plates must be cleared, leftovers thrown away and the feeding area cleaned before you leave. Never litter the floor with filth. It invites rodents, cockroaches and pigeons to the area and increase the number of bird droppings on the ground. Make unhappy residents complain and the cats may be removed to a more remote area in which they can barely survive, or run into other worse scenarios. Animal cruelty and mismanagement has no place in our society and nobody should sentence these cats to unnecessary pain or suffering!
PROVIDE AMPLE WATER SUPPLY π§
With the convenience of buying commercially-available kibble, also comes high sodium content. If you are the only area feeder for multiple cats and understandably, can only afford dry kibbles, you can place water bowls at specific points where they are able to drink freely. Truth be told, some kibbles especially from the cheaper variant tend to be salty and this is not great for their kidney function in the long term. Therefore, it is important that these cats hydrate themselves as much as possible.
Many health issues can be prevented simply by adding a daily meal of wet food. To stretch your dollar, make bulk orders by the carton from online pet stores instead of buying from the supermarket, which can be very costly. We highly recommend that you mix a little water to the wet food, especially if it's the non-gravy types like aspic (gel) or starch.
Kindly do not feed directly from the can as the sharp edges may cause injury to the cat's tongue.
Why You Cannot Feed Along Residential Corridors
We get that it is convenient for you to feed near your unit but let's face it, not everybody likes cats and we cannot force them to accept our beloved community cats.
If you have a stray who likes to come up to your apartment, lure it out with food and direct it to a good spot downstairs, away from people, for feeding rounds. Do it regularly until the cat gets used to the routine. Keep in mind that any misstep may result in the removal of the cats by the Town Council, or your condo management.
If you are not a fan of cats, you might still indirectly help save an animal's life by urging feeders to feed the cats downstairs, away from residential units. Please consider contacting the Cat Welfare Society for mediation if the situation does not improve.
Which Resident Are You?
A stray, or what we refer to as community cat, is an unowned cat that relies on humans for some of its needs, like food. This can be indirectly through scavenging in bins or directly by hawker patrons providing food scraps, or by someone who doles out the food without taking ownership of the cats.
Are you the typical resident who is used to seeing community cats in your neighbourhood; who will just pet them and go on your way?
Are you a feeder, a sometimes-feeder, or someone who would like to feed them and/or care for them someday?
If you wish there is something you can do to enrich their lives (and yours), you have come to the right place.
Also, if you are looking to make food contributions, see here.
