Porch kitty question

[Fritz]

kitty grifter

[Randalls]

Taking food in at night would be the easiest solution. I’ve seen videos where community or feral cat feeders use a 4x4 inch post and mount a deck on it with flashing to dissuade other critters from climbing. Cats are good leapers, raccoons climb but are not good vertical jumpers.

If you have a covered porch I was thinking using 2 “L” brackets to support an 8 inch wide piece of wood (8x24x1) for food and water dishes and attach it at least 40 inches above the deck. Then using a ramp or portable step get the cat adjusted to finding it’s food up there and then remove the assistance, it should keep most critters away.
https://a.co/d/9T2c9A2

[BernDog]

Forrest wrote:
Consider feeding the cat 1/2 the food in the morning and 1/2 at night. This will insure a minimal amount of food left in the bowel.

I love this! Wrong…but still kinda right. :boink:

[PeterB]

Thanks everyone.

Indeed porch kitty would probably make someone a good pet, but not me. (She will not let me pick her up though, which I've been told makes her likely unadoptable as a pet.) She will let me pet her, she continuously rubs up against my legs, and I've even once seen her making biscuits when I'm around, but she does not like to be petted on the head very much and will scratch/bite if I try to pet her there.

And yeah, these raccoons and possums are huge. Apparently it's a bigger problem now because it's breeding season, and the nursing moms are even coming out during the daytime to feed.

I think some of it is also that, lately, she's been turning her nose up at the food... I know that's what it is, because I'd also fed her kitten food during the snowstorm/extreme cold weather we'd had, and she will gobble that up, but not so much the regular food. It may be a brand thing, because I recently switched her to a different brand.

I will probably just resort to not feeding her at night or bringing the food inside ... I know she'll be annoyed at that, but it is what it is.

[Janit]

Acer wrote:
[quote=mattkime]
[quote=Fritz]
As long as a cat feels safe, most will get their fill in 5 mins to make it thru to the next available meal.
Varmints never get their fill.
Call the cat, with a spray bottle of soapy water in hand for the eyes of the uninvited.

Good advice. Depends upon the personality of the cat but if they're actually hungry then they'll gulp down food as fast as possible.
Porch kitty might have a route of friendly porches, if he's nibbling and walking away. He's probably not in danger of starving even if the allotment is cut back.
Yes. Showing up when you're there may be porch kitty's way of reinforcing YOUR behavior, so that you will keep this particular feeding station regularly supplied.

[Janit]

Don't you have a camera on your porch? It would be useful to know how regular porch kitty's visits are and what proportion of the food is getting eaten by the other critters.

[PeterB]

I posted a response, but the forum software said it had to be approved by the mods, so here it is again:

Thanks everyone.

Indeed porch kitty would probably make someone a good pet, but not me. (She will not let me pick her up though, which I've been told makes her likely unadoptable as a pet.) She will let me pet her, she continuously rubs up against my legs, and I've even once seen her making biscuits when I'm around, but she does not like to be petted on the head very much and will scratch/bite if I try to pet her there.

And yeah, these raccoons and possums are huge. Apparently it's a bigger problem now because it's breeding season, and the nursing moms are even coming out during the daytime to feed.

I think some of it is also that, lately, she's been turning her nose up at the food... I know that's what it is, because I'd also fed her kitten food during the snowstorm/extreme cold weather we'd had, and she will gobble that up, but not so much the regular food. It may be a brand thing, because I recently switched her to a different brand.

I will probably just resort to not feeding her at night or bringing the food inside ... I know she'll be annoyed at that, but it is what it is.

... and yes, I have porch cameras, that show that she's only barely eating what I put out in the morning, then insists I put out stuff at night... which is mostly getting eaten by the critters. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one feeding her in my immediate neighborhood, so again I attribute this to her not liking the current food.

[Fritz]

glad you've been approved. (wtf?)

"She will not let me pick her up though, which I've been told makes her likely unadoptable as a pet."
bullpuck

"She will let me pet her, she continuously rubs up against my legs,"
winning

if the varmints are leaving anything behind, they are leaving their scent as well. That will bug a cat more likely than being picky.
Cats can be picky, but usually not until they are in the house and know they run the joint.

Most stray, homeless, cats and dogs, should be approached to pet under the chin, carefully, and sometimes a hand under the tail to lift it if it is down can be a positive sign to same.
But carefully.

Alligators do not like cats.

[Diana]

My big boy doesn’t like being picked up. Or at least, how most would pick up a cat. I have to put one arm under his chest just behind the front legs so that his legs drape across my arm, and the other arm/hand between his back legs, with that hand winding up at his chest and his legs on either side of my arm almost like he’s laying on a branch, but he’s quite secure and isn’t being squeezed in any manner. He tolerates that. And it’s a trust issue, as well.

But in Sol’s defense, he’s about 25 pounds, and there’s very little excess skin on him so if you grab him there isn’t much to hang onto. Yeah, he’s a little chonky.

PK may be of that ilk. Not chonky necessarily but trust-wise.

[Fritz]

25 lbs! Thats not a cat, that's a tiger.
Is Sol an orange?