What Do You Feed a Stray Cat?

It's natural to want to care for stray cats that hang around your home. It may be easy to simply put an extra can of cat food outside for a cat that shows up at your back door. What should you feed a stray cat that you’re caring for? How can you ensure the food doesn’t spoil and how can you care for strays without creating tension with your neighbors?

Here's what you need to know.

What Should You Feed a Stray Cat?

Feeding stray cats can be more involved than simply leaving out a dish of dry kibble or a plate of canned food. It can sometimes be difficult to determine if a stray cat is a senior or an adult, but regardless, according to Alley Cat Allies, most adult cats eat 5.5 oz of canned food and 2 oz of dry a day. If you’re feeding just dry food, one adult cat will eat about 1/2 C dry food a day1. Kittens (that are weaned from mother’s milk) may require more food a day, and they should be fed kitten food specifically.

The decision to feed your cat dry food and wet food can depend on the weather where you live and the time of year. 

In the summer, when temperatures and humidity are high, canned food may spoil more rapidly. Dry food is less likely to attract bugs in the summer months and wet food may dry out quickly. In this type of weather, if you do opt to feed canned food, add extra water to help prevent it from drying out and pick up anything left uneaten after 30 minutes. Uneaten dry food should be picked up after it's been left between 30 and 45 minutes. Picking up uneaten food not only prevents stray cats from accidentally ingesting spoiled food, but it can also deter wildlife and/or bugs from getting to the food.

Additionally, there are specific ant-proof bowls and feeding stations that can be a good investment in warmer climates. Alternatively, you can pour a line of either baking soda or food-grade diatomaceous earth around the food (and water) bowls. Believe it or not, ants won’t cross over this barrier.

In the winter, cats may require slightly more food for added energy. Although there may be no bugs to worry about, uneaten food should still be picked up to prevent the attraction of wildlife and to prevent the food from freezing. There are heated electric bowls that can also prevent freezing. These can be especially useful for a stray cat’s water source.