Canned cat food question for strays during winter

I feed strays / nieghborhood cats where I USED to live and gave them
canned and dry. Now with winter coming the canned food freezes. I do
not want them to go cold turkey to the dry food all of a sudden though
I had to the last couple of winters. I was wandering if someone had
ever found a way to keep it from freezing like adding olive oil or
such for example.

PLEASE remember I do not live there but TRY to make it there daily if
the weather is permitting. And since I do not live in the area I can
not use an electric warming dish or such. Just wander if anyone found
a way to keep moist food from freezing when feeding outside or at
least not freezing as fast so the guys have more of a chance to get to
it and eat before it gets too hard. The temp here in Michigan get
down the single digits at times during the winter not to mention the
wind chill!!

PLEASE remember I just put moist food in a dish and put it under an
abandon house for them along with dry food. I may just have to go
with the dry food alone if I can find no solution.

TIA

On Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:36:40 +0000, kraut wrote:



I feed strays / nieghborhood cats where I USED to live and gave them
canned and dry. Now with winter coming the canned food freezes. I do
not want them to go cold turkey to the dry food all of a sudden though
I had to the last couple of winters. I was wandering if someone had
ever found a way to keep it from freezing like adding olive oil or
such for example.

PLEASE remember I do not live there but TRY to make it there daily if
the weather is permitting. And since I do not live in the area I can
not use an electric warming dish or such. Just wander if anyone found
a way to keep moist food from freezing when feeding outside or at
least not freezing as fast so the guys have more of a chance to get to
it and eat before it gets too hard. The temp here in Michigan get
down the single digits at times during the winter not to mention the
wind chill!!

PLEASE remember I just put moist food in a dish and put it under an
abandon house for them along with dry food. I may just have to go
with the dry food alone if I can find no solution.

TIA


A number of years ago, I fed 13 ferals for two years. The winters here
are very cold and I had the same problem with canned food. I gave up on
the wet and gave them the dry. Good wishes. MLB

I would go with the dry and take a long a jug of hot water to put out when
you get there. It will eventually freeze but may give some of them the
opportunity for warm water before it freezes.

Celeste

"kraut" wrote in message
news


I feed strays / nieghborhood cats where I USED to live and gave them
canned and dry. Now with winter coming the canned food freezes. I do
not want them to go cold turkey to the dry food all of a sudden though
I had to the last couple of winters. I was wandering if someone had
ever found a way to keep it from freezing like adding olive oil or
such for example.

PLEASE remember I do not live there but TRY to make it there daily if
the weather is permitting. And since I do not live in the area I can
not use an electric warming dish or such. Just wander if anyone found
a way to keep moist food from freezing when feeding outside or at
least not freezing as fast so the guys have more of a chance to get to
it and eat before it gets too hard. The temp here in Michigan get
down the single digits at times during the winter not to mention the
wind chill!!

PLEASE remember I just put moist food in a dish and put it under an
abandon house for them along with dry food. I may just have to go
with the dry food alone if I can find no solution.

TIA

kraut wrote:



I feed strays / nieghborhood cats where I USED to live and gave them
canned and dry. Now with winter coming the canned food freezes. I do
not want them to go cold turkey to the dry food all of a sudden though
I had to the last couple of winters. I was wandering if someone had
ever found a way to keep it from freezing like adding olive oil or
such for example.

PLEASE remember I do not live there but TRY to make it there daily if
the weather is permitting. And since I do not live in the area I can
not use an electric warming dish or such. Just wander if anyone found
a way to keep moist food from freezing when feeding outside or at
least not freezing as fast so the guys have more of a chance to get to
it and eat before it gets too hard. The temp here in Michigan get
down the single digits at times during the winter not to mention the
wind chill!!

PLEASE remember I just put moist food in a dish and put it under an
abandon house for them along with dry food. I may just have to go
with the dry food alone if I can find no solution.

TIA

It's a problem. I used to feed a feral cat in winter, but we had a
schedule worked out and he'd be at the door every morning when I put the
food out. Maybe if you had a strict schedule, the cats would learn it and
get to the food before it freezes.
I don't think adding oil is a good idea, because it will disrupt their
digestive system. It could give them the runs and add to the problem of
dehydration.
Once or twice I've put a double dish out with some hot water in the lower
dish and the food on top. It lasts a little longer, but not a long time.
All the best of luck with it, and thank-you so much for caring.

--
Regards,
Fred Williams

I feed strays / nieghborhood cats where I USED to live and gave them
canned and dry. Now with winter coming the canned food freezes. I do
not want them to go cold turkey to the dry food all of a sudden though
I had to the last couple of winters. I was wandering if someone had
ever found a way to keep it from freezing like adding olive oil or
such for example.

PLEASE remember I do not live there but TRY to make it there daily if
the weather is permitting. And since I do not live in the area I can
not use an electric warming dish or such. Just wander if anyone found
a way to keep moist food from freezing when feeding outside or at
least not freezing as fast so the guys have more of a chance to get to
it and eat before it gets too hard. The temp here in Michigan get
down the single digits at times during the winter not to mention the
wind chill!!

PLEASE remember I just put moist food in a dish and put it under an
abandon house for them along with dry food. I may just have to go
with the dry food alone if I can find no solution.

TIA


A number of years ago, I fed 13 ferals for two years. The winters here
are very cold and I had the same problem with canned food. I gave up on
the wet and gave them the dry. Good wishes. MLB


Thanks so much for the replies.

I give them dry bow and keep alarge pan of dry under the abandon house
now but I hate to see them just all of a sudden stop getting moist.
The poor things probably are wondering what is going on.

Hopefully it will warm up a BIT soon in Michigan where the temps have
been in the teens during day and wind chills in the lower simgle
digits. Hopefully soon it will get back into the 30s during daytime
again.

I still put moist out about mid day when I can get out to go and hope
that it stays soft enough for lomg enough that at least some can get
enough of it to do some good.

Thanks so much again.

kraut wrote:
I feed strays / nieghborhood cats where I USED to live and gave them
canned and dry. Now with winter coming the canned food freezes. I do
not want them to go cold turkey to the dry food all of a sudden though
I had to the last couple of winters. I was wandering if someone had
ever found a way to keep it from freezing like adding olive oil or
such for example.

PLEASE remember I do not live there but TRY to make it there daily if
the weather is permitting. And since I do not live in the area I can
not use an electric warming dish or such. Just wander if anyone found
a way to keep moist food from freezing when feeding outside or at
least not freezing as fast so the guys have more of a chance to get to
it and eat before it gets too hard. The temp here in Michigan get
down the single digits at times during the winter not to mention the
wind chill!!

PLEASE remember I just put moist food in a dish and put it under an
abandon house for them along with dry food. I may just have to go
with the dry food alone if I can find no solution.

TIA


A number of years ago, I fed 13 ferals for two years. The winters here
are very cold and I had the same problem with canned food. I gave up on
the wet and gave them the dry. Good wishes. MLB


Thanks so much for the replies.

I give them dry bow and keep alarge pan of dry under the abandon house
now but I hate to see them just all of a sudden stop getting moist.
The poor things probably are wondering what is going on.

Hopefully it will warm up a BIT soon in Michigan where the temps have
been in the teens during day and wind chills in the lower simgle
digits. Hopefully soon it will get back into the 30s during daytime
again.

I still put moist out about mid day when I can get out to go and hope
that it stays soft enough for lomg enough that at least some can get
enough of it to do some good.

Thanks so much again.
another possibility if you do not mind spending another coupele of quid
on these needy lovelies to make sure their food stays edible is to get
soem of those chemical handwarmer things from outdoors and adventure
shops, you knwo the things, they are little sachets which when
activated give off a fair bit of heat for somethign liek 8 hours at a
stretch and walkers and hikers use them to keep their hands and feet
warm in arctic conditions
here si a link to a shop which sells them inthe uk to show you what i
mean (I am sure there are similar shops inthe us which also sell them)
http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/Cat/130208?Ref=129897
or
http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/Cat/111385?Ref=116989

it says they are 'proudly made inthe USA' so i am sure you will be able
to buy much more easily than i can. the company is called heatmax so
google that and find out where they ar sold.
basically what i suggest is that you activate one and leave it
underneath the food bowl, or stick it to the side of the food bowl if
possible, or use 2 at a time and wrap them around the bowl and this may
help to keep the food warm and still at an edible temp and state for
long enough. these heat pack things are supposed to give out heat for
10hours (or so it says onthe packet) so thaty should be long enough.
if the links do not work let me know and best of luck with it all ,
there should be more people liek you in the world

Bookie