How do you feed a stray?

Tonight, I went to Petsmart to buy food for my cat. On the way home, I
stopped at a big grocery store. It was around 10PM and the parking lot
was essentially deserted...

I spotted a cat just wandering around from one part to another. Having
just bought a lot of cat food, I decided to give some to this one. I
knew he would be scared, so I approached very cautiously. He scooted
away to a different part. At this point I thought if I show him the
food, leave it, and walk away, then he may eat it. So I opened a can,
tried to showed it to him, and stepped towards the fence (not the cat)
to set it down. However at this he bolted out of the lot, across the
street, and disappeared into darkness.

As I had already opened the can, I left it there anyway, hoping that
either the same cat or another one will eat it later.

So, I have increased admiration for those of you feed strays. How do
you approach them?

A Crossbow works great. Just "skewer" a small rodent/lizard onto the tip of your bolt and wait for
the stray to approach. It takes some practice, but, with some patience, you can lodge that meal
right into the stomach of your stray cat.

Glad to be of Help!

----------------------------------------

And remember! Vote for CADMAN for alt.pets.cats President 2006!!!!

Ajanta wrote:
Tonight, I went to Petsmart to buy food for my cat. On the way home, I
stopped at a big grocery store. It was around 10PM and the parking lot
was essentially deserted...

I spotted a cat just wandering around from one part to another. Having
just bought a lot of cat food, I decided to give some to this one. I
knew he would be scared, so I approached very cautiously. He scooted
away to a different part. At this point I thought if I show him the
food, leave it, and walk away, then he may eat it. So I opened a can,
tried to showed it to him, and stepped towards the fence (not the cat)
to set it down. However at this he bolted out of the lot, across the
street, and disappeared into darkness.

As I had already opened the can, I left it there anyway, hoping that
either the same cat or another one will eat it later.

So, I have increased admiration for those of you feed strays. How do
you approach them?

Hi Ajanta,

The behaviour of strays so difficult to predict -- largely because
behind every kitty, you have a whole host of experiences that shape its
behavior (not including disease and other medical ailments). In my
opinion, I think you handled it well -- you have to really back off,
just like you did -- there are no guarantees -- just the knowledge that
you did the best you could with what you had.

Regards,

Stan Beck
http://kitten-pictures.blogspot.com - For unbelievably cute Kitten
Pictures


Ajanta wrote:
Tonight, I went to Petsmart to buy food for my cat. On the way home, I
stopped at a big grocery store. It was around 10PM and the parking lot
was essentially deserted...

I spotted a cat just wandering around from one part to another. Having
just bought a lot of cat food, I decided to give some to this one. I
knew he would be scared, so I approached very cautiously. He scooted
away to a different part. At this point I thought if I show him the
food, leave it, and walk away, then he may eat it. So I opened a can,
tried to showed it to him, and stepped towards the fence (not the cat)
to set it down. However at this he bolted out of the lot, across the
street, and disappeared into darkness.

As I had already opened the can, I left it there anyway, hoping that
either the same cat or another one will eat it later.

So, I have increased admiration for those of you feed strays. How do
you approach them?

"Ajanta" wrote in message


Tonight, I went to Petsmart to buy food for my cat. On the way home, I
stopped at a big grocery store. It was around 10PM and the parking lot
was essentially deserted...

I spotted a cat just wandering around from one part to another. Having
just bought a lot of cat food, I decided to give some to this one. I
knew he would be scared, so I approached very cautiously. He scooted
away to a different part. At this point I thought if I show him the
food, leave it, and walk away, then he may eat it. So I opened a can,
tried to showed it to him, and stepped towards the fence (not the cat)
to set it down. However at this he bolted out of the lot, across the
street, and disappeared into darkness.

As I had already opened the can, I left it there anyway, hoping that
either the same cat or another one will eat it later.

So, I have increased admiration for those of you feed strays. How do
you approach them?


In much the same way you do, Ajanta, though my methodology is slightly more
"involved", as the saying goes.

You know that old saying "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make
it drunk"? That's my philosophy with stray cats. If you can't tempt them in
their own territory, then you've got to attract them to your own. So what
*I* do is leave trails of food and tidbits which lead to what I
euphemistically refer to as a "killing zone", though I can assure you I
don't, in fact, kill them. Well, perhaps later, but you know what I mean.

On entering the "killing zone", the cats can be trapped by a variety of
methods. I've used suspended nets dropping from above; baited (barbless, for
easy extraction) hooks; deep holes lightly covered with camouflaged
material; "lobster-pot"-box systems (they get in, not out); and, of course,
the good, old-fashioned way of hiding and hooking them with a noose tied to
the end of a long pole.

Once caught, they can be "pacified" by any number of means - beating;
drugging; pepper-spraying . . . . I've even got a special, low-yield taser
for large, violent tom-cats.

I, personally, use the strays in my capacity as an organiser of underground
"cat&dog-fighting" shows, but the possibilities are limitless . . . .
medical research; drug-testing; target practice; skins; (they usually have
to be fed, though). You just have to use your imagination. Good luck.

"Heeeere Kitty-Kitty-Kitty!" wrote in message
//snipped//



PLONK


gone!

"No Spam Zone" whined in message


"Heeere Kitty-Kitty-Kitty!" wrote

//Un-snipped//. Heh!

In much the same way you do, Ajanta, though my methodology is slightly
more "involved", as the saying goes.

You know that old saying "you can lead a horse to water but you can't
make it drunk"? That's my philosophy with stray cats. If you can't tempt
them in their own territory, then you've got to attract them to your
own.
So what I do is leave trails of food and tidbits which lead to what I
euphemistically refer to as a "killing zone", though I can assure you I
don't, in fact, kill them. Well, perhaps later, but you know what I
mean.

On entering the "killing zone", the cats can be trapped by a variety of
methods. I've used suspended nets dropping from above; baited (barbless,
for easy extraction) hooks; deep holes lightly covered with camouflaged
material; "lobster-pot"-box systems (they get in, not out); and, of
course,
the good, old-fashioned way of hiding and hooking them with a noose tied
to the end of a long pole.

Once caught, they can be "pacified" by any number of means - beating;
drugging; pepper-spraying . . . . I've even got a special, low-yield
taser
for large, violent tom-cats.

I, personally, use the strays in my capacity as an organiser of
underground
"cat&dog-fighting" shows, but the possibilities are limitless . . . .
medical research; drug-testing; target practice; skins; (they usually
have
to be fed, though). You just have to use your imagination. Good luck.


PLONK
gone!


MWAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAA!!!

You sad ******!

"No Spam Zone" wrote in message
...

"Heeeere Kitty-Kitty-Kitty!" wrote in message
//snipped//



PLONK


gone!





psst ... you can do this quietly and not even give the assholes the
satisfaction of knowing you read post 1.

Just an FYI.



Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

Hi Ajanta,

You just do your best. He/she may come out and eat it when it's quieter.

It's easier if the cat is near your home and it can get used to you --
even if it doesn't come close enough to be petted. Feeding a cat in
another area where you never know if it will be there or not, is tough.

People who feed groups of ferals use a signal -- like ringing a bell or
honking a horn when they bring food. Eventually the cats learn that food
has arrived.

Hope your the cat found the food you left. It probably hangs out in the
back of the store quite a bit to go through the garbage.

Rhonda

Ajanta wrote:

Tonight, I went to Petsmart to buy food for my cat. On the way home, I
stopped at a big grocery store. It was around 10PM and the parking lot
was essentially deserted...

I spotted a cat just wandering around from one part to another. Having
just bought a lot of cat food, I decided to give some to this one. I
knew he would be scared, so I approached very cautiously. He scooted
away to a different part. At this point I thought if I show him the
food, leave it, and walk away, then he may eat it. So I opened a can,
tried to showed it to him, and stepped towards the fence (not the cat)
to set it down. However at this he bolted out of the lot, across the
street, and disappeared into darkness.

As I had already opened the can, I left it there anyway, hoping that
either the same cat or another one will eat it later.

So, I have increased admiration for those of you feed strays. How do
you approach them?

cybercat wrote:

"No Spam Zone" wrote in message
...

"Heeeere Kitty-Kitty-Kitty!" wrote in message
//snipped//

PLONK
gone!


psst ... you can do this quietly and not even give the assholes
the satisfaction of knowing you read post 1.
Just an FYI.


psst ... you didn't do that quietly, which gave the assholes the
satisfaction of knowing you read post 1 - and all the rest of them too.

Just an FYI.

On Mon, 01 May 2006 04:02:36 +0100, Lucifer Samuel wrote:

cybercat wrote:

"No Spam Zone" wrote in message
...

"Heeeere Kitty-Kitty-Kitty!" wrote in message
//snipped//

PLONK
gone!


psst ... you can do this quietly and not even give the assholes
the satisfaction of knowing you read post 1.
Just an FYI.


psst ... you didn't do that quietly, which gave the assholes the
satisfaction of knowing you read post 1 - and all the rest of them too.

Just an FYI.

Shut up LS, You have nothing to contribute.