Feeding stray cats? What to look out for in winter

Everyone is more or less aware of the situation of stray animals. Unfortunately, cats often get the short end of the stick: either they are part of an unwanted litter, or people just get "simply" bored of them... However they end up on the streets, these poor kittens are just victims of circumstances. Animal lovers usually won’t ignore stray whiskers and try to help them in some way.

We could talk for hours about the plight of stray cats and most likely conclude that the problem stems from human irresponsibility. Unfortunately, stray cats often start their lives on the streets, because if a cat gets on the streets without them being spayed, there is nothing to stop them from starting a colony. It’s not just about one or two stray, abandoned cats: In 2021, the number of stray cats is estimated to be in the millions in Hungary. Two years have passed since then and the situation has not improved. Many people try their best to help the innocent tabbies, but unfortunately, there are still many living on the streets. We wrote about helping stray cats back in January, and in this article, we’ll talk about common actions we can take as ordinary people to make life better for stray cats.

One of the organisations that have been drawing attention to the plight of homeless cats in Hungary is MAVED (Hungarian Cat Welfare Foundation), so it’s no surprise that in this post they have come up with a useful list of tips on how to feed stray cats in winter

The truth in 6 points

To be on the safe side, here is a list of what they recommend, as in winter not only the weather changes, but also the needs of the animals, especially if they do not have the opportunity to take shelter. There are tips to follow when feeding stray cats in general, but there are also season-specific points. First, let’s look at the ones that are worth paying attention to in general:

• Do not litter! Do not leave food wrappers outside. Also if you can, collect the bowls when the kitten(s) have finished eating. If you are not taking food to the street but putting out a small amount of food on your property, the latter is not so relevant, but if you are taking food out to the street or other public places, it is worth taking note.
• Be predictable! Cats also like predictability, so if you can, take food to the same place at the same time.
• Find a place sheltered from the rain where you can put their supplies without getting them wet.
• Improve the health of stray cats! If you can, sometimes mix a little immune booster into the food you serve.

Especially in winter, it is important to consider the following

• Check the drinking bowl! Water can freeze quickly on colder days, so check them often and replace them as necessary.
• Consumption increases in cold weather. In the cold, it’s not just us who crave more calories, cats need more too. It is a good idea to offer more dry food to the fed animal. Only bring wet food if you are sure, it will be eaten within a reasonable time. Otherwise, it could quickly freeze and all that help will be wasted.

The importance of neutering

The importance of neutering cats is highlighted in the post and we too often stress it. If cats living on the streets are also neutered, then far fewer whiskers will have to suffer the miserable fate that comes with being a stray. After all, the best thing we can do, other than fostering or altruistically feeding, is to prevent the stray cat population from growing. Of course, this is not only our responsibility. It’s understandable if someone can’t afford to spay or neuter a cat that they feed out of goodwill. But if someone is willing to do a little more for street cats, some organisations will cover the costs and sometimes even organise neutering campaigns.

Without spaying or neutering, a horde of kittens are dumped into the stray cat population every year. If we have the means, be it financial or organisational, this is the best we can do to stop the local stray cat population from bubbling out of control. But we may not even have to do anything because someone else has already done it. Look at the ears of the cats you feed, because there is an international signal that can tell you a lot. If the end is pinched off, they have likely been already neutered. So, we have nothing to do but to give food and water to the orphaned kittens.