A question for my animal loving friends

[morgaina]

Weather-wise it is awful outside. In the little path through the snow Amby & I have made I've noticed what appears to be cat scat (and I don't mean the jazz kind). This is making me wonder if the animal(s) getting into my garbage are feral cats.
I feel sorry for a fuzz in this weather and would like to put out food for feral cats. I just want to make certain I am not feeding raccoons, those critters are on their own.
Any hints for feeding feral cats and not raccoons?

Comments

[the-thread-lady.livejournal.com]

We have the same issue - our feral cats vs raccoons.

We put the food on the patio near the house during daylight hours only. The cats know when the food appears and are usually waiting. We have also put boxes of straw in sheltered areas for them to sleep in.

The raccoons only come around after dark and before dawn.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. Thank you I will try the daylight feeding.
I have some cats sleeping under my studio and at least one sleeping in my cellar. dancing_guru had a cat who spent a lot of time under the studio. She decided he had a cat tavern he managed under there and used to refer to it as "Whisker's Bar".

[spedgirl.livejournal.com]

I don't know. Our big, fat raccoon made a few daylight forays.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

He must have been one of the tough blackjack toteing raccoons. Does not need to fear
;-)

[taisiia.livejournal.com]

You can send me the feral cats. I'll send you the raccoon that just took up residence on our property. :)

I can't think of a way to guarantee that your cats will get the food and the raccoons won't...without removing the raccoons. Even a feral cat feeder wouldn't deter one: http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/feederplans.pdf

There is a feral cat group in Moscow (http://community.palouse.net/FeralCatSolutions/index.html) and I urge you to contact them for future trap/neuter/release consideration. (If you happened to live trap a raccoon, you could always relocate it.)

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I didn't know about the Feral cat society here :-)

I've had huge & mean raccoons here. I'm always concerned one will hit me on the back of the head with a blackjack & take my lunch ;-)

[taisiia.livejournal.com]

Can you get pest control to come out and de-raccoon you? Or are you too rural for that to make any difference?

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

I think another raccoon would be there to take his place. I don't know that we have a local pest-control person, but then I've never looked into it.

[taisiia.livejournal.com]

Or maybe Amby just needs a coonhound for a pal!

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

One dog is about all I can handle.

The canine in question has deluded himself into thinking he is an alpha and as much of a shrimp as he is I'm concerned lest a raccoon schools him.

[loup_noir]

Might be skunk, might be raccoon, might be fox, might be coyote.

I will be the bad person here. Don't feed the feral cats. Call the feral cat society and get them trapped. They'll get neutered. I just wish they wouldn't release the things.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I suppose that would be sensible, but there are times I don't have the sense god gave geese.
It's soooo cold out there.