You can give a stray cat the following foods as a snack, but keep them to a minimum:
- Bread
- Couscous
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Polenta
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Melon without seeds
- Peeled apples
- Cheese
Full Answer
What do you feed a stray cat with no food?
As a last resort, you can feed stray cats high-calorie cat food, such as canned tuna, as well as provide them with a dish of clean water. Dry cat food is another option, although it draws in unwanted visitors. Place dry cat food throughout the day and remove it at night to prevent this.
What is the best food for a starving cat?
The best food group choice for a starving cat when you do not have cat food available is protein. Most of us have a tin of tuna in the cupboard, and this is usually a good option in terms of tempting a stray cat to come and eat. The smell of the fish should encourage the cat to come for food.
Why do stray cats come to you for food?
A stray cat that belongs to someone else will already be familiar with humans and will be used to human contact. This type of cat is much more likely to come to you for food, even allowing you to touch it. If a cat has been sniffing about your home, you may get the urge to feed it.
Can stray cats eat tuna?
Tuna is fine to give to stray cats on occasion, but it’s better to use plain cooked chicken or beef. Stray cats will also benefit if you choose to feed them plain scrambled eggs or plain rice. You just need to remember to avoid processed foods and things such as milk.
Identifying the visiting cat
Before you think about what to feed a stray kitten, you might want to know whom are you receiving at your doors. Different cats come looking for food and you might not always be able to help.
Food basics for the stray cats
You may not want to feel guilty about any mishap that might occur after feeding the wrong food to a stray cat. To avoid that, follow these tips while sorting out what to feed stray cats.
Some great food options for the stray cats
If you are not sure as to what do stray cats eat, then here are some safe food options that you can trust for the cats.
Preparing food for stray cats at home
If you are thinking about what to feed a stray cat without cat food and would like to cook something all by yourself for you feel especially affectionate to the felines, here are some recipes you can try.
Final words
It is good to be sure about what to feed a stray cat as it gives you the satisfaction of showing your care rightly. You can also get medical help, hygiene care, etc. to the strays and might even adopt them. Just never ignore a poor hungry cat for they deserve a full stomach just like us.
How to Handle Stray Cats
Before you put out any food for a stray cat, you should know how to best handle the situation so you don’t cause any potential harm or stress to yourself or the cat.
Rehoming and After-Care
Often, it’s pretty easy to care for and rehome a stray cat, especially if it’s a kitten.
Final Thoughts
Overall, feeding a stray cat a portion of the cat food you already have on hand is the best approach. In most cases, most commercially bought cat food brands will be easy enough on any cat’s stomach and provide them with the nutrients and health benefits they need.
Katy Duncan
Katy Duncan is a writer/content creator based in the Pacific North West. When she's not busy writing captivating content for clients, she's working on her novel or spending time with her feline friend, Merlin Magoo, and her many prospering houseplants.
What to Feed Stray Cats
Once you’ve determined that the cat is truly stray, you can start to think about providing some care for it. So, what should you feed a stray cat?
What Do Stray Cats Eat Normally?
Keep in mind, cats are not helpless creatures. You see a stray cat and might have an emotional reaction that causes you to want to help, but cats are natural predators, and ruthless ones at that. Feral cats have many options for food and may not need your help at all.
Can You Keep a Stray Cat?
If you’ve been feeding the stray you found, you might start developing some feelings towards it, which could evolve into wanting it to be your pet. First, you must remember that it’s essentially a wild animal and will require taming if you wish to keep it as a pet. But is it even ok to do such a thing?
Conclusion
Cats are incredibly capable creatures and a stray cat probably doesn’t need your help to survive. Still, the caring instinct in you might be too strong to see a stray cat and not offer help. If that’s the case, you can provide water, tuna, or cat food to the cat. But first, you should ensure that it’s truly a stray and not someone’s pet.
Foods Safe for Stray Kittens to Eat
Especially during the first few weeks of their lives, it’s important to mind which foods make it past the tiny mouths of stray kittens. Giving them the wrong types of food can keep them from being properly nourished, and thus prevent them from growing and developing correctly and healthily. It may cause them unnecessary digestive upset, too.
Just Before You Feed a Stray Kitten
It’s important that you determine the age of a stray cat before feeding it.
Is it a Stray or a Feral Cat?
You might initially want to ascertain what sort of cat it is that’s been hanging about your house or neighborhood. A stray cat is usually one that belongs to someone else but has either lost its way or is simply on the hunt for extra food. Sadly though, some stray cats have been abandoned and are searching for food.
What Not to Feed a Stray Cat
If a cat has been sniffing about your home, you may get the urge to feed it. You can of course buy cat food if you want to ensure that the cat is getting the nutrition it needs, but you don’t have to go this route if you do not want to.
What Foods are Suitable?
When it comes, then, to what do stray cats eat, the answer is anything within reason while trying to avoid everything noted in the above paragraphs. Nevertheless, this does not literally mean giving them whatever you have to hand.
1 – Cat Food
Perhaps the most obvious thing to do will be to feed the stray cat some cat food. Cat food is a good option because it has been specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of cats.
2 – Tuna
Tuna is something that has a reputation for being able to attract felines. Cats do indeed seem to love the smell of tuna and will be interested in eating it if you offer it to them.
3 – Chicken and Beef
Chicken and beef will also be fine to feed to stray cats. It’s very likely that you’ll have some chicken and beef that you can feed a stray cat, assuming that you aren’t a vegetarian or a vegan.
4 – Scrambled Eggs or Plain Rice
Another idea is to make something such as scrambled eggs to give to a stray cat. This is generally going to be fine to give to cats and they’ll like eating it.
Avoid Processed Foods
Avoid giving stray cats processed foods because you’ll be harming the cat if you do that. Cats don’t have the ability to digest and process the things that are in processed foods that humans like to eat.
Say No to Milk
Milk might seem like a very good thing to give to a stray cat. Cartoons always seem to show cats enjoying milk.
Final Thoughts
You have many options when it comes to feeding stray cats. If you have a stray cat on your property, then you should be able to use the information above to find it something appropriate to eat.
