Bobcat wrote:
Bobcat wrote:
I've posted before about Mooch, our little tuxie stray who shows up two
or three times daily on our veranda for food and water. [snip]

wrote:
It's nice you take such kind care of him.
What are you feeding him exactly?
I guess he needs plumpness if it's cold out but you might think
about dieting in the future before he gets too used to so much food.
I like Science Diet because low phosphorus so reduce the tendencies
to renal failure if eating all dry food. Many of the dry foods have too
much
phosphorus. Just a suggestion. Ferals do get fat because they remember
starvation mode and eat and eat if food is left out without portion
control.
I know, I'm being a meanie to bring this up. Better to be a fat cat
then a starving one if both are limiting factors in the long run.
Starvation kills much quicker.

I agree. By last winter Mooch was plump, and stayed that way until
spring. He's been slender all summer, but now I notice he's beginning
to put on weight again, as are the local squirrels. Some of that may be
a thickening of their fur of course, for protection against our cold
Canadian winter. As for food, the only thing I feed Mooch is the same
as I give our three indoor girls, Science Diet - the same as you use.
It was recommended to me by our vet, and I've stuck to it ever since,
with happy results.

BTW, Mooch double-crossed me this morning. I got up early at 5:30 am to
feed him. It's now 7:00 am and he still hasn't shown up. But someone
else in the house says she just saw another cat hanging around our
veranda which she shooed away, so that may be the reason. Knowing Mooch
though, he'll arrive when his appetite gets the better of him.

That's good. Slims down for summer and fattens up for winter.

What type of Science Diet are you using? I switched from the Light to
the Indoor. I feel guilty about this because my cat does not like the
Indoor as much. This means she does not scarf it all down in one
sitting. This is good because she lost 1/2 a pound in about 4 months. I
think she needs to lose one more pound to fit into her bikini.

Interestingly, she was a semi-feral in that she lived in the street and
neighbors would feed her Science Diet too. She really likes it for some
reason. I say she was a semi-feral because she would eat from bowls
left outside but not come inside. For some reason, she would jump into
my lap when I was on a swing outside, so that was her downfall. Also
she used the kitty litter the very first time I took her inside so I
wondered if she had some prior experience inside a dwelling.

I wonder if your feral is a female. I am taking a very wild guess based
on her timidity. Males can be timid but seem less so after being fed.
Can you take a quick peak? A quick tail lift or would that be
considered too aggressive?