These resources and links were compiled with the Tucson area and climate in mind.
FOOD
If you are having trouble feeding your colony please go here (and remember, if the cats are sterilized via TNR, you will have less mouths to feed): www.nokillpimacounty.org/get-help/pet-food-assistance
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- Dry Food
Costco has quality dry cat food for a better price than anywhere else in town that we've found (25 pound bag for about $19). If you don't have access to a Costco membership of your own, perhaps a friend would be willing to buy it for you and you can reimburse them.
Summer specific information about food and feeding is available here.
- Canned Food
We personally give Friskies or Fancy Feast canned pate on a limited basis as a treat or to get cats transitioned to showing up at the same time regularly for trapping purposes. If you only have a small number of cats and want to feed them canned, they will get more moisture this way and have a better chance at staying hydrated. Friskies 13oz cans of "pate" have been $1 at Dollar Tree and Dollar General (not the 99 cent store). Recently changes have been made both due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a distribution decision by the manufacturers prior to the pandemic which may make these inexpensive, larger cans of pate more difficult to find.
Summer specific information about food and feeding is available here.
- Dry Food
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WATER
Summer specific information about providing water is available here.
Outdoor cats (and wildlife such as birds) depend on you for water bowls that are kept clean and in the shade. Did you know that the slimy residue that grows in water bowls can contain all kinds of dangerous germs like West Nile Virus, mold, yeast, Salmonella, E. coli and other coliform bacteria, giardia, Serratia marcescens (the pink stuff that grows along the sides of water bowls and causes infections and pneumonia) and more? The GOOD NEWS is that you can prevent this from growing and making cats and the other animals sick, or causing them not to drink water and becoming fatally dehydrated, by SIMPLY SCRUBBING and WASHING the bowls REGULARLY. This includes food bowls. Many diseases can be spread from one cat to another by not cleaning food and water bowls regularly. After scrubbing them with soap and water, place the dishes in a 1:50 bleach rinse (one cap of bleach in one gallon of water) and soak for about 10 minutes once per week. You can use a bucket for this. Make sure to use regular "bleach", NOT lysol, not fabuloso, not any other cleaner! Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry. You can keep a couple extra bowls so that the cats have water while other bowls are being cleaned and dried.
- DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO OUTDOOR WATER BOWLS !
BUGS
Summer specific information about keeping bugs away from feeding areas is available here.
Links to Feeding & Feeding Station Ideas and Resources
Alley Cat Allies – Food & Water Tips
Alley Cat Allies – Feeding Locations & Stations
Alley Cat Allies – Deterring Insects
Neighborhood Cats – WHAT, WHERE & HOW TO FEED YOUR FERALS
FixNation.org – 8 Must Haves for a Top-Notch Feral Feeding Station
FeralCatCaretakers.org – Feeding Stations (click on “feeding stations” on the menu to the left)