A neighbor told me to stop feeding the stray cats in our alley

Last Tuesday, I was putting out a bowl of dry food for the two strays that live behind my building in Milwaukee. My neighbor, Mr. Ellis, came out and said, 'You're just making the problem worse. They'll never leave now.' He argued it was kinder to let animal control handle them. I kept putting the food down because a harsh winter is coming and they rely on it. Has anyone else been in a spot where helping felt like the right call, even if it wasn't the popular one?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowank692mo ago

My vet in Chicago said community cats survive way better with regular feeders.

evanfox2mo ago

Your vet is right, rowank69. It's like how a little bit of structure helps anything wild get by. I see it with the birds in my yard, they come back to the same feeder every day and just do better. Having one reliable spot for food lets those cats save energy and avoid more fights.

amy8581d ago

Honestly, when Mr. Ellis said they'll never leave, I gotta ask - did he actually think starving them out would somehow be better for those cats? Like, that's not how it works. If they already have shelter and food somewhere else in the alley, taking away your bowl just means they'll wander further and get into more trouble. I've seen what happens when feeders stop in cold weather - the cats get desperate and start digging through trash or fighting over scraps. Your vet friend has the right idea, a reliable meal is way better than making them hunt for food in a Milwaukee winter. It's not about making them stay, it's about keeping them alive until spring rolls around.