Feeding front porch feral cats is an honorable thing to do. It can be very rewarding until one of them suddenly thanks you by marking the front door. This happened at my house just last night.

Catering to feral cats is something I do besides TNRing (Trap-Neuter-Return) and writing about them. Of late, I have discovered that my house is marked, literally by some of these felines, causing more to show up demanding a meal. The fence post shows evidence of frequent scratching and climbing, the odor of cat pee is sometimes in the air, and the arrival of new cat faces heralds the return of spring and mating season.

A few weeks ago I trapped a big black intact tomcat on my driveway. He’d been cruising by demanding supper several times a week on his tour of the neighborhood seeking females in heat. The nightly fighting had begun in earnest and this guy needed to be pulled from the fray and neutered.

He was a friendly cat, obviously used to humans, but no one claimed the big guy so I had cause to trap him, especially since he was frequenting my property. He was also raising havoc with my indoor kitties and dog who watched him from the windows. My usual two “front porch kitties” were not happy with his continued presence either, chasing him off to no avail. The female tortie finally accepted the new tom but the male Siamese disappeared before I caught “Bruiser.”

Neutering went well, and after a brief recovery in my garage I released Bruiser. Unfortunately he refused to leave, even after I accidentally slammed his tail in the back door of my SUV! On hands and knees I pulled him out from under a cabinet, all 12 pounds of squirming muscle, and got him into a crate. He needed an emergency X-ray to see if his tail was broken which, thankfully, it wasn’t. Even after all that, he still comes “home” meowing for dinner every evening and is once again letting me pet him.

Now Bruiser has begun claiming his (mine) territory in the only way he knows. Moments after I watched from the window as he marked my front door, all of my indoor cats came running to sniff the crack. Worried that this would start a territorial pissing contest inside, I got busy with the cleaning supplies and feline pheromone spray trying to calm everyone down. Luckily, it worked and the assembled clowder of cats wandered away.

This little episode made me realize that feeding on my front porch is maybe not the best idea, although it is convenient and sheltered. My own animals have stated their opinions of the outdoor kitties by watching intently from the windows, sometimes growling and swatting at each other. They also hover near the door at feeding time, dashing out to chase the interlopers away. Luckily no one has been lost and no fights have ensued.

I have now moved the dishes over to the side of the driveway, far away from my front door and it appears to be working. There has been no more marking on my porch and my cats are less worried. Even better, the old Siamese has returned, but only in the mornings for breakfast. I guess he and Bruiser have worked out an amenable feeding schedule.

Moving feeding bowls is never a problem as the cats will always follow the food. If the dishes need to be moved a long distance, it can be done in stages until the new location has been established. Felines are such creatures of habit, that it won’t be long before they are gathering at the new feeding station at the same time(s) every day.

Inviting ferals to your yard will keep the rodent populations down. These pests cause hundreds of dollars each year in damage to plants and equipment. Treating the cats you feed with flea and tick protection will help keep your yard pest-free as well.

The important part of feeding these cats is to keep track of them, reporting any newcomers to Catalyst, especially during breeding season which is now until fall. Neutering the toms will curb the strong smelling urine marking, and spaying the females will prevent the birth of unwanted kittens. Our mission is “to make every cat a wanted cat.”