Should we feed the cats?

[Lookingforwardto2021]

Not sure what to do and would love MN wisdom.

We are in a European country. One of the restaurants that is closed over winter has a mama cat and 3 kitten still living there. I think they burrow under the timber structure.

We can’t bring the cats home as we have our own dogs and cats, but we go and feed them regularly. I think someone else does as well. But is a cheap quality of dry cat food and we take the expensive meaty stuff that we feed ours. The cats are skinny and love when we come to feed and are friendly. We feed them outside on a grassy verge.

Trouble is that the owner of the restaurant has forbidden us from feeding them. Says they are his cats but cannot explain why he leaves them out. And then switches arguments when challenged to say we are on his land and we cannot come there to feed the cats.

I think a local charity has come by and has neutered the cats. But nobody wants to adopt them.
Soooo my question is whether we should ignore the restaurant owner and continue feeding the cats when he is not around?

Or stop because the cats live under his commercial property and are therefore technically his?

Or stop because we are feeding them on a grassy verge which he says belongs to him and are therefore trespassing? (It is next to a local pond, so imagine everyone has right if way, but no way to check really)

And to add, the dry cat food is not from the ‘owner’, but another person who lives around and is worried about the cats over winter.

I think the owner only comes on weekends to work on refurbishing the restaurant. Not sure if he feeds them in between. I would think not, as often when we come their food bowls are empty (left on the grassy verge) and they are ravenous and really skinny

If the cats are obviously underweight, I would be inclined to feed them rather than leave them to suffer. Is there an equivalent of the RSPCA there that would advise?

I would keep doing it. He's obviously not feeding them even though he says they're his. Can you put the food a little further away off his property? I'm sure mum cat would find it.

Are they definitely neutered? I'd say this is the main issue.

I am not sure if there is an RSPCA equivalent. We are only here for a few months (family reasons) and not that familiar with the local charities. We used to walk around the pond and noticed the cats and started feeding them because we are worried that they might die over winter.

They are skinny, but over the last few weeks of feeding their coats have become glossy. But they are still skinny!

He says they are neutered when I challenged him and asked why mama cat has kittens? And he first said it is ‘nature’ And then said that he had them neutered! Not sure what to make of it.

I don’t want to get into a fight with the locals, but just want the cats to be fed and have a full, warm belly during these cold days!

They're probably full of worms which won't help their health. Could you possibly catch them and take them to a shelter or find a home for them? Tell the prick they got run over.

Oh god, he said they are neutered 🤦‍♀️

If you are in Greece I think that there are a few shelters that may be able to take them, I think researching ones in your country that may be able to help would be a start. I would definitely feed, but do it away from the 'owners' property if you can. They need rehoming, poor things.

He might want them there to catch rodents? But I wouldn't want to get into an argument with someone either. I think putting food further away is a good idea.

Feed them and try and catch them to have them neutered. Keep feeding them until they are familiar with you and then it will be easier to entice them away.

Where are you? Someone might know of a rescue.

I'd definitely ignore and feed them when you aren't likely to bump I to him. I'd try not to piss him off though in case the cats suffer for it.

He doesn’t want you feeding them because he wants them to be hungry to keep the rodents down in his kitchen.

Farmers around here are the same.

Thanks, so the consensus is to feed them, albeit discreetly

To the posters who mentioned rodents, I think you are right. But it is mid winter and there aren’t enough rodents I would think to keep them (mama and 3 kittens) fed everyday.

In summer I wouldn’t be that concerned, I guess. Although we feed strays when ever we see them (I keep cat food in my handbags and in the car).

I don’t think charities would be able to rehome them, there are just too many stray cats around. We can notify one in the area regarding neutering, they will go out and do that (maybe they have already done it). There seems to be more appetite for this from animal lovers here than actually adopting strays. Although most people feed them. This guy I guess is just a prick, as a pp noted 😃

Lots of rescue places cut the tip of the ear off to show they've been neutered. Hopefully your ones have been.

Well done for caring, OP

In Spain if you feed the strays you are supposed to do it near the bins, not near property. Could you leave food there op and the cats will find it.

Thanks, that’s a great suggestion. We will do it near the bins. Just a bit worried about people walking with dogs around the open area where the bins are. May be we can go really early before the walkers come by (and the owner!)

And I’ll look again to see if mama has the tip of her ear cut. I don’t think so...and I’ll contact the charity that does the snip.