What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

I'm asking because I know there are at least 2 obviously boy felines that wander in my yard; I've seen them during the day. They along with 2 others I've seen in the past are probably "drop offs" since my neighborhood is prime for that. They seem hungry and I don't mind feeding them. But for the past month I have not been home regularly during daylight hours; this pattern will change on Saturday for the next 2 months but for now food is out during dark hours mainly.

Who is eating the food after hours? Armadillos, I doubt. Rats? Hope not. Coons? Perhaps--I do have a bowl of water beside the food. Any ideas as to what is dining at Kat2's place?

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

If it is a coons it will probably bring friends and family to the feast. Get a cheap trail cam and find out for sure.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

Possums love cat food more than cats. They are also fearless so sooner or later you will see one if they are around.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

yes the possums become relatively tame. I have not seen many coons after cat food, however the smaller possums usually are close by and eventually you will see one in the daytime at the feeder.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

When I lived in town, I found a possum that took up residence in my garage close to the dog food bowl and he didn't like being evicted. :woohoonaner:

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

yes they do not move easily.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

I've seen small coons at the cat's bowel; But, possums will move-in. I've seen mama and two little ones eating along side of the cats. .... I just evicted a Mama and a baby .... 410 ga. They were knocking the chicken feed buckets open and helping them selves. They will also kill and eat chickens.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

I'm know there are coons around here; I'm not sure if there are possums. When I had chickens, we trapped a mink, a possum, 2 coons and a skunk; they were dispatched and became buzzard food. I understand animals killing to eat but taking just a bite and killing another 1 or 2 is wrong.

I have a camera here left by former owner; maybe I should see if it works?

Food is out now but will be brought in tonight.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

there is a cheaper way of doing it. on a dark night, about 9 or 10, take a can of sardenes and place out back here you can turn on light and see it from a window. after placing it wait about 10 - 15 minutes, turn on the back light and watch your back yard move. I wont tell you how to get rid of them, especially coons. but I will say a gun and one shot does the trick.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

There are cats around too ... The sardines will be gone before you can get back to the house.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

my ex-wife liked to call me a baby animal killer. well one night she saw a coon in the garbage can so decided to put out cat food for it in the carport where my boat was. undaunted by my warnings she did it anyway. well after awhile, maybe a week, there where 5 coons eating cat food. this was in the middle of Jacksonville fla. when she had trouble getting out of her car, fearing she would be bitten, she told me to do something about it. instead of a gun being in the middle of the city I used my bow. never saw any cats, like say put it out about 10 minutes before turning the light on. you do not have to shoot anything, just shoot the ground. in my case it was one of the largest possums I had ever seen, I thought it was a big coon. I did not miss. never saw the coons again. now I live in the woods and just feed the cats enough to keep them for the night. ever now and again I see a possum on the porch but none of them have been aggressive so I let them go on there way. when the wife was feeding the cats we had a small possum that stayed in the corner of the porch, our porch is enclosed but no screening, we new he was there and we sit on the porch a lot talking and watching the night or the morning. he never bothered us, we did not bother him.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

I lived in Jacksonville and know people used fire power there. ;) Even though I now live in the county where all bets are off, I don't own a gun and my friend with one is leaving for 2 months on Saturday. I guess I'll stick to daytime feeding and hope nothing but cats visit. At some point I plan to have chickens again but they'll be housed in a fortress. Prior owner, who sabotaged the stove, toilet, kitchen faucet and slit my heat/ac vents, also left behind a very nice 5 mile fence charger, insulators and wire. Maroon!

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

basically all I was saying you can find out with a quickness what you have out there with is using sardines. I guess I should have thought to word the gun part more properly. I have guns and none of them have been shot in years. I have friends that bring me a little deer and I am good with that. hunting takes a lot of time here in florida and I have other things I need to do. course I do take sometime to go fishing in the gulf when my friend from tennesse comes down. we set at his house in the mountains and watch deer and turkey walk by. we set in his porch in the gulf and watch hogs and deer and gators and manatees, but if a snook swims by, Katy bar the door.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

Leaving cat food out? Genius, brilliant, and you are the Darwin award winner.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

Wow, just wow!

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

Down here in the Keys, the prime suspects would be raccoons, opossums and tree rats. If you have skunks up there, they also love pet food.
:doggyandnaner:

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

Skunks was the first thing my wife mentioned... Try some rat poison next time and there won't be another next time, plus... cats won't touch it, but all the unwanted critters will.

This works fast and tastes irresistible to them.. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Central-L...&wl13=&veh=sem

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

About the only thing I haven't seen eat cat food is a snake!

I've even seen birds and large (Florida large) roaches eating it.

Leaving cat food out at night exposes the problem. Now you just have to decide how to handle it. I have a possum problem that I will have to deal with soon. They are digging my mulched garden up at night. Don't think it's an armadillo. I think they are digging up worms. I have thousands of worms everywhere since I have the thick mulch and regularly water.

Good luck and keep us apprised of your progress.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

I took up the food before I left around 7. There was a cat sitting on my driveway when I walked outside so I grabbed the bowl and started towards it; it ran away before I got very close. It was getting dark so I'm not sure if it's one of the 4 I've seen before. There's a feral colony down the street that are cared for by a woman who doesn't live in the area; she spends her own money for food, "fixing" and such so it's probably not one of hers. Not sure I can afford to feed 5 or even want to. Just 1 or maybe 2 would be fine.

And, yes, I put the food back in the freezer; apparently ants like cat food very much.

Re: What besides stray cats eat cat food at night in FL?
 

yes but cats eat some of the pests that eat rat poison.