Conditioning Cats to Feed in My Front Yard

Last fall I noticed a few new cats on my block. The cats in my yard try to keep them out. So I made a Rubbermaid bin cat shelter and feeding station underneath my front steps, hoping to condition the new cats to feed there. The cat shelter was definitely used by a new cat who tried to mark his territory several times by spraying in there.

My colony cats also liked this new arrangement and I found Funny Face feeding from there.

But the other day Jim saw an elusive black cat that I’ve seen for years dash out from underneath the steps. This makes sense, as I’ve put out twice as much food since starting this expansion and all of it gets eaten every night. So now the colonies have options from their Outdoor Cat Cafe: garden brunch on the catio in the back, or fast-food pick-up in the front. Hopefully I will be able to trap any new cats once I’m ready to do Trap-Neuter-Return, TNR.