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Many people volunteer with organizations to feed stray animals but when they want to do this on their own, they are unaware of what food to feed the strays or how to give it to them.

Not to worry, we’ve got you covered.

Be consistent

If you’ve decided to feed the strays, make sure you’re doing it regularly. Street animals are poor at hunting, and generally live off the scraps they can find or depend on people to feed them. If you’re inconsistent, pups and kittens that have come to depend on you for food will be left to fend for themselves.

Feed them in the same place every day

It’s best to stick to the same spot so that the animals know exactly where to come to get fed. Additionally, sticking to the same time will also help build a routine for the animals and foster greater trust.

Keep a water bowl

Keep a bowl of water for the strays inside or outside your gate. Good, clean water is very important and extremely hard to come by for a stray. You can also pour them a bowl of clean water after they’re done eating. Just be sure to keep the bowl clean, and filled with room temperature water – the water bowl should not become dirty and contaminated, which will pose a risk of spreading deadly diseases.

Be careful about what you feed them

Generally, home-cooked food like plain rice, rotis, boiled vegetables, etc. easily suffice for pets as well as stray animals. They should not be fed spicy, sweet, deep fried, masaledar and/or salty food, as it is extremely harmful for their bodies. For older animals, cooked meat and fish are good options; you needn’t buy expensive meat, scraps like chicken feet and the like can be boiled and mixed with rice. Please do not give raw meat to pets or stray animals, and do not give cooked meat to young animals as they will not be able to digest it. For more information, check out our previous blog posts – Summer Superfoods For Your Pets, Food you should never give a dog, and What Not To Feed Cats.

Feeding cows

Living in India, cows are very much a stray animal nowadays. If you’re feeding cows, be careful to avoid spicy, sweet, deep fried, salty and/or masaledar food, meat, fish or eggs. But they would be happy to get any plants, fruits or vegetable remains that are generated in your house each day, such as vegetable leaves and stalks, fruits and vegetables, peels, corn and corn husks, unwanted grass and weeds, plant trimmings, etc. If you use any chemical-based pesticides or insecticides, avoid feeding cows plant waste as it’s capable of killing them.