We have a stray cat that comes and eats my cat's food (my cats: 1m, 1f, desexed, indoor/outdoor). They seem cautious of the stray cat - will hiss and what I feel is defensive ("pretend to be tough"). But will also let him eat. The stray cat will watch us if we are near but will still eat in our presence as long as we don't get too close. Thoughts on what's happening and if it's offensive to our cats if we give the stray food - I do this sometimes if I'm able to.
So this may be succinct, because I’ve always been vocal about my opinion of indoor/outdoor cats (a brief summary: don’t).
Do not feed stray cats, regardless of how your own cats interact with them. Certain places have laws about ownership of cats, and feeding a stray cat may LEGALLY make you responsible. Meaning, this cat gets hurt, you have to take them to the vet or you may be charged with animal neglect.
If you are concerned about a stray cat in your area, contact your local shelter. Local colonies need to be documented and cared for by professionals. They may use volunteers, but those volunteers have a lot of legal protection that the average person may not.
Like I said, I’m only aware of the laws where I live (and where I live is very strict about the “you feed it you own it” mentality), so you have to do your own research. Reach out to your local shelter and see what your options are. See if the cat can be identified by a TNR program and in a known colony, if not, get that cat to a shelter immediately.
(Also, as an aside, not using this post to go off on TNR programs. I’ve dealt with enough controversy on this blog and if y’all want to deal with it it’s on y’all. If you want a private opinion you can DM me).
