Here's what to keep in mind so you can keep your favorite feline warm all thru the cold winter months --
Outside cats need regular feeding on a daily basis. This is necessary for two very important reasons. The first reason is that well-fed cats are better hunters. Yes, yes...it sounds counter-productive, but in reality, a well-fed cat hunts better. A cat is only successful 2-3 times per 10 times that it hunts. (This is true whether you're talking about domestic cats or their larger cousins.) Cats need food on a daily basis so they can be strong enough to hunt.
Not all cats have a strong urge or desire to hunt; let alone eat what they hunt and kill. Cats have different personalities, just like us humans do. Over the years, I've seen my own cats differing personalities - some were great mousers, some were great bird hunters, and some didn't really care to do much more than look outside the windows and be amused.
There are other factors you should keep in mind about daily feeding. Be aware of the fact that mice (and other rodents) can have: disease(s), parasites, worms and other things that are not beneficial to cats and/or humans. This fact alone is a major reason why I do regular, daily feeding of my outside cats. I certainly don't want my cats getting sick because they ate a mouse with a disease or parasites!
Another reason a cat needs regular, daily feeding (and the extra calories the cat gets from the food) is because it takes more energy to keep warm and maintain their body temperature during those cold winter months. Speaking of "warm" - keep in mind dry cat food doesn't freeze. It's easier to feed dry cat food because it doesn't dry out, doesn't freeze, and most of the time, most cats will tolerate eating it.
