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We all love animals. It feels kind to leave a bowl of kibble out for a stray cat or to toss bread to the ducks. However, intentional (and unintentional) feeding is the #1 cause of human-wildlife conflict in suburban areas.

## The "Cat Food" Problem
When you leave a bowl of cat food on your porch, you are ringing the dinner bell for every animal in a one-mile radius.
*   **Raccoons & Opossums:** They will arrive first. They will fight with the cats (and each other) over the food.
*   **Skunks:** Skunks are attracted to the smell and will den under your porch to be close to the buffet.
*   **Rodents:** The crumbs left behind attract mice and rats.
*   **Coyotes:** The coyotes show up not just for the food, but to hunt the rodents, cats, and raccoons that are gathered there.

You aren't just feeding a cat; you are creating a localized ecosystem of predators right at your back door.

## Habituation
When wild animals are fed by humans, they lose their natural fear.
*   **Aggression:** A raccoon that associates humans with food may approach a child expecting a handout and bite when it doesn't get one.
*   **Euthanasia:** Sadly, "a fed animal is a dead animal." Once an animal becomes aggressive or nuisance-prone due to feeding, authorities often have to euthanize it for public safety.

## Bird Feeders
Bird feeders are great, but they must be managed.
*   **Spillover:** Seeds on the ground attract rats.
*   **Squirrels:** Feeders support artificially high squirrel populations.
*   **Solution:** Use baffles to keep mammals off feeders, and clean up spilled seed daily.

Love wildlife from a distance. Let them forage naturally to keep them wild and safe.

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