Some stray cats that leave a bit of food might be saving some for another cat (or cats) in their colony.
I rescued a stray cat living in a colony in a parking lot when I first moved to the city where I currently live. I couldn't bring her home immediately, so I would go feed her after work every day so we could start to bond.
People that lived near there would come and put it dry food either around it before I would get there and I noticed she seemed to care for the kittens in the group. People claimed she was an overeater, but what I actually observed was her gathering all the kittens, letting them eat. She wouldn't even approach the plate until they all finished. I couldn't believe no one else's that went there caught onto that. So I started to bring her into my car to eat a can of wet food by herself and she gladly gobble it up.
She wasn't an overeater at all! She was looking out for the welfare of the younger cats, like their defacto mom. I've had her going on 7 years now and am proud to say she never goes hungry now. I've enjoyed spoiling her. 😸
