An Overview on Winter Care for Outside Cats
If you,feed street cats, or a cat or two in your yard, thank you. Without you, street cats, would suffer and starve. (If you haven't had them spayed or neutered - contact us and we'll help). If you don't feed but you know someone who does, please pass this on to them.
All cats need food, water and shelter, all year round. Winter is especially difficult. Shelter is almost more important than food. With rain and snow, their coats become wet and loose their insullating abilities. Their tender ears can get frostbite. Water bowls freeze and unless food is under a cover, it too can freeze. If you feed wet in addition to dry, there are steps that can be taken to keep it from freezing too. Here are a few simple steps that can be taken to help. In addition to these basic steps, there are links at the end of the article to resources and further instruction.
Food needs to be sheltered from the snow and rain. Make sure they are in a safe area, sheltered from any public harm. If you feed somewhere like a porch or natural shelter, great - if not, here are a few suggestions: 1) a bucket turned on it's side (rectangle litter buckets work well), 2) the top of a litter box, 3) a dog or cat carrier 1/2ed and inverted (link below) for visual), 4) a leanto against a garage, porch or house. 5) a beautifully construted platform with a shed roof. Anything that keeps the snow out when necessary.
Water is very important during winter months. In addition to dehydrating, cats drink lots of water during the winter and with all their sources frozen, it needs to be provided, free from ice. Heated water bowls can be purchased at places like Walgreens, WalMart and PetCo, PetSmart & Pet Supplies Plus. They take little electricity and are necessary during freezing weather. Water bowls can be put into styrofoam coolers, with a whole for entry. There are also solar units available. See link below.
Shelter can be provided a variety of ways. 1) A Rubbermaid box, enough for however many cats you have, lined with styrofoam insullation, with about a 10" layer of straw (not hay) for flooring. In addition to adding insullation and providing a 'nest', it doesn't hold water walked in on paws. Never use material, blankets or rugs, they get wet and stay wet. , 2) an Igloo can be purchased at a local pet store 3) inverted 1/2 dog houses with straw or styrfoam insullation (see photos on blog) 3) small insullated dog house. Or, 4) purchase one on line - google cat shelter (and watch for CatVando's feral shelters next year). Get creative! Shelters have been made like a lean to with plywood, insullation and straw with heavy duty plastic or a tarp covering the openings assuring an opening for entry and exit. See link below
Face the opening away from the wind (don't face north) and cover the opening with plastic (gorilla tape and double overlapping plastic work well).
Reflectix is a foil insullation that's 7 layers thick yet easy to work with because it's thin. It provides 97% of radiant heat. It can be purchased at Menards and other home care stores.
Don't put fiber on the bottom of the shelter. It gets wet and retains the moisture. The best flooring is straw (not hay). It provides comfort and insullation.
If possible, put straw outside the shelter with an overhang. When things get wet, the cats carry snow and wet into their bedding, the overhang and straw provide a place to wipe their paws. See picture on blog.
SEE "SHELTER PHOTOS" BLOG FOR PICTURES
And, of course, all cats should be spayed or neutered, and vaccinated.
CatVando NFP Corp is a grassroots organization of animal lovers joined together to help care for, control and reduce the population of street cats in our communities. We work with individuals, communities and municipalities to teach, assist, perform, and coordinate TNR (Trap Neuter Return) efforts while teaching the basics of colony management care. TNR is the most effect humane method of feral cat control. We believe that cats provide a vehicle to teach respect for life and work with local youth groups on various life enriching programs.
If you have cats and need assistance with trapping for spay and neutering, or have questions about outside cat care, give us a call or an email and we'll explain how it works. Kitties are born as early as February, then those kitties can have litters by the following fall.
d out.
This is an example of a shelter with plastic overhang. Rolls of heavy duty plastic can be purchased at places like Home Depot, Menards, Lowe's, etc.
This one is a styrofoam cooler (turned upside down - for more body room) lined with Reflectix. It got 7 layers and is easy to work with. It reflects 97% of radiant heat. It can be purchased at Menards (and other home stores) in rolls. 16'x25' for $1975 and 24' x 25' for $27. This caregiver made 4 coolers and one large rubbermade with a roll of Reflectix.
This is two examples of 1/2 a plastic dog carrier with straw insullation combined with styrofoam insullation on the top with tables in front with straw to provide a veranda for 'paw wiping'. The one on the left is covered with heavy duty plastic, the blue on the right is solar pool insullation (see link on Winter Care for Outside Cats for ordering info)
This is the beginning of a project of several houses for a colony of 16. There are about 7 shelters. It's under a back porch. When completed it will be covered for further protection. Pictures of completion to follow.
