Time to post an easy to make winter shelter for the feral/stray kitties...

[Contrary1]

Easier to keep clean than a wooden one. I had one container I wasn't using, and a neighbor was throwing a slightly smaller one out because the bottom was cracked. You can find them cheaper than what the plans show. I used straw for insulation, packing it in between the containers, and then on top of the smaller one.

My wild kitties really like this one.

http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm

[Mz Pip]

1. That is really neat.

It looks nice and water tight.

I think I'll make one for the little feral that lives in my backyard.

[virgdem]

2. Thanks for the info..

I feed two strays and really need to provide shelter for them this winter. This information is really helpful.

[Dover]

3. wonderful! Do you do anything special to attract and invite them to use

these, or do they just start using them on their own?


I've got a couple of feral cats that are related (maybe a mother/daughter or sisters).
Last winter was extremely cold for this area so I used the bottom of my plastic dog
carrier and placed an electric heat mat (from the pet store) in it that fit perfectly.
At first I used the whole carrier (top and bottom) with the door removed, but they wouldn't use it.
I eventually figured out they didn't like having the top on it - maybe they felt trapped. So it's
now open to the air but has an old down-filled sleeping bag on top of the heat mat that
they burrowed into on the coldest nights. Seems to suit them just fine.

[Contrary1]

4. I was surprised at how quickly my resident feral, Scarlet

took to using it. I was able to trap her a few years back, and have her spayed. She became very "cage smart" after that. But, I put this right outside the back door, and she was in it that night.

Since then, different wild ones have slept in it, (including a couple of opossums) but right now, there are only two ferals. The male seems to sense it's Scarlet's place.

I'm gonna try to get a second one put together before winter sets in.

[Walk away]

5. This is a great post! I am sharing it with all my clients.

Thanks for putting it up. It should stay up on top all winter. My neighbor has two in his back yard that are the Hilton Hotels for ferals. They are multi-level affairs with a double bottom that houses light bulbs for warmth. He is our local TNR guy and on the town police force so there are always plenty of guests. It's a really nice setup and all the cats are all neutered, notched and vaccinated.

[Walk away]

6. We have been making these since you posted....

and Guests have arrived already!

[Contrary1]

7. That's great!

I'm so glad that you were able to use it. Sometimes the simplest ideas can work out to be the best.

[NMMNG]

8. Great idea

We have two feral cats who've sort of adopted us. We've been wondering what we might do to help shelter them with the cold and rainy weather coming up.

[Contrary1]

9. Kicking this, in case I'm not around come next winter. n/t