Just got an Alley Cat Allies shelter

Our local Humane Society has a group of volunteers who build dog houses for families who can't afford good shelters for their dogs. I asked about houses for feral cat colonies, so they went out and built one of the Alley Cat Allies shelters for me (I gave them a generous donation for their work). It is the coolest thing around. In fact the builders were calling it a cat condo and said they wanted to hang pictures on the wall because it was so great.

The house has an off-set tiny door...much too small for a dog to invade. Inside there is a windblock and a shelf for kitties who want to be above the others. The lid is on hinges for easy cleaning and the walls, floor, and roof are insulated. Wow! It is just way too cool.

My husband painted the house this weekend and we will put it out and start training the ferals to use it this week.

For anyone who is interested, here are the plans:

http://www.alleycat.org/ic_fs_shelter.html

Very cool Renae!

I am working with someone who makes cat condos to see if they can manufacture a feral cat condo........it should be interesting, as I have the plans in my head, but they will hopefully do all the work!

VERY cool! We aren't allowed to build "permanent" structures here... We've done what we can. I hope it's enough - it is so unusually cold here. It didn't get this cold all last year - and it's only December! This is late January kind of weather.

Congrats Renae - that is truly fabulous news!

Mary Anne - you'll have to let us know how it goes.

I would love to see pictures of your shelter with the cats.

Denise

Originally posted by LDG
VERY cool! We aren't allowed to build "permanent" structures here...

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I've got an idea....why not build one and put it on wheels!? It will be a feral cat trailer...nothing permanent about that! :laughing:

I found that many local restaurants receive their frozen foods from food wholesalers in large styrofoam boxes. These are generally non-returnable, and the restaurants often have the chore of disposing of them.

Using the basics suggested by Neighborhood Cats in NYC, our rescue group made a lower cost variationwhich has proved successful. Many times, when feeding the ferals, I have approached these shelters and have been delighted to see as many as 3 run out as I came near (proving they are in use!).

Lining the boxes with contact paper is important -- otherwise, the cats may scratch the styrofoam. Also, it is important to stuff the boxes with plenty of hay and to weigh them down with boards or other weights on top. Using cloths or blankets inside the shelters is bad as they hold dampness and harbor fleas.

You can paint the outsides and tops of the boxes to help keep them hidden. I did not paint these as they have been placed in snowy areas.

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!!!!