3's Company

That's great of you to take care of them and even better if you know someone who can take them in. But if not, can you provide a nice warm shelter for them? There is a great website that has already built heated shelters and you can also provide shelter with just a rubbermaid box. I worry all the time about the cold temperatures and the ferals I care for.

We visited 2 shelters yesterday. One has over 300 cats and 40 kittens and the other one had over 120. They are both well over capacity and both are dismayed by the number of cats being abandoned. The SPCA is an option, but I'm pretty sure they will be having the same housing issue and that would mean euthanizing cats faster so not an option we want to use. So today we will build a shelter for them. Rick won't let me use his power tools so I guess I am supervising him!

Lori. Rick, Shadow and Squirt

Depending on the cat and how long it has lived outdoors, sometimes providing them with food, water, and a nice safe shelter is all that they need. I care for a cat at my husband's office and he would never be a candidate to go to a shelter so he is going to stay there. He has 2 shelters and a feeding station and he is invited to come in every day and we try to get him inside for the night. Sometimes he will come in and sleep in his bed, but most of the time he just enjoys being outside. He is alone and not in a colony, but he has avoided the trap so we are taking it very slow. I think your cats will be fine with a shelter and knowing how dilligent you were in getting Squirt back, they will have great care from you. Good luck!!

We started to build the shelter this morning, shortly after my post. Rick decided to build it behind our shed at the back of our yard. This gives them solid protection from the west winds (prevailing here) and a cedar hedge and a shed on the property behind us will buffer winds from the east. The back faces north and the front faces south. We manadged to build it will scrap materials we had around the yard, and the we lined it with heavy plastic sheeting to cut the wind as well. We have a hinge on the front of it so we can add/change hay or straw and heavy material on the inside and outside over the door. Now we just have to get the cats to use it. I have thrown some old blankets into it until I can get some straw or hay.

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Our only question now is - how do we get the cats to use it??

Lori, Rick, Shadow & Squirt

It looks great!! I would just try and move their food close to the shelter, when they see a warm, safe place that should do it.

How lovely are you both!!

I'm sure once they see the food near to it they'll soon realise theres a shelter waiting for them, maybe leave a trail of kibbles to it with a small bowl of some inside?.

We have issues with racoons around here, so I am trying to be careful about leaving food in their shelter. This morning before I left for work I left a trail of treats to the door. They had eaten their way towards the house before I left.

I have a line on some hay or straw. I hope to get it tomorrow and then the house will be complete.

Isn't it just the BEST feeling to know the stray and forgotten kitties have food and shelter and someone to care about them. I hope they enjoy their new shelter.

I'm just looking at the pictures again, and on the last picture is that a flap on the entrance?, because i wonder if that might put them off entering it?
Isn't it great!

Actually, raccoons can't jump, so if you remove the ramp, they can't get into the shelter at all. That way, you can provide food in there -- at least temporarily until the cats understand the concept.

I too would remove the flap for now - they may not care to venture in unless they can see what's ahead of them.

You are an angel to provide them with this shelter.

Ok, the weather is a little warmer so we can remove the flap. We were just looking for ways to block some of the wind. We have a small piece of plexiglass that would have been perfect, but it was a little too big. Maybe we can remove the flap for now and try to find another solution before the weather gets really cold. As for removing the ramp, we wil have to build a lip or something for them to jump onto...or maybe just a series of "steps" up for them. I have a 4 day weekend coming up so I can spend a little time leaving food/treat trails to get them there. It is dark when we get home and we can't do it after dark because of the raccoons. I'm hoping the hay will be a familiar scent by the weekend and that might help.

Lori, Rick, Shadow and Squirt

I feed 7 outside myself and my husband built them 2 houses that are insulated with that foam insulation board with the foil backing and plastic over that.One end is closed and the other has an opening just big enuf for them to get in and out.Inside they have dry shredded leaves,cedar shavings and hay.When it turns really cold,I'll cut up one of those 4.96 blankets from wal-mart so they can really snuggle in.I leave food out for them during the day but take it in at night,but they seem to love their houses.They're in them every night,warm and dry.

It should help a lot

I think it would be better without the flap, because their still being protected from the wind, and maybe like Lizzie, put some form of blanket on top of the hay for added warmth.

They look as snug as bugs already in those pictures

Oh the poor little muffin

I hope they get inside the shelter tonight

Is there any possible way to get them into a room inside? Even just one tiny room? She is obviously friendly to have come up to you like that and if it gets cold like that without shelter, not only can they die but they can also get frost bite and thier flesh starts to die.

When I make storage box shelters, I line the bottom with a thick layer of bubble wrap packaging and tape it down with duct tape. I have used those disposable foam drink coolers.

Then I fold to fit one of those foil looking 'emergency' blankets sold in the camping section. They retain body heat. Put straw packed in last.

Next I put the box in a heavy guage trash bag. Like those made for leaves.

Tape everything very well with duct tape and cut the plastic bag away from the entrance hole.

Wa-lah, one very insulated shelter. Raising the shelter off the ground some, even setting it on a few pieces of lumber, will keep the cold from wicking up from the ground.

So lucky they have you to keep them warm. Great job with all the shelters.

Momma and baby still are not, as far as we can tell, using either of the shelters we have set up for them. Every morning and evening they are coming up from under our porch. If we get any more snow, they will either be trapped under there or unable to get in, so this is not a good solution. The tom cat (Boots) does not appear to be staying with them. He does come up from under there if he has been waiting for the evening meal and it is cold, but we don't think he is staying there. Someone has been using the shelter in the back yard and I suspect it is him. Sooooooo today Rick is building an area for the girls in our basement. Rick has an 8 foot workbench along one wall that we will close in the bottom of so that they have their own "space" We have an extra littler box and I will either get them a basket today or make them a bed from some extra materials I have already here. We are going to put a solid end on it and use a frame and plastic fencing the rest of the way around. What I am wondering is should we solidly close in more so they have a hidey hole? I suspect baby will adapt pretty quickly but this will stress Momma out quite a bit. she is the only one that will not let either one of us approach her. Both Baby and Boots have let Rick pet them (not me yet).

Stay tuned! This adventure is just beginning!

Awwww that looks so cosy as well!!. Both you and Rick have hearts of solid gold

The others should have some advice, but i hope mum turns up soon

I'm pretty sure momma will be back tonight or tomorrow morning for food. Rick says he can bolt the carrier to the deck and then we will use a rope, like we did when we recaptured Squirt. She definitely will not go in if we are close now.

As for Baby we have not seen her all day but our basement offers plenty of hidey holes and warm places a little cat could want. We will take a dish of soft food down after dinner. There is a large bowl of hard food and water down there now. At least she will not freeze to death or get frostbite tonight.

As expected, Momma did come back today and was not as afraid of us as we thought she would be. It is still going to take us a few days to trap her, I think. At least the weather is a little warmer,

As for Baby, she is somewhere in our basement. We have not seen or heard her since she arrived, but the soft food we gave her for dinner last night was eaten and the litter has been used. I had to finish my laundry down there today and every time I went down I talked to her like she was there in front of me. I'm really worried that with our work schedules and the holidays it is going to take a long time for her to come out of hiding to get used to us. Then we will have to start over with Momma. I would like to get them trusting us enough to go into the vet to be spayed and checked out.

I have read everything I could get my hands on today about socializing feral cats so I have a good idea as to what is ahead. Next step is to get a couple of sweaty shirts so she starts to recognize us by scent.

We will continue to post updates.

Lori, Rick, Shadow, Squirt and now Baby

Oh thank goodness she's turned back up Baby sounds like she's getting settled as well, so that mum can get trapped to be with her

That's excellent that your talking so Baby can get used to your voice, well done

I have also read that if you have a radio to put in the room with her it is a good idea to have it on a talk radio station so she will get used to hearing voices. Good luck!

No luck with trapping Momma yet. She keeps a well away from Rick now but she will come within a few feet of me. My work schedule does not allow me to take time to get her in the carrier but hopefully on Friday I will have some success.

Mean time Baby is still in the basement hiding herself. I did get a glimpse of her yesterday, but not since. I am pretty sure I know where she is hiding, but I don't want to go poking around and scare her more.

I stopped on my way home from work yesterday and got a toy for her. it is a wheel with a ball in with some carpeting on top under a spring with a big red pom pom. (Not a good description) but it was about 10 inches accross and maybe 10 inches tall. I noticed baby would chase leaves and other things outside so I thought this would be good. Also, it did not have any string or little parts that could fall off and harm her. Anyhow, I left it in the middle of the room, thinking she would be able to stalk it and pounch on it. Well, when I went downstairs to feed her this morning and talk to her the toy was gone! It was nowhere in sight. I *think* she must have liked it enough to drag it under the steps where I think she is hiding out.

Tonight when we fed her we put the food on an old shirt of Ricks that is loaded with his scent. I will be putting something of mine down there tomorrow.

This weekend I have to scan alot of family pictures so I will be downstairs sharing her space. Hopefully she will show herself to me.

I have a rescued feral and at first she acted the same way Baby does. She would hide behind a fire place, the only way I knew she was even there was because she would use the litter box and she would eat. I would also put toys in the room with her and they would disappear by morning, I later found them behind the fireplace next to her bed. It just takes time and patience, bless you for bringing her inside.

When rescuing ferals, or strays, it is my opinion that you go straight to the vet FIRST. They need to be health checked, wormed, etc before coming into your home. Especially if you have other cats. Some illness are airborne so it matters not if they are separated. Some germs can be carried on your clothing from you being where the un-vetted cat is staying.

The vet knows how to take care of cats that are feral.

Besides, if you wait to take a feral/semi feral to the vet AFTER you gain some trust it is very likely that will cause a set back and you will be starting over.

Getting spayed/neutered now will decrease problems that will occur if a female goes into heat (starts yowling and trying to get out to mate) or if an un-neutered male starts to spray to mark territory and seek a female.

I hope that made sense. Bless you for taking care of them. There are several good threads regarding socializing ferals right now. Give this blog a look www.feralcatbehavior.com . Much advice there, just do a search.