Will They Survive.....Prays needed....

Yesterday and into the night, I tried to keep up with the snow by my outdoor feral shelter and paths for my five outside cats. This morning there is six to seven feet of drifting snow covering everywhere and still a blizzard beats down on us (Chicago suburbs). I know everyone is dealing with this too.

I am so sick with worry about the ferals. They are buried under the snow, and I want to cry. I don't know how to help them and it is breaking my heart. And, to top it all off, tonight the temps and wind chills are dropping well below zero. Please, everyone, pray for the feral cats everywhere.

I just dug out the shelter!! And made paths to and from my deck and to the neighbor's abandoned house deck. I bet the cats are hunkered down under those decks. The snow was up to my thighs, just unbelievable. Everyone is out trying to dig their way out of their homes!!

I had a conversation with the director of Feral Fixers earlier and she said the same thing about all the cats everywhere stuck under the snow, that it is insulating and they are probably quite warm and will just hibernate for a bit. She said they should be just fine, quite the optimist.

I feel better now that there is a path to the shelter! Thanks for all the good for all the cats outside. Everyone stay safe and warm

Ok, I took some pictures of the shelter I dug out and the paths leading to the abandoned house and around by my house!!!!! Wanted to share them. AND guess what!!!!! I saw Yogi and Lippy (the long-haired tabby - I think another brother to Magilla) crossing the snow drifts in the yard They found my paths and ran to the shelter and then ate!!!! Thanks all for you . You are all so special. Here are the pictures...



This is a view from the abandoned house toward my house looking at the shelter. I dug out all of the snow and am glad the cats are back.



This is the view from the shelter looking at the abandoned house where they run under those trees to the deck.



This is a close-up of the heavy patio table that I rest on the door of the shelter to block snow and rain from going into the entrance hole of the shelter.

Last night I did see two of my five waiting on the shoveled path waiting for their food. I went out to the shelter to feed and checked the heating pad and found out is was not working. Oh NO, not on the coldest night of the year. I thought the pad was broken so pulled it out and brought it in to clean and see if we could fix it. It was not the pad, the pad was working just fine. So, back outside to put it back in the shelter. I found out the outdoor outlet was not working. A fuse had blown so that was an easy fix. WHY didn't I just think of checking that FIRST!!!!! Oh well, the heating pad was up and running again. All the while, Yogi and Lippy were back on the path, waiting and watching me run in and out of the house trying to figure out the source of the problem. Very sweet faces, wondering what the heck was going on with their shelter.... I gave them extra warm food after all of that.

Today it is a high of zero!! And the sun is shining but brutally cold. SPRING hurry up

I just came up with the idea on how to make my shelter last December early in the month when I knew those kittens needed shelter and help but didn't have traps and could not trap immediately. At the time I didn't even know there were places that sell outdoor feral shelters! I love hearing about other peoples set-ups and what you have come up for a shelter too.


I used the bottom of a VERY large vari dog kennel. I went out and bought 1 1/2 inch thick insulating foam. Measured and cut the insulation and siliconed it perfectly all around the kennel bottom. Top, sides, back and bottom. The shelter sits on top of cinder blocks but the bottom of the shelter is that thick insulation as well. I came up with idea of the front door by just using another piece of insulation and cut a six in hole in the middle. I am able to take the door off easily and use two large rocks to hold it in place and rest that table on top of it as well for a wind block, etc. I have bales of straw on either side too for extra warmth. It is right under my family room window next to my house so I can watch out the window to see who is coming and who is going. In the front of the shelter I feed and in the back of the shelter I have the outdoor heating pad with a bit of straw around the side for a comfy bed for them. They do use it.

For next year, I plan on purchasing one or two of those Feral Villa's. You can buy them online. My friend has one and I really like it. It has two level's inside too.

I will keep you all posted (thanks Robin ) on the return of Dixie, Lippy and Yakky. I have seen Yogi and Hokey. I named them all after Yogi bear and his friends. Dixie and Yogi are TNR. I have yet to trap Hokey, Yakky and Lippy. I believe that Hokey and Yakky are Magilla's brothers. They look identical just that they are bigger then Magi.

My own cats also look out that window by the shelter and watch for them. They don't seem to mind them coming and going. Magilla has not looked out that window yet. I wonder what she would think though, looking out that window and seeing her past life. She loves her indoor home with her new family and she is thriving!!!.

Thanks you wonderful cat lovers for your kind comments. I do love all of my inside and outside kitties.

My worry though is that we have talked about moving in the next year. If that ever comes to "reality" I will need lots of advice on what to do???? I could NEVER leave them out there since they rely on me now for their daily care and feed. But, I am not going to think about that yet because it is down the road some.

There must be safe "nests" that your cats retreat to for sleeping otherwise I am sure they would use your shelters. I guess the old saying "if you build it, they will come" doesn't apply to ferals! The few colony caretakers near me have those villas and say the cats do use them. My ferals are all related and a family unit so I am sure that is why they are all comfortable sleeping together in my shelter. That was very nice of you, Laurie, to offer your shelter to me! But you never know your cats might just surprise you one day and use it! We can only hope

Your gang better use it or lose it! And as soon as you take it apart, they will want, just like kids. I would come get it but it would cost me ten times the amount of ordering one in gas. If you find a rescue to take it, they might come to you and pick it up and you won't have to take it apart. If all else fails and you want to get rid of it, we will find it a new home with willing occupants

Thanks a bunch - JimmyLegs!! It helps to share about our ferals and this site is a great place to do it.

I still have only seen Yogi and Hokey. They have been hanging around the house paths and shelter all day lately. I am worried about Dixie, but she has been a feral in these parts longer than her kittens so I think she has other stomping grounds.. And she is VERY reclusive and hides all the time, she rarely shows herself to me like the other's. Yakky and Lippy haven't showed up either, but are a bit older too.

It is very cold and bitter temps again. But this weekend we may break freezing to 38 degrees. YEAH Hurry up SPRING

I sure hope that is the case. It is even more brutally cold today. And tonight ten below for a HIGH!! Just crazy cold. I am still seeing ALL the time Yogi and Hokey. They are in the shelter day and night now. When I go out to feed, they come tearing out and race past me hissing!!! So funny. Then they stop up the path about 15 feet away and sit and wait for me to put in the warm food and hot water. I go back inside and they go right back into the shelter.

When I reach in to get bowls out, it is quite warm in there with the heating pad and from their body heat. I will keep you all updated on if I see the others. I pray they are alright.