Pictures of feeding stations or homes for cats

We don't have a feeding station. We put the food under the deck, which we have partially covered to prevent the food getting rained/snowed on. The shelters we use are these:

http://www.feralvilla.com/

I'm keeping an eye on this thread. I'd like to see some options also.

I'd especially like to know if anyone has any ideas of what to do with the food so that chickens can't get to it. Chickens LOVE cat food, and will eat the whole bowl if they are allowed to, and it isn't good for them (protein levels are way off and can stop them from laying). I have yet to figure out the perfect amount where the cats eat it all in one feeding, especially since not all of them eat at the same time.

Those are NICE. And the price is right. . .it cost me about that much to make a similar model myself. I just wonder how much shipping would be.

For feeding, I have an uninsulated house I made to the same specs as the sleeping houses, but without the insulation. It mostly keeps the blackbirds out but some of them have gotten smart enough to go through the door to snitch the food. It's on the side of the garage, out in the open. The sleeping houses are placed in the bushes around my house, so that you can't see them in the summer.

Crude and effective, kept cats alive at -30C and even colder.
http://jtbo.pp.fi/images/house/kissaboksi.png

Here is temperature curve from cold week at last winter (almost -37C which is -34.6F), while my three were still outdoor ferals, happily jumping outside:
http://jtbo.pp.fi/images/house/tempe...f_feb_2011.png

Box was made from insulation material which is used in houses, it is bit like styrofoam but smaller cell stuff, it is really warm to sit on too, expanding polyurethane foam was used to glue sides together, also used stuff for inside corners, until put on last piece, so there was no heat leaking out, three of them did slept there, but sometimes one or two of them decided to sleep on roof of that, despite weather being bit chilly.

The other thing that can be done to prevent skunks, possums, raccoons (and chickens) from eating cat food is feeding up on a table with inset legs. Easy to make, or just buy a patio table with a center leg. Don't know how to suggest protecting from the weather if you don't have a shed or something... but perhaps a two sterlite containers taped together or something with the side and center sides cut out????

Empty cable drum might be handy too, they come in different sizes and when you happen to be right place at right time they are free:


There is leg and table deck in single package and as it is round it is easy to move even might weight a bit if trying to lift one, with proper finish wood can look quite nice too.

Unfortunately, chickens can fly/jump up onto a table like that. My chickens can jump from the ground to on top of our retaining wall which is about armpit level on me, without any real effort. Anything tall enough that the chickens can't get to, the cats won't be able to either.

I see chicken wire in your future.

I am purchasing one for this coming winter! Last year I used the bottom of a Vari dog kennel and insulated all the way around inside and out, bottom too. The insulation I used was 1 1/2" thick. The stuff is a miracle in keeping cats warm. I also have an outdoor heating pad that went into the back of the shelter. Here was my problem..... The raccoons and possums, kept getting stuck in circle opening I cut out of the insulation for the entrance. They would bust up the insulation, those little piggies . So that is why this year I am going with the Feral Villa. Will hold up to those hooligans.

Excellent option too!! I like it! I am just worried about the persistance of the raccoon and possums during the winter month with the insulation material. They trashed my insulated door a few times and I had to replace it. But maybe the two inch insulation would be an excellent option here and the polyurethane foam is brilliant. I didn't think of that and used silicone. I made my shelter inside my house and let it all dry. It was quite sturdy for the whole winter except for the door problem . I am hoping the Feral Villa will keep the raccoons out.

Gosh, and I thought raccoons were the worst, but chickens eat day and night . At least I know when the raccoons are coming. Will have to think about this for a bit . But I second Laurie's suggestion, chicken wire somehow might be a useful tool here

If one would build frame from wood to make attachment rails for sheetmetal roof panels, then it would be really strong against raccoons too, there are always left overs if someone is building a shed or roof with those profile metal sheets, which are often free as they are waste that builder need to pay to dispose or at very minimum value of such leftover is minimal in metal recycling too.

I have few leftovers of Rannila brand roof metal sheets (it has paint/coating on two sides, so no rusting, but as shelter was under the roof there was no need to use those.

However shipping them would kill the zero price

For hole one would of course need non profile type of metal sheet, also edges of hole need to be covered with rubber strip, any kind of store that sells for industry should have those.

Cutting metal is of course bit of a job, but I would guess any car repairshop should have at least one person who would be willing to cut it after a day, at least here garage owners really appreciate any kind of business, cost is small and for them trouble is little.

I don't have very good building skills, I can make things work somehow, but I can't make them look too good, but cat's seem not to really care, for them function seem to be more important than looks.

Here if I put shelter outside, I have to calculate bit of additional strength as we can have quite bit of snow during winter, so any structure outside should be able to handle weight of snow ever theoretically coming down + safety margin.

EXCELLENT idea, the metal. I am sure I could find someone to cut out a small opening for me!! Although, I might be buying the feral villa, I sure hope those are raccoon proof ...