How do I get my ferals to sleep in their houses? - Page 2

Do you ever see her eating?

If so, when that would be, put out a catnip toy for her. See if she goes for it. That way you'll know... and if she reacts to it, then you know the problem isn't the catnip drawing her to the villa. The problem would be that she has some place she feels safer and is warm enough (for now).

Oh, yeah, I feed her. I put out dry (TOTW) every morning in this little feeding station I bought her. Then she gets canned food every night. She comes to eat right in front of me, only 10 ft. from my back door. I see her most days, unless it is raining hard. When she doesn't come for the meals, I worry.

But, whether she likes catnip or not is moot. I've tried it in 3 forms, on and in the Feralvilla, and she's not using it.



Robin

You could try Feliway.

Of course, once it's cold AND snows... she may decide it's much nicer to be warm and snuggly close to home.

My DH built a Feralvilla last fall along with a few of the rubbermaid containers with a hole cut out. I stuffed them all with straw. Shadow hated the straw. After I pulled it out and put in blankets, he was much happier. Unfortunately he didn't use it much last winter. The raccoon moved in and Shadow wouldn't go near it. When he did go in, I would just change the blankets every day.

This year, we made modifications to it. DH cut a back door and we added a plexiglass window. I also put a latch on the roof. I believe the raccoon was entering by opening the roof. I also have the feralvilla up on a table in the middle of the deck. Raccoons so far have been unable to find a way to get up there. Shadow has been going in, but doesn't stay long. My newest feral, Patches has been going in!!! I have ordered an outdoor heated pad and will put it inside once it arrives.

We have a temporary awning on our deck that will need to come down for the winter. We have some patio furniture under it. Shadow loves the loveseat. In fact it is his now. It is all covered with blankets and also an outdoor heated pad. On the few cold nights we have had, he is snuggled up on it. Since winter is knocking on the door, I need for him to have shelter and feel safe. He does like to come inside, but my indoor cat, Jake absolutely hates Shadow. I have to keep them completely separated. Shadow has slept in the house all night about 10 times. Yet, I have to sleep downstairs on the floor or couch with him. He will not go upstairs. I cannot sleep on the floor all winter long!! I will have him inside as much as he likes. So for winter, I bought a shed in a box. It's a 6x6x6 plastic shed that I can place on the deck. I can fit the loveseat inside. I plan to add a plexiglass window too. I can keep the side with the door open or closed depending on Shadow's level of comfort.

There is such joy in taking care of ferals, but there is also such great worry.

That's awesome that you got them to go in it! We built our outside boy a house on Sunday and it's only been out there since Monday. We don't know if he is going in it yet but we keep feeding him in it so he knows it's ok. He was a little scared to go inside when I picked him up to show him. I think once it gets colder here on Long Island he will find it useful. I am going to try the catnip trick. Hopefully it draws him in!

I had the same problem with my feral cats and their little houses. I agree they need two doors and the shelter needs to be either higher up or well hidden.

After a few winters of not enough shelter, and agonizing over my cats not using their outdoor houses, I ended up buying solar pool covers and putting them over my patio furniture like a tent, then using bricks to secure them. I put the feral houses inside there too, so they had a whole little area to hang out inside, and I put their outdoor heating pads in there too.

Each year I expanded it (of course LOL) until we ended up covering our metal gazebo frame with a huge solar cover LOL and last year because the neighbor threw his cat out (he is my foster boy Curly in my other posts) I made an extra little shelter off to the side, using a smaller pool cover. Now my feral cats use both of them LOL.

Anyhow these solar covers do a really good job, they conduct the sun's heat extremely well. Here is the link and if you're looking to not spend much money, there might be some for sale on craigslist (?) http://www.poolsupplies.com/Covers/solar-covers.asp

I am resorting to the fresh catnip Robin gave me from her garden. I kept it in a ziploc in the fridge. I put some out this morning near the feeding station and leading to the feralvilla. Then placed some inside the villa too. No one has used the villa yet. I am hoping the catnip works like it did for you, Laurie

I am slowly moving the feeding station closer and closer to the villa. Soon it will be right next to it. and then maybe they will feel more comfortable to venture inside.

YES! They do work incredibly well from what I have heard and read. Thanks for that link

And your neighbor's, that is just rotten....... Curly is lucky you live next door

Right now. Am using a blue tarp. But thanks for telling me about the solo covers. I have one problem every time it is windy the tarps just blows and she gets so frighten. I have it tied down but it still blows. Last night she went under the deck. It was our first really cold . Is there anything I can do .

I forgot to post the pictures.

How we know the feral villa is being used!





We added more straw the other day, and there was even more straw bent down through the hole and scattered underneath.

And as of today, we know who's using it! It's Little Dot.

YAY for Little Dot. Her own private little castle So far my villa has NOT been used . It has gotten very cold here at night. I loaded a bit more straw into the villa. It is butted up to my deck with one of the door openings facing underneath the deck so the cat's can choose to enter from under the deck or from the outside. I am hoping when it starts getting super cold it will be used. So far I don't have the heating pad out. That will only go in when temps are hovering around fifteen degrees or below. The villa seems very well insulated and windproof so I think the heating pad is not needed until very, very cold, extreme temps.

Grenval is not using her Feralvilla either.

Good for Little Dot!


Robin

Give her time. Cats don't like to be rushed. She needs to feel that the decision to enter the house is hers and that she feels 100% safe there. Outside cats have a great fear of being locked in and not being able to escape. When she is ready she will go in.
 

 

It's taken three years for our feral villa to get used.

Well, I think, I think, I think that Grenval has been, at least, in her little house. For the second time, I sprinkled Temptations treats in the Fetalvilla, including on the second level. And again, for the second time, they are gone.

Maybe she is just going in to eat the treats. But I think the more often she goes in, the more comfortable she will be there. I hope.

Robin

Can't resist the "temptation."

And yes, I'm sure it'll help her feel more comfortable!

YAY for Temptations. I wonder if that would work for Willow..... Temptations. So far, no one has used the villa. But I have a feeling when it gets very, very cold it will be very inviting at that point

Well - at least there is hope ( for the future )

I didn't read the whole thread but I do know how I got mine to use rubbermaid crates.

 

We used the large crates also at one time.  And if the crates were just sitting "out there" they would not use them.

 

What we had to do is tarp an area around the crates so it gave the cats the impression of it being a little room.   Our tarped area was aprox 6x6 feet but only about 3' tall.  We put the crates inside that area and covered the bottom with stray as well.

 

They loved it.

 

But until we tarped an area around the crates, they were unused.

 

That's interesting, jcribbs, about creating a little room around your shelters. How did you do this? You used a tarp, but what did you put the tarp over? Just the shelters, or did you have some kind of frame? Did you hold the tarp down with bricks?

Details, please!

Robin

Pictures too, if you can . I can't imagine we could use a tarp here in the Midwest with the high wind's we get, if it came loose and flapped around, that iin itself would scare the cat's away. I have moved my feeding shelter, which is the bottom of a very large Vari dog kennel turned over, very close to the villa. The villa is now getting used. It is right up against my deck with one of the entrances having access to underneath the deck. The second level has not been used, yet.