re intro and update on Tooper fhe 3 legged ferel

Hi all,
I don't get on here much or post much but wanted to touch base with my latest ferel story and some new plans I had for this winter.
In December of last year a black cat (ferel) would show up in my barn just begging for food. Well, my one barn cat Hobbs didnt receive him well and would constantly chase him out. He was gone until Feb when he showed up again for food. Thats when I decided to try to trap him to get him neutered. That was a fail and he disappeared again....until March when he showed up again. upon closer inspection I realized he was dragging a very mangled rear leg. Got him trapped (with scratches and drama) and got him into the vet. They amputated the leg, his ear was already clipped off so he had already been through a trap and release program somewhere in the area at some point .

I brought him in the house after his surgery to recover. And amputee ferel?!?! What in the world do I do with this situation?!?

Fast forward 8 mos and he is happily enjoying the comforts of food, play, wood stove burning in the winter, and 4 other house cats that dont mind him at all. It is a bummer though that he is fiv+.
It was a very slow process to be where we are, but I allowed him to adjust on his own time. 2 months from surgery, he finally peeked his head out of the bedroom, 2 weeks after that, he decided to check the rest of the house, and just this week another progress of him finally getting his front daggers clipped. He still shows some ferel behavior at times but absolutely loves his people and attention.

So that's Trooper.... now, in July, my daughter and the local police dept. Pried a tiny kitten from the frame of a Kia Soul at her car wash (pre wash, but post many miles of travel). She lives with Hobbs in the barn now and we call her Kia. They get along great and now I want to make a tote/cooler snuggle shelter for them this winter in the barn. I'm having a hard time locating a styrofoam cooler. What size in quarts should I be looking for? Is a 30 quart too small?

I wanted to add one outside and place it within a huge concord grape vine shell in my backyard for others that may fine their way like Hobbs and Trooper did. I dont want to attract them however. Just to provide a wrm dry place for someone that may come along. Is that an ok idea or should I not bother?

Thanks for listening and any suggestions on the cooler woud be great,

Thanks!
Tia2

You may have trouble locating coolers this time of year.  Can you make a house using Rubbermaid totes instead?  Otherwise, an Igloo or wooden doghouse filled with straw should do the trick.

You've had lots going on.  Thank you so much for helping all these kitties and for being so kind.

Yes I am having trouble finding them so I will make a couple using the totes and Styrofoam with mylar. Thanks for your reply!

Wow, that's a nice outcome for Tooper!

How long before you could touch him?  I have a similar situation, of a new amputee feral, but she is at least "bonded" to me so she trusts me fairly close to her, but I can't touch her yet.  I'm not going to rush it, but it's hard to not be able to give her a little scratch under the chin!  I kind of wish I had another cat in the house to "teach" the feral, but at this point that's probably not going to happen til at least next year.

There are a few ways to make a shelter for the outdoor cats.  I've seen a lot of ideas online. 

You're doing awesome with her. My husband was very good with him. At every feeding time, (small meals many times a day) he would lay down on the ground and talk to him while he ate, and like you are doing, was able to get in the little head scritches without him darting for cover. Trooper would then circle him and approach him from behind while he was laying there and check him out and started to rub on him....the key was multiple small meals for extra "sessions".

Every week or two there would be a break through of him settling even more. I'd say it was two weeks when he started coming around, but while they are healing, I imagine there's that "phantom pain" they feel and just plain feel yukky for a good while. It wasn't until this month that I was able to do his nails and he didn't mind at all using fingernail trimmers. I was so tired of him getting his claws stuck in everything!! If you ever have any questions...feel free and I'll try to help.
Take care.
PS....I made some awesome shelters
Terri