Has everyone's ferals survived the weather this week?

Just checking in because I know I wasn't the only feral cat owner freaking out the last few days with worry. Muffin hunkered down into his cedar house coming out only to eat. I guess it must have been warm enough despite the lack of a heating pad or device. It has straw in it and a mylar sheet, and the outside is covered with blankets, towels, and my sleeping bag. I'm surprised he went into it when both openings were covered. I had a few moments of fear this AM when I stuck my head inside his house and called his name and he didn't open his eyes right away. I think he was in a semi-hibernative sleep. He did finally open his eyes and came out a while later to eat, then went back inside. It should hit 20 degrees later, so the worse it over!

I was wondering how everyone else's ferals have been doing, and if they're all accounted for and safe.

Two of my 3 are accounted for and doing well.  Shadow spent 15 hours in the house with me.  He was scared, but knew he couldn't handle it any more.  Stellar stayed in the shelter and seemed ok.  I was a mess worrying that he wouldn't make it.  My other feral who comes and goes hasn't been seen since Sunday night right when the cold started.  I hope he shows up tonight. 

Here's hoping everyone's kitties are all accounted for.

The two I have outside are in an enclosure, so thankfully, I haven't had to worry about them going missing.  They seem to be handling the weather OK but of course, I have done everything I can think of to make sure they have plenty of warm spots to hunker down in.

Hoping all the other ferals are safe...

it looks like the feral ive been feeding came for its food today, i couldnt believe how cold it was this morning here in upstate NY, my fingers started freezing just doing the 4 minit walk to the camp where it stays under a building even though i was wearing gloves. amazing that its still alive without using the styrofoam box, its most probably deep under one of the camp building.  i comfort myself thinking that deers make it through the winter without styrofoam boxes. of course bears seem like they would be ok because they look so fat, but deers bodies look thinner, more similar to cats. does anyone have a picture of what deers look like when hibernating in this type of temperature, for some reason i just cant picture it in my mind and didnt find it on google.

the cat doesnt let me see it so i guess when its warmer i will try to see it on my wireless webcam to make sure its ok. i always put a slice of fat in its food, i think that would make a difference. i read that deers survive winter through the accumulation of a fat layer.

Good morning.  Getting ready to check on everyone soon.  It's 22 degs. this morning but the ice outside keeps it cold.  The neighbors worked to help me with the ferals.  I replaced straw in the houses and cleaned one that was wet and set it up on my porch.  The neighbors covered them with towels and blankets and even pillows, anything they could find in a hurry.  They set up a big covered box with a blanket inside on the porch of the house where the basement is the ferals spend most of their time.  I checked the following morning and all these things appeared unused.  And kitties didn't come for breakfast.  Couldn't blame them.  The ones that did venture out, went back to hiding.  Their little paws must of froze.  As did the food.  I found out why later in the day they were not using all the boxes.  I went to start my car and walked past a neighbor's house next to where the kitties live and there on the front porch was a box with a cord sticking out of it plugged into an outside socket.  They had rigged a heating blanket for them.  And many of the ferals were congregated there.  Yes, I'd pick the warm condo,even if was a cardboard box, as long as it was heated, over all the others, if given a choice.  So now I add that to my areas to take wet food to them and everyone seems happy again.  I have a feeding dish at that porch anyway since there is a "stray" feral who comes by for food once in a while but the regulars won't let him into the crowd so I started feeding them there, knowing the residents are cat friendly and wouldn't mind.  They know I wouldn't be doing anything put adding food to the dish then leaving.

Yesterday, I couldn't find one feral.  She was in a box the night before.  She's a bit shy but possibly would go into someone's house if not afraid of that person and they invited her.  I hope that is what happened.  If she got inside, even inside someone's garage with food, water and liter box which she does know how to use, then she may not want to come back out till the weather warms up.  I was tempted to bring her in but I have a houseful and she gets a bit skittish when she comes in here.  She was in for a winter when little after being spade.  That winter got cold and I had several kittens done that fall and the weather turned when they were ill and I wouldn't return them to the outside until spring.  She was one of those.  So she can live inside though prefers outside.  She was happy in the box that night but I suspect she has friends in the neighborhood and I really hope someone took pity on her and took her in.

Otherwise, I think we are surviving.

Karen

Oh what a lovely neighbor you have.  Glad to hear most everyone is doing OK.  Thanks for the update.

My poor strays all made it through, I kept checking for limping or any signs of injury, but so far so good! They are still standing out there every morning when I feed them before I go to work, it breaks my heart to see their hopeful little faces watching for me. Now the neighbors cat is coming to eat, but what's one more? I don't know how they do it, I'm about frozen just going out to feed them! Better weather now, 40's and 50's all week!

My missing feral was back this morning waiting in her feeding spot.  She was no worse for wear so was probably in someone's house or garage thru the worst of weather.  The rest seem to be fine.   I had extras showing up too.  Some I hadn't seen before.  One was hanging out in the back part of my apt yard so I put a bowl of food back there.  I put extra food bowls around so they could at least eat if they came through.

LOL! Isn't it something that somehow they know where the food is?! MY husband gets so mad about all the cat food I buy, but what can I do? Until EVERYONE neuters and spays their pets I guess there will always be someone like us feeding those poor lost little souls!

One trick I used when I saw they didn't use the boxes and coverings some of my neighbors put out.  This was before I saw the heated box.  I make catnip toys so I have plenty handy.  I got a bag of catnip and generously sprinkled it around the boxes, etc.  The neighbors who donated the blankets and extra boxes have cats also and the smell of their cats might have scared the ferals.   My adding the catnip seems to relax them and let them know it is ok to make the area their own.  Once I did that they came back and overcame the hesitation I'd noticed before.

Shadowsrescue, I hope Patches is back soon!

So glad everyone else made it ok!

We're status quo here: Baloo, Smokey, Khol, Froggie, Pawley - the (now) friendly ferals that live near us - all accounted for. Same with Little Dot, who's also friendly, and has been using the Feral Villa.

Tommy I'm sure survived. I saw him after the first cold snap, though I haven't seen him recently.

Treebie, Peanutbutter, Tabby, and Babygirl.... I have yet to see them. But I can just see signs of them and not see them for weeks or months. Just no definite signs of them yet. Raccoons were here, so most of the bowls were gone. No way to know how much had been eaten before the raccoons came. :cross:

Patches appeared last night!!  So all 3 of mine are accounted for!! 

It's so good to hear that everyone's ferals have done so well.

My co-taker/feeder reports that she's seen most of the regulars. I'm relieved.
I put fresh, extra straw in the cat shelter on Sunday before the zero degree temperatures hit. (I don't get up there during the week.) My co-taker said she saw them coming to the feeding area from that direction today.
The cat shelter is a simple rubbermaid type plastic container, insulated with some styrofoam and an ill-fitting, but secured, lid (thank goodness for duck tape). It is well hidden behind some bushes, which didn't leave their foilage during the winter months, up a rather steep hill. No one has stolen it yet, or thrown it in the dumpster.

We have it fairly easy in Texas. It was in the twenties for a couple of nights. Most of my colony will use the doggy door to come into the utility room Bless my talented husband! He put a glass door between that hall and the kitchen. You may be able to see from the picture that we can see the cats as we go about our day and they can see us. We keep a variety of bedding for them in the hall and big bowls of food and water. We used to have a litter box but they never used it so we took it out. The few cats that won't come in are all doing well. Even the old timer,Charley, was on hand this morning. He had his face buried in a bowl when I came out but he did look up long enough to let me scratch his head.

Every single one of our "regulars" disappeared entirely the day it started to snow (Flick, Blackie, Big Ray) and we never saw anything during the entire snowstorm/freezing temps....no food was eaten (and we had hard AND microwaved soft so that it would stay thawed), no water drunk from the heated bowl, and no one used any of the heated shelters. My husband even opened a side garage door 2 steps from the feeding station and pushed a garbage can up against the door opening on its side, filled it with straw, put a kitty heating pad inside, and even set mackerel just outside the opening. Guess how much it got used - none! We didn't see ours for over a week - not one sign. Totally nail-biting. 

Then - voila! The day the temp dropped here -- we saw Flick and Big Ray (no Blackie, but our neighbor thinks she saw her) eat 3 times in 2 hours. PLUS (sadly, as obviously we have more trapping to do) we saw several more! So no - instead of 3 already TNRd, we may have (post-thaw) 6, 3 of which need to be TNRd). Yippee

But SO happy they're back. THis was my first winter with these guys - and alot are young so it was most of their first winters too. SOmeone tell me they get easierl?!?!?!

I've been worried about the small colony near our train station in town.  Residents from the apartment complex have been feeding them but none are knowledgeable about ferals in the least - I've talked to them and have tried to educate but all of them seem content just to be the source of their food.  So, I've taken position of being their well-being overseer - I'm always on the watch for injuries or pregnancies (thankfully, I have never seen a single kitten so it's possible all have been neutered/spayed already either by their prior owners or, by TNR groups).  I have contacts with a local rescue organization, and I'm sure they will provide assistance if needed for medical reasons.  I've also been broadening my presence in some Facebook rescue groups who are in the area - I'm hoping that I can eventually convince one of these entities to bring in the friendliest of the bunch, who certainly is no feral.  Unfortunately, we are not able to take her for various reasons and also, have no room to foster her temporarily but I am able to offer financial assistance.  

Anyway - I haven't been over there in a while, because the weather has been so bad and it's a bit of a walk to the train station for me with my torn knee; I've been parking at the garage across the street from the station instead.  Today, I did park there and was hoping to see them; I've been concerned if they have been coping with the frigid temperatures we've been having so far this winter.

Tonight, four of them appeared as I was walking to the car including my favorite, the white and gray girl already mentioned, who has taking a liking to me.  I shook my car keys and she came running over to me, meowing happily and her friends followed suit.  I was very relieved to see all seemed to be ok, well fed and frisky.  I spent some time giving the little one pets and talking to all of them.  Surprisingly, none of the other three ran off. They all stayed close by, although you could tell they were skittish about doing so.

So, totally relieved to see they survived last weeks subzero weather.  I think if they were able to cope with that, they will all make it through the winter.

LDG said:

Shadowsrescue, I hope Patches is back soon!

So glad everyone else made it ok!

We're status quo here: Baloo, Smokey, Khol, Froggie, Pawley - the (now) friendly ferals that live near us - all accounted for. Same with Little Dot, who's also friendly, and has been using the Feral Villa.

Tommy I'm sure survived. I saw him after the first cold snap, though I haven't seen him recently.

Treebie, Peanutbutter, Tabby, and Babygirl.... I have yet to see them. But I can just see signs of them and not see them for weeks or months. Just no definite signs of them yet. Raccoons were here, so most of the bowls were gone. No way to know how much had been eaten before the raccoons came. :cross:

Click to expand...

So now that the worst of winter has passed, did everyone's ferals turn up?

Treebie, Peanutbutter and Tabby all turned up in February. Babygirl was the last one. She may have been coming all along, there's no way to know. BUT I SAW HER YESTERDAY! She was in the bushes and meowed at me as I put the food out!

In case anyone missed it :lol3: , Pawley has been inside since mid-January. So all 10 kitties active in the colony made it through another winter.

The group I watch over, is located in a parking lot which I didn't park in all winter (well for the most part).  With my knee all messed up, the walk was too far to the train station and made it treacherous with all the ice to leave it there.  So, it went in garage across the street from the train station instead (at great cost!).

Last week, we had a nice day finally and I parked at my usual spot.  Did not see any of the cats and was concerned.  The next morning I parked there again, jangled my keys and my favorite black and white girl came running over to me!  She didn't look too bad, but was terribly dirty - I'd never seen her look that way before.  With her, was her constant companion (they are very bonded); a mostly black one.  Then, I saw one of the tabbies - the gray one.  I also saw the long haired big guy who I think is the oldest resident of the group that I can remember.  There was a pile of kibble under one of the cars so evidently local residents are continuing to feed them although I'm not sure how much they were able to over the bad weather we'd had.  

It seems they have been taking shelter mostly under the large patio deck of a restaurant which has it's entrance at the lot, not on the street.  I kept wondering if they got snowed in down there at any point - but I bet there's an abundance of mice which are in that area so overall - it appears most have fared well enough.  Still haven't about 3 others but I'm assuming they are around also.  It isn't a very large colony - I don't even think 10 maximum.  

Hope everyone elses outdoor babies made it ok also!

Awwww!!!! Nice to have more happy news! Sorry "your" little kitty was dirty - right now, our ferals are really enjoying rolling around on the non-snow covered ground. If Smokey weren't gray, he'd be filthy. :lol3:

the three you didn't see are also OK!

My two regulars were present each and every day and did very well in their shelter throughout all of the bitter cold snaps.  My 3rd wandering soul showed up in early February.  I do believe he is nearing his 9th life.  He now comes at least once a day and some days he is here twice.  He is very skittish and its taken awhile for one of the ferals to reconnect with him.  As for me, he doesn't appear to want anything to do with me.  He is so scared.  I have to feed him just under the deck.  Who knows how long he will stay.  My guess is that he will take off again once the warm weather is here to stay. 

It's good to know that everyone's ferals have made it through.