Worried!!!

I am new to this site but have been using and reading the advice it provides for several months now and I thank you all. But now I need some advice. Here is my story:  I have been feeding a few ferals on my property for several years.  This spring, one of them had kittens in some sort of burrow she made under my gazebo/deck. I cannot get to it to see what it is and have tried many times, so it must be quite secure.  I did not see or hear them until the kittens were out and about at over 3 months old (weird I know). I could not take any of them in since I already have 4 indoor cats and not that much space.  I immediately trapped them all including their mama and decided to go the TNR route since I was told by the shelter the mom cat would be put down and most likely the kittens since they were over populated with kittens already and wouldn't have time to socialize them.  I live on 7 acres in KY and have a barn, so I figured what the heck--let's have a barn cat family.  Sadly one of the kittens went missing immediately and I can only assume the worst happened but I don't like to think about it. About 2 months after that, the mama was gone.  I live in the hopes that she will one day return.  So here I am now.  3 fully grown kittens doing pretty well and living in their little burrow.  I feed and give them water daily (several times actually) and keep an eye on them.  I am not the right kind of person for this type of work since I am in constant worry for their safety.  Winter is coming and so I immediately made an insulated shelter that could house all 3 of them and filled it with straw.  They will not go in it.  I thought it may be because they couldn't see out of it, so I made another shelter that is not insulated out of a clear plastic tub just to get them used to going in one.  They used it a few times.  Now that the temp is dropping, I thought for sure they would head to the nice and cozy barn with their shelter in it.  Nope.  We got 5 inches of snow last night and they still will not leave underneath the deck.  I tried to call them to the barn earlier today with the shaking of their food, and they looked at me like I was crazy--they will not step foot in the snow.  I moved the insulated shelter to under the deck in hopes they will go in it but am scared a predator will get to them as it only has one entrance.  So here I sit in my warm house while it is dark and 20 degrees outside feeling sick to my stomach that they are freezing and scared.  Is there anything else I can do? 

I worry when it hits 50 degrees I can't imagine 20. I wish I could provide you advice but I'm not an expert in cold weather being in florida. There are plenty of others here that can give you expert advice. I use an electric blanket on medium to keep the strays I feed warm in Winter but that's temps in the 40's. Do you have any access to an outlet near them? Wish I had better advice. Really I just wanted chime in and applaud you for caring. These little ones are lucky to have you and I know they'll be fine!!

Thank you so much hexiesfriend!  Sometimes I need the reassurance that I did the right things by getting them TNR'd.  I know at the time I thought I was making the right decision, and to be honest I was super excited to have some kittens (who wouldn't be?). I really don't think I could have found them homes even if I tried harder to do so.  I read that I should cut an exit door into the shelter so they don't feel trapped. It is already covered with being under the low deck (like 2 feet above ground) and doesn't get any wind, so I think it will be out of the elements enough that a second entrance shouldn't be a problem.  I do have raccoons and see them often and I would be sick if something of a violent nature happened to them.  I also have an old black plastic fish pond that I filled with straw that I may put under there.  They can dig into and cuddle and will be able to escape at all times.  They might like it on warmer nights.  I just saw Puck, one of the boys, running around outside, so he must not be too cold and he was on top of the snow so maybe he is getting used to it already.  Now I am enjoying some wine to relax and stop feeling so crazy.  I know my husband thinks I am nuts!!!  =)

I've been caring for a feral cat for over 3 years, and he will not come inside. I purchased a cedar pet house that has an entrance and exit and fill it with straw. In frigid weather I drape blankets and a sleeping bag over the whole thing and he crawls into it. Last winter he survived many nights of sub zero temperatures, wind and snow. I worry about him all the time, but feral cats are amazing survivors. They put on weight snd grow thick coats. As long as they have plenty of food and water available they will be fine. When I go home and am at my computer I will post pictures.

Yes!  This is what I need to hear!  I am quickly growing very attached to these three ferals and want to do everything I can to help them survive. I was hoping they would go to the barn because it is pretty well insulated and out of all the elements but if they refuse to go, I will just make them some shelters where they are comfortable and feel safe.  The deck they are under is only open on one side (the other is dug into the earth) so I was thinking of getting some straw bales to block the open entrance so it is even more secure.  I tried putting some wooden slats out there, but they weren't quite tall enough.  I appreciate all of the positive feedback!

I know exactly what you're going through. I went to check on my new little colony of five tonight and didn't see any of them. It's 14 degrees out here! I just put a cat house with straw out there for them but they aren't using it yet. I didn't expect it to get this cold so fast. It kills me knowing that they are out there in the cold. However, I know that the adult cats have been out there for years and cats have thick coats that work very well to keep them warm. If you think about it, how often is the top of your head, where you have your "fur", cold? Your ears and face will get cold but the top of your head does okay, right? Cats have that all over their bodies. Most likely your three little guys are doing fine in their burrow.

I don't know what their space looks like but is it possible for you to put things under the deck where they live? Could you put a big pile of straw there? They can burrow into it when it gets cold. If electricity is available you could also try to stick a Lectro heated dog bed, the large kind, down there and hope that they choose to lay on it. Most cats are drawn to warm spaces to lay on. If electricity isn't available nearby you can get an industrial extension cord and draw it from your house.

Since the space where they currently are is where they've always lived I would work on keeping them warm there. They probably don't feel safe going into the unknown and choose familiarity.

These little guys are lucky to have you. Don't doubt for a second that you haven't done right by them.

Thanks Ziggy'smom! 

I do not have access to electricity out there at all.  I agree that I should just try to make them as comfortable as possible in the space they are familiar with and feel safe in.  Like you, I was not expecting it to get this cold this fast--I thought I still had time!!!  It is supposed to get to 10 tonight with a high of 15 tomorrow!!  WHAT???  I will certainly be working on fixing their accommodations ASAP and hope they make it through the night with no issues.  It is bitter out!  Poor babies. 

Has anyone had any experience with a self-warming thermal mat?  I was thinking of putting one in their shelter on top of the straw.  I am not sure if that isn't a good idea because the fabric may freeze?  I also wanted to get a microwaveable heating pad but then I realized it would be impossible to keep accessing the shelter several times a day.  It is pretty far under the deck.

You don't need electricity to keep them warm. I purchased a cat house with the electric pad inside a few years ago, and the pad never heated up properly, it didn't work, and I waited too long to try to return it. Then last winter all the stores sold out of pet heating pads, and I didn't want to risk another online purchase of something that didn't work. I also have concerns about using an electric device in a pet house that has straw. Muffin seems to love his house the way it is, so I haven't pursued the electric pads, though many people use them.

About your situation. Purchase a large bag of straw--make sure it's straw and not hay, because hay retains moisture and becomes moldy. You can get a large bag of straw at Agway for about two dollars. You can also purchase emergency solar "blankets" at any sporting store--thin sheets of foil that people wrap around themselves in an emergency that reflect body heat--and put them under the straw. I used to use these sheets in Muffin's house until I purchased a thermal cat pad that has the self heat reflecting material in it, and now I use that on the floor of his house.

Here's the thing about cat houses. Ferals are distrustful of new things by nature, so you need to put the pet house out in early Fall, before it gets cold.  Put a little straw in it and don't cover the entrance or the exit. Cats needs to feel they can escape from predators. It make take a few months before the cats will use the house, so it's best to put it out for them before it gets cold. In extreme cold (like today), Muffin allows me to cover his entrance and exit with blankets and a sleeping bag, allowing only enough room for him to crawl up into the house, but it took a long time for him to feel comfortable and safe enough inside of the house and to trust me enough to go in there. Maybe this is something you can set up for your kitties next year.

Here's a link to a thermal cat pad--I use this in Muffin's house.


Here's a picture of Muffin's house. This house was pricey--but perhaps you could get one cheaper or build one yourself. It obviously won't fit under your deck, but would be good for your barn.


Here's the inside.


Here it is covered with a sleeping bag.


Others will give you more ideas about shelters you can set up in your barn for when your kitties are at the point of going inside the barn. In the mean time, use straw and the solar sheets under your deck. And don't worry--20 degrees is something most ferals can easily handle. It's when it gets to be 20 below with a wind chill factor that they need extra TLC.  

Thank you so much for helping these kitties.  You did absolutely the right thing by TNRing them.  Without it, they would have scattered to new territories, looking for love.  That would have been a terrible life.  Now, they have a human who cares about them and food and shelter.

Their space below your deck seems to suit them.  It may be warmer than you think - it is obviously protected, as you didn't even know about it until the kittens got older.  Is there a way you can put straw under the deck?  That would give them some bedding options in their favorite spot.

They also have microwavable disks, about the size of Frisbees.  You microwave them for 6 minutes and they stay warm (not hot) for up to 12 hours.  I use them for my outside guys.  Two keep their little chicken coop warm enough that they can move about and use the litter box without being uncomfortable.  You can get them on Amazon.

Never underestimate the lengths cats will go to to make their humans crazy.  I bet they talk among themselves at night, trying to figure out what new thing you are going to come up with for them! 

Keep up the good work.  At some point, they will figure out that these shelters are comfy.

Well the good news is that when I went out to feed them this morning, my husband watched from a basement window that allows us to see under the deck and he said at least one cat came out of the shelter.  YAY!  I took the shelter out and cut an exit hole in it. I am a little scared that it may not be as warm now with the other opening but hopefully they will feel safer and it is out of the elements.  It is well insulated inside and has tons of straw in it.  Now I am watching them play in the backyard in the snow so I guess they have gotten pretty used to it.  I am hoping they will make their way into the barn.  This week I plan on make at least 2 more new shelters for them.  That way I know they have warm areas in both the barn and under the deck. 

MsAimee:  That is a beautiful shelter!  Muffin is a very lucky kitty!  I am going to order one of the thermal pads, my question is do you put it on top of the straw so they can lay directly on it or underneath the straw??

Ondine:  I was also going to order those microwaveable disks, but it is really hard to get to the shelter and I wouldn't be able to get to it every day.  It took a while for me to get it out today to cut an exit hole!  I really wish someone would invent a battery operated one that actually worked.  =)

To be honest, I'm not sure if it would be better to have the pad on top of the straw or underneath. In Muffin's house I have the pad on top of a folded up towel, and then straw on top of it and all around it in the house for a snug fit. He's a big cat, so when he burrows into the house, his butt makes at least some contact with the cushion and the straw forms a barrier around him. If you put the pad on top of the straw under the deck, just make sure there is straw around it as well so the cats can burrow into it.

Cut the exit hole on the side opposite of the entrance hole of the shelter to reduce the draft. Then when the cats are comfortable in it, you can drape a long towel over it so the holes are partially covered but allow enough room for the cats to get in and out to further reduce the draft. If the temps in your area don't get frigid very often, then they'll do fine with that arrangement. The temps in my area were -1 with the wind chill this AM, which is why I have an entire sleeping bag draped over the house. With Muffin's house and the blankets draped over my porch railings, my porch officially looks like trailer trash now, lol.