Feral cat housing in winter

Hello,
I feed several outdoor cats (some feral and some I think are just snacking neighborhood cats from around the way). Several months back a little kitten starting coming, pretty tiny. She lets me get to within a few feet of her while staying calm and just sitting and watching me. But any closer, and she runs a bit away before turning back and sitting to watch me. She's very skittish otherwise and will not use any of the things I out out for warmth. She was sleeping on my padded porch bench so I added a blanket in the summer for softness that she would SOMETIMES use. If I touched it to fluff it up, forget it. She'd avoid it for days and wedge up next to it instead. During the day she hides under my backyard deck. However, the entire underside is made out of construction grade steel, so I imagine it's really cold at night with all that metal, so she sleeps on the porch at night. It's now down to 32 degrees at night, and I know blankets aren't the best (she still won't even get on those now). I tried using boxes and carriers and things that are sheltered from the wind but the issue is that she won't go on or in anything I put out. No matter how I set it up or try to entice her, I think she's too wary of anything besides that damn bench lol. I can't physically grab her to show her it's warm so any suggestions on how to get her to go in? I know I can make an appropriate shelter with straw and such, and use non electric heating pads, but the issue is actually getting her to use these things. She's already gotten sick once this winter and I'll be trapping her to spay her soon at a feral clinic. Seems terrible for her to keep staying out uncovered in such frigid temps, especially when she'll have an incision.

I was just going to post a very similar question. I have befriended a feral male Calico cat that finally allows me to pet him after 2 years of effort and last winter he disappeared for about 4 months. Since he is now much friendlier and stays around 24/7, I bought him a heated cat condo with 2 doors. Like you, Callie avoids anything new, including the blanket I put out on his favorite seat cushion. Winter can hit 20 below without the wind chill figured in, so I want him to start using his new luxury pad...but he avoids it like the plague. I've tried to feed him around it, but if I make any moves towards it while he is being petted or fed, he runs off. I'm going to continue with the catnip and feeding near it, but I just can't see him going inside it.

  I have a semi feral friend of Callie who has moved in with us and he seems to be the "ambassador" to Callie, as Callie is much more trusting when Binks, the ambassador semi feral cat, is present. Binks is very easy going and would walk a mile in fire to get a few treats. I'm thinking of putting goodies inside the cat condo and letting Binks get used to the routine, then let Callie watch him do it and hopefully learn from him. I'm hoping for a few other ideas from other members as well!

Jim 

Try some catnip in the shelter or blanket.  It often will work.  You also could try a bit of food during the day time, but don't leave any food in or near it for night time as it will attract other critters.  I found that I had to have a variety of shelters.  I too tried straw, but my feral hated the straw.  My DH then built a Feral Villa, but he didn't like it either as it was just too tight inside.  I then bought the K&H heated cat house on Amazon.    The exit and entrance are nice and large.  It's a good first step.  Also you can make some really easy shelters from Rubbermaid containers that are insulted with Reflectix, then place a heat pad in the bottom.  The stay very nice and warm.  Just be sure to cut an exit and an entrance.

If you want to see some pictures of feral cat shelter ideas do a Google search or you can click the link below and look at some pictures of shelters in my blog. 

Be sure to get all of these cats spayed and neutered ASAP.  A humane trap is the best and easiest way.  The males will stray and wander when they are in search of a female in heat.  The kindest thing you can do for all of the cats is to get them spayed and neutered.  The sooner the better.

Thank you for helping.

The simplest way really is to put their food inside the shelter. They will get hungry enough to venture inside.

Straw is best for holding their body heat in, if straw is not liked, add something on top of it.

BTW, calicos are females, it's some crazy small number of calicos who are males, like it may as well be 1 in a million. Those that are males are sterile.

Spaying and neutering is THE best thing you can do for them!

Is there any possibility you can keep her inside, for at least a few days, when she is spayed? Her belly will be shaved and the incision exposed, so being outside won't be good. A large dog crate can hold her safely for the duration.

Re: the shelters, catnip works well. If she is avoiding them because of your smell, you could try wearing nitrile gloves when you handle the shelter and straw.

Jim, that's funny because mine is a little calico girl that I've been calling Cali lol. I hadn't thought about the fact that she might follow suit of seeing other cats go in. I hope that will be what happens!

Ondine and the others, I will definitely try the straw and the catnip. Hadn't thought of catnip as my indoor cats never really cared about it much. When I spay her (assuming she will go in the humane trap I will rent) I will do my best to transfer her to a large carrier that I have and try keeping her in that for a couple days. The spca said if the carrier stresses them out too much, it's actually better to let them go and face the cold because too much stress can impede the healing. I really hope she doesn't panic too much.

I will definitely try to make a feral shelter and hope to coax her in. I've looked up several examples online. Thanks everyone [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Never get tired of this 

kittykarizma said:

Jim, that's funny because mine is a little calico girl that I've been calling Cali lol. I hadn't thought about the fact that she might follow suit of seeing other cats go in. I hope that will be what happens!

Ondine and the others, I will definitely try the straw and the catnip. Hadn't thought of catnip as my indoor cats never really cared about it much. When I spay her (assuming she will go in the humane trap I will rent) I will do my best to transfer her to a large carrier that I have and try keeping her in that for a couple days. The spca said if the carrier stresses them out too much, it's actually better to let them go and face the cold because too much stress can impede the healing. I really hope she doesn't panic too much.

I will definitely try to make a feral shelter and hope to coax her in. I've looked up several examples online. Thanks everyone [emoji]128522[/emoji]

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A very good tip for you, and something that most people not in rescue know about is, unless the trap is brand new, or well cleaned after it's last use, it will have the remaining smells left on it of fear and adrenaline, and will cause a cat NOT to get inside.

So to be sure that is not an issue, just take the trap and saturate well with any household cleaner like 409, etc.

Spray all of it.

Then hose it off well, making sure to rinse all of the cleaner off completely.

Now it will not have the former victim's smells on it to warn future cats not to go inside.

You are taking a risk at attempting a transfer, traps are generally pretty large, and a feral can be recovered in the trap fine.

Just set it on pee pads for urine/feces, keep it completely covered except for the slide up door end.

This will allow the cat to see a bit, keep it calmer and feeling not so vulnerable, and you will be able to carefully slide the door up a bit to put canned food inside. I usually feed canned watered down a bit so I don't have to set a dish of water in it, as it gets spilled easily.

BE SURE TO RELATCH IMMEDIATELY! It took me one time to learn the hard way, they can and will flip that door up and escape!

I was told to borrow large dog cage which is big enough for a litter box. I learned this after the fact. I kept my TNR Kitty overnight after spay after that I had to let her go she was stressing

catwoman707 said:

A very good tip for you, and something that most people not in rescue know about is, unless the trap is brand new, or well cleaned after it's last use, it will have the remaining smells left on it of fear and adrenaline, and will cause a cat NOT to get inside.
So to be sure that is not an issue, just take the trap and saturate well with any household cleaner like 409, etc.
Spray all of it.
Then hose it off well, making sure to rinse all of the cleaner off completely.
Now it will not have the former victim's smells on it to warn future cats not to go inside.

You are taking a risk at attempting a transfer, traps are generally pretty large, and a feral can be recovered in the trap fine.
Just set it on pee pads for urine/feces, keep it completely covered except for the slide up door end.
This will allow the cat to see a bit, keep it calmer and feeling not so vulnerable, and you will be able to carefully slide the door up a bit to put canned food inside. I usually feed canned watered down a bit so I don't have to set a dish of water in it, as it gets spilled easily.

BE SURE TO RELATCH IMMEDIATELY! It took me one time to learn the hard way, they can and will flip that door up and escape!

Click to expand...

Thank you for this advice, I wouldn't have thought of that. I will clean like hell lol and hope she goes in. She's so scared of everything! I didn't think it was my smell that scared her, like someone mentioned, because she slept on the blanket a couple times and eats the food input out obviously. But maybe it does bother her, because it seems like maybe she shies away from areas of fabric that I've messed with. Maybe I'll try using gloves when I put out the trap too. And I'll just keep her in that instead of transferring to be safe. Thanks again!

I bought a trap from Amazon it was $49, now i have one if I need it again, it was not that easy coordinating spay with trapping, so I found a low cost clinic $25 for feral spay and rabies, only stipulation was drop off before 9 am pick up at 4. I had to catch her in am at 7 on my day off, my first few attempts failed, but eventually I got her thanks to the spay clinic and their open door policy. With a regular vet I kept rescheduling spay appointment and their schedule did not always agree with mine! If I do it again I will borrow my friends large dog CAGE and let the next one recoupe for a week in it in the garage. A nice vet helped me catch four from the past and kept them for a week for me before releasing them to my backyard. I forgot all about that when I caught the last one. I could not keep her more than overnight after spay, she would not eat and she soiled herself, I was worried about infection. I did not see her for more than a week, I thought she might be dead, but she eventually showed up very hungry! She eventually forgave me, I still cannot touch her and she does not want to enter the winter home I made for her, she is probably afraid of another surgery! Ha ha

I noticed any time I alter my indoor cats routine she shy's away from what I do; this is because Orange Tabby Girl gets suspicious of any new items; scents; clothes furniture; I have read "Catnip Spray might help";  I too have a small black (midnight blue) Kitten I am trying to trap and fix; she sees me and shy's away every time: yet I feed her every night; she likes my kibbles but she does not trust me; !!! "use old stuff not new stuff";

Cats also like Valerian Root; thanks for helping the feral Cats: the Cats really appreciate you folks: Anne ~