Advice for bringing in "community cats" inside for the winter?

empzee

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My boyfriend has been feeding some cats that come around his house in the evenings, but we are getting worried about them now that temperatures are below freezing some nights. We have only seen one of the cats but I suspect there may be more than one. The one we have seen was a cat he and his family had seen around the neighborhood several times before. I'm assuming these cats do not belong to anyone, since the visits are all past dark when it's freezing cold out. We built a shelter for the food/water bowls as well as an insulated homemade Rubbermaid shelter for the cat(s) but it doesn't appear that they have been sleeping in there. I've been really anxious about how cold it's getting, and we want to bring one in.

However, I have a few reservations. Tthe one cat we have seen trotted away when she saw us, so we aren't sure if she's timid stray or a feral. We're worried about scarring the poor thing by setting a trap. I'm also worried about confining her to a house, even if it is dry, safe, and warm. Also, what if there are other cats? We can't take them all inside, as much as I'd like to. Any kind of advice would be great-- we would like to try to catch one tomorrow night, since it may even snow next week.
 

ondine

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Trapping her will be stressful.  You should make a plan before trapping, though.  Have a room set aside for her that is cat proof.  Bed off the frame, spaces under bureaus blocked, etc.

She'll need a litter box - cover the litter with a layer of dirt.  It is what she is used to using - she may not recognize litter itself for what it is.  She'll learn pretty quickly, though and the dirt will no longer be necessary.

You should also make an appointment with a vet for as soon as possible after she is trapped.  She can stay in the trap itself for a few days.  Lay down a small tarp or sheet of plastic, then pee pads, then the crate.  When she goes potty, replace the pee pads.  She will need to be checked for fleas, worms and then spayed as soon as possible.  You will want to get the parasite treatment right away, especially for fleas.  She will also need her vaccines.

She'll need time to adjust.  If she's truly feral, she may not adjust well, depending on her age.  This is one of those project that will take lots of time and patience on your part.

As for the other guys, providing them with food and shelter is a wonderful thing.  However, you must also get them spayed or neutered.  Without this, you are going to end up with many, many more cats.  Feeding them helps ensure any kittens survive, so unless you want more cats, get this done.
 

shadowsrescue

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It is very kind of you to take care of these kitties.  Yet the kindest thing you can do for all of them is have them spayed/neutered.  If not the small clan will soon multiply.  It is also very difficult for a female to have litter after litter after litter when she has to work on finding food and caring for her young.  The males will fight one another for territory and females.  This can lead to major illnesses.  

The best way to help these kitties is to start with TNR (Trap Neuter Return).  You trap the kitties, have them spayed/neutered and vaccinated and then you return them to the place you trapped them.  You can then continue to feed and care for them.  Outside stray and feral cats are very resourceful.  They find warm places to burrow.

As for shelters, insulted rubber maids stuffed with straw are awesome.  Just be sure that to start, you have an exit and entrance hole.  Many cats will not go inside a shelter if they feel they will be trapped inside.  After time, you can often close up one of the holes.  You can also try to attract them to the shelter with catnip.  Just do not use food as you do not want to attract other critters.  Be sure the shelters are off the ground a bit to keep them dry.  An extended roof will help to keep the inside dry too.  Just do not use blankets as they will get wet and do nothing to keep a cat dry.  If you have an electric source outside, you can use outdoor heat pads.  I even use outdoor dog house heaters in my cats shelters.

As for bringing in the one kitty.  A trap would be best and then an immediate trip to the vet.  Do not let the cat out of the trap or it may be impossible to get him back into the trap for the vet visit.  You will want the kitty examined as well as spayed/neutered, vaccinated and tested for cat illnesses.  The trap may scare the cat at first, but most cats calm very quickly once the trap is covered.  You can trap night, place the kitty in a warm space ( with tarps underneath incase he/she pees) and keep the trap covered.  Get the cat to the vet the next morning.  Just do not let the cat out of the trap.  Many people do this and then they cannot get the cat later when a vet visit is necessary.  My low cost spay/neuter clinic does not require appointments for stray/feral cats.  Yet they are only open M-F.  With this being the weekend you may need to keep the cat in the trap extra time.  

The cat will need a room of it's own that is cat proofed.  If there is a bed in the room, it should be laid flat on the floor or picked up.  Under the bed is the first place a cat will run to hide and it's near impossible to get a cat out.  Also block off behind all other large furniture.  You do not want the cat hiding where you cannot reach it.

Do provide a litter box ( you may want to get some Dr. Elsey's litter attract), food, water and a cozy bed.  A cat tree near a window would be extra special.  You also can provide a hiding box that is just a simple box to curl up inside.  Keep the kitty confined to this room until the cat calms down.  You also will want to be able to handle the cat in some way.  Small steps along the way are safest.  Also have a plan to not allow the kitty back outside.  Watch all doors when you come and go.  For awhile, the kitty will try to escape.  WHen I brought one of my ferals inside, he did nothing but throw himself against the window over and over.  This is normal.  You can play calming music from the radio as well as try feliway diffusers.

Bringing in a feral/stray cat is a big undertaking.  It is so kind of you to try.  Just go slowly.  Also be sure the vet is step #1.  

If you want ideas for shelters, do a google search on feral cat winter shelters.
 
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empzee

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ondine ondine Thank you so much! I took in my own stray a few months ago (my boyfriend and I don't live together, and their family doesn't have any other pets right now) and she was so well socialized, she came right up and rubbed on us and everything. She was practically begging to come in! So even though I have a bit of experience with cats I am very grateful for advice with this very different situation.

We're definitely planning to have her taken to the vet ASAP upon catching her! Thank you for the advice on not letting her out of the trap! That would have been mistake number one for me.

I know working with her is going to be a big undertaking but I've read a couple of good articles (not saying I know everything, quite the contrary LOL) and I've let my boyfriend know this is not going to be your average cat.

I'm going to contact the local Humane society to see if they offer TNR for the rest, but I'm a little worried about how cold it is and that the girls will have to have their tummies shaved. But I'll see about moving the shelter we built maybe more in a wooded area to make it more enticing.

shadowsrescue shadowsrescue Thank you very much for responding so quickly! I can't believe how crafty these critters are, since it's been in the 20s most nights. We definitely want to do TNR for the rest, I just need to check with the local humane society. Unfortunately this isn't a super rich county and doesn't seem like the kind of place that really likes cats so their humane society is small and underfunded.

For the shelter we built, we followed a plan from alley cat allies (with whom I'm not affiliated with in any way) and lined the whole thing with reflectix insulation and filed it with small pet bedding. I've crushed catnip inside and around the entrance but I think it's the location that is deterring them. We were selfish and placed it too close to the house and not enough cover; I'll see about moving it next time I'm there.

Thank you so much for all these great suggestions! I have a cat tree my cat doesn't use but I don't want to freak out Miss Feral with another cat's scent. If it goes down tonight I will definitely let you all know. Thank you both so much! (Sorry for cutting it short I'm running late for work-- oops!)
 

trudy1

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You might look to a cat rescue group for some on the ground help. Like you my county has a small under funded shelter but operating in the background are a few people running rescue groups. These are the frontline heros who help with trapping, small vouchers to assist with neutering , adoption clinics, etc. Ask at your shelter. They usually know who's who in the cat world. Also your local pet store will know.

Thanks for being willing to rescue.
 
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empzee

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Thank you!! I will reach out to the shelter first thing Monday. Hopefully they offer TNR!

Also, we nabbed a kitty tonight. However it was a different one than we saw the other night. This one is anything but feral, she's a Siamese that we've seen before, very friendly and comfortable with people. I suspect she may be someone's cat (again I personally wouldn't let my cat out at night when it's so cold) so we'll make up posters for her tomorrow. We will make a vet appointment for her Monday!

We will continue to feed the other strays and hopefully get them fixed if they aren't already!

 

trudy1

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If you don't find the "owner" for the little Siamese try googling Siamese cat rescue. I know there is one in Kansas City. You might contact them to see if they know of one in your area. They are very helpful people. Siamese should be easy to home.

So how is the "rescue program " going?
 
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