The cat and the shelter

pippa

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Hello all,
There's a stray neutered male cat (I call him Bonzy), who has been living in my yard since this past summer. I also have two female indoors cats. Thinking about the winter weather I bought Bonzy a big cage, I put it in the yard under a roofed area, I covered the cage with plastic and an old rug, I removed the main door of the cage, and inside I put newspapers on the floor and an old sweater along with some catnip, and a bowl for food and another for water.

Somehow he doesn't want to sleep/spend the night inside the cage/shelter but on top of the cage in the open air or somewhere else in the yard where it is not pleasant. It's been raining lately, so even in the cold rain he refuses to go inside. He goes only to get the food and water. He's very friendly though. I'm guessing that he has bad memories of being in a cage, perhaps for surgery or waiting to be adopted. But it doesn't look like a cage, it's really cozy! I've tried everything to make him go inside at night or when the weather is bad, but so far....no luck. Sometimes I feel that he does it to spite me
.

Does anybody have any suggestions before the weather gets worse?

Thanks.
 

keith p

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Mabye he was abused and does remember being locked in a cage. Well if he wont go in the shlter than chances are he wont change unless he is in danger like a dog in the area and nowhere to go. Do your female cats go outside at all? My theory is if you rub there scent into the cat house he will smell that and possibly go in. Cats will trust other cats before they trust humans, so try the scent thing or leave an old,used cat toy in the cat house as long as it has no sick germs on it.
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by Pippa

Hello all,
There's a stray neutered male cat (I call him Bonzy), who has been living in my yard since this past summer. I also have two female indoors cats. Thinking about the winter weather I bought Bonzy a big cage, I put it in the yard under a roofed area, I covered the cage with plastic and an old rug, I removed the main door of the cage, and inside I put newspapers on the floor and an old sweater along with some catnip, and a bowl for food and another for water.

Somehow he doesn't want to sleep/spend the night inside the cage/shelter but on top of the cage in the open air or somewhere else in the yard where it is not pleasant. It's been raining lately, so even in the cold rain he refuses to go inside. He goes only to get the food and water. He's very friendly though. I'm guessing that he has bad memories of being in a cage, perhaps for surgery or waiting to be adopted. But it doesn't look like a cage, it's really cozy! I've tried everything to make him go inside at night or when the weather is bad, but so far....no luck. Sometimes I feel that he does it to spite me
.

Does anybody have any suggestions before the weather gets worse?

Thanks.
Here are some suggestions for housing for this cat....one thing is to take the sweater out and put in some hay or straw...he probably smells your smell on the sweater. Here is a link to some winter housing suggestions:

http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/wintershelter.htm

Also....I recommend that you borrow a trap and take him into a vet to be neutered.

Katie
 

beckiboo

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Is it possible that he is guarding the food from "predators"? My outside male loves to guard the food bowls, so no one else gets to eat, even though he has plenty. Maybe your boy is sitting up nice and high, where he can keep watch.

Will has currently been laying on a cushioned folding chair in the garage. Only problem is that ds left his child sized golf set on the chair. Will has gone from laying next to the golf set to laying on it! Why not get back up on the dryer, where the food is, and a nice soft towel?!?

I'm SO GLAD inside cats are not that hard to figure out. They never go into strange places!

 
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