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Finished making feral cat box!
- Thread starter sarahp
- Start Date
That is wonderful! I was looking for ideas on what to do with my outside. She is/was part of the little feral colony I feed around my house (a total of 7...all spayed and nuetered), but I managed to hand tame her. Now I can pick her up and love on her just like my inside girls. She is one of 3 kittens (adults now) who I call Rikki Tikki Tavi.....she's Tavi. She hangs around while the others come, eat and leave.
My hopes is to be able to bring her inside someday. I think Josie is open to the idea...Cleo is another story. But in the meantime I was searching for ideas ....something I could buy/put together for her before it gets cold. This definetely gives a good starting point. Thanks for sharing!
My hopes is to be able to bring her inside someday. I think Josie is open to the idea...Cleo is another story. But in the meantime I was searching for ideas ....something I could buy/put together for her before it gets cold. This definetely gives a good starting point. Thanks for sharing!
I came home last night and listened and heard the faintest of tiny squueks coming from the box. FINALLY!
Of course it would happen now that its really COLD here. I added a thick Rug/blanket over the hay and plastic and put some towel flaps in the front to block more wind and keep in what heat she is able to generate.
I have the second box all ready across the patio about 10 ft away in case she wants to move them. I still can not see in there and have no idea how many there are and if they all made it. She rightfully hisses if I try to get too close. Good Mommy. She does come out to eat but I havent seen her out of the box yet and I sure she would attack me if I went near while she was out.
How can I look in there?
I dont want to pull the lid up and freak her out but what if there is a dead one- god forbid? or stuff to clean out?
I wish I could post a picture of the "kitty nest hotel" I have built for her, for you to see. Its a bit over the top and so fun. Apparently it worked. Thanks again for all your help.
Excited and Happy Brooklyn Cat Mom
Of course it would happen now that its really COLD here. I added a thick Rug/blanket over the hay and plastic and put some towel flaps in the front to block more wind and keep in what heat she is able to generate.
I have the second box all ready across the patio about 10 ft away in case she wants to move them. I still can not see in there and have no idea how many there are and if they all made it. She rightfully hisses if I try to get too close. Good Mommy. She does come out to eat but I havent seen her out of the box yet and I sure she would attack me if I went near while she was out.
How can I look in there?
I dont want to pull the lid up and freak her out but what if there is a dead one- god forbid? or stuff to clean out?
I wish I could post a picture of the "kitty nest hotel" I have built for her, for you to see. Its a bit over the top and so fun. Apparently it worked. Thanks again for all your help.
Excited and Happy Brooklyn Cat Mom
@sarahhp: THAT is a great house! I have several very similar houses in my yard for my two friendly ferals (they aren't really feral any more, though :-) ) plus a few others who come and go. I am in Michigan so I've tried to make mine as airtight as I possibly can. I did use the styrofoam insulation - on every wall, the floor, and the top (so it all fits quite tightly) - but last year the cats clawed it quite a bit. So this year, I have added that silver bubblewrap-style insulation over the styrofoam. It saves the styrofoam and also reflects the heat back a little. I use straw for bedding. Last year I had a house that I packed with old kid's ski parkas (I can check the house regularly) and I used a heated pad with those. Based on what I've read here, though, I'm going to use the pad with the straw this year. I have a "double-wide" (haha) Rubbermaid box for my two cats, with 2 doors: one on the end and another on the side on the opposite end (this way, wind doesn't whip through). The others are single, smaller bins with only one door. I love the idea of the swinging door, but I have a suggestion, especially if your cat(s) are skittish: use a piece of clear acrylic for this purpose. It's another step, and a bit more expense, but the cats will be able to see in and out. I used a little bit different method for a flap, which might work for someone else. I bought a few feet of plastic floor runner (the kind for hard floors, which doesn't have the raised and pointy grippers on the one side) and made a liftable flap for over the door. It is bigger than the door, so when closed it creates the best seal I could come up with. It stays pliable enough in winter that they can get their heads underneath it and lift it. I added this after the cats were used to the house, so they were willing to still go in.
My cat houses are outside on my deck, sheltered in a corner of the house right near our door. This way, I can keep the snow cleared for them around their house and their food area (although I leave snow on top of the house for extra insulation). Until recently, I had a little plywood lean-to that I used for their food, but this fell apart. I am now using a bin on it's side, sitting on the bottom shelf of a potting bench. Anyone can use this idea, although depending upon where you put it, you might have to put a patio block or something similar in the bottom to keep it from blowing away. It has been my experience that the cats don't like to go inside an enclosed box to eat - they like to be able to look for other cats and danger. I am going to try cutting the lid in half lengthwise and taping it on - that will provide additional weather protection, but still leave it open enough.
Thanks for all the great ideas!
My cat houses are outside on my deck, sheltered in a corner of the house right near our door. This way, I can keep the snow cleared for them around their house and their food area (although I leave snow on top of the house for extra insulation). Until recently, I had a little plywood lean-to that I used for their food, but this fell apart. I am now using a bin on it's side, sitting on the bottom shelf of a potting bench. Anyone can use this idea, although depending upon where you put it, you might have to put a patio block or something similar in the bottom to keep it from blowing away. It has been my experience that the cats don't like to go inside an enclosed box to eat - they like to be able to look for other cats and danger. I am going to try cutting the lid in half lengthwise and taping it on - that will provide additional weather protection, but still leave it open enough.
Thanks for all the great ideas!
Thanks for the welcome! I found your site by googling "feral cat houses" so even if the original posters don't see it, hopefully someone else looking for pointers may. I'm always trying to get the word out about helping feral kitties!!!
I sounds like you deserve a Friends of Ferals badge on your posts: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/251561/friend-of-ferals-award-badge-apply-here
