I got woken up in the middle of the night by two cats crying on my porch. I looked out the window, and saw that Fat Cat, the local "boss" cat, who is some giant breed mix, was at the bottom of the steps growling at them, so the two stranger cats were just distressed about being trapped. It was -17C (1.4F), which is relatively warm for winter where I live, but I still thought it too cold for cats to be trapped on the exposed porch, so I went out to help them. All the cats ran away as soon as I opened the door. Concerned for their safety, especially for the two stranger cats who I've never seen in this neighborhood, I put out a styrofoam box inside a cardboard box, with a self-warming bed inside, and also plugged my car in. None of the 3 cats returned, although I did find a 4th cat taking refuge in my engine bay in the morning.
But I'm wondering...should I report this? Fat Cat and the cat that sought warmth in my car both have homes nearby, and are normally allowed indoors on cold nights. The day before had been unusually warm (-9C) and had felt like it was above 0C because it was so sunny, so I wonder if the cats owners had been fooled by the feel outside and decided not to bring the cats in. The two stranger cats I have no clue about; I've never seen them before. Last night, all of the cats seemed fully mobile and I didn't see any shivering. They were all hunched over, but it seemed like that was just because of whatever conflict was going on between Fat Cat and the strangers. I've never had outdoor cats personally, so I don't know how worried I should be about these cats. Even though it has been "warm" for this time of year, it's still cold enough for frostbite/hypothermia. I did go out in a t-shirt when I went to check on them, but I certainly wouldn't want to spend more than a few minutes like that. I don't normally see the neighborhood cats around when it's this cold out, other than occasionally finding one in my engine bay(I always check when my car has been plugged in, as the cats love the warmth of my block heater). Is there anything I should do? Are they fine? It feels weird to me, sitting in the cozy warmth of my home with my cat while there are other cats out in the cold. Maybe I just need to trust in the toughness of Canadian cats more...or maybe I should call the SPCA...I don't know....
But I'm wondering...should I report this? Fat Cat and the cat that sought warmth in my car both have homes nearby, and are normally allowed indoors on cold nights. The day before had been unusually warm (-9C) and had felt like it was above 0C because it was so sunny, so I wonder if the cats owners had been fooled by the feel outside and decided not to bring the cats in. The two stranger cats I have no clue about; I've never seen them before. Last night, all of the cats seemed fully mobile and I didn't see any shivering. They were all hunched over, but it seemed like that was just because of whatever conflict was going on between Fat Cat and the strangers. I've never had outdoor cats personally, so I don't know how worried I should be about these cats. Even though it has been "warm" for this time of year, it's still cold enough for frostbite/hypothermia. I did go out in a t-shirt when I went to check on them, but I certainly wouldn't want to spend more than a few minutes like that. I don't normally see the neighborhood cats around when it's this cold out, other than occasionally finding one in my engine bay(I always check when my car has been plugged in, as the cats love the warmth of my block heater). Is there anything I should do? Are they fine? It feels weird to me, sitting in the cozy warmth of my home with my cat while there are other cats out in the cold. Maybe I just need to trust in the toughness of Canadian cats more...or maybe I should call the SPCA...I don't know....
