Outside, but “Feline” Fine, Caring for Feral Cats
I’ve always been a cat mom to indoor domesticated cats, but that changed in 2010. There was a black and white tuxedo cat that was hanging around our house. This started my journey into becoming the mother of a feral cat population.
I started to feed him and gained a little trust, so I called a rescue friend to come and TNR him.
If you’re not familiar with what TNR is, it’s “Trap Neuter, Return.” It was a boy cat, so he was neutered, given shots, and released back outside my house. He was a feral, not domesticated, so there was no chance of socializing or bringing him inside to live, so I named him Chester and over the next few weeks at feeding time, I would encourage him to follow me into our backyard.
Chester got comfortable in our yard and would sleep on patio chairs, and since the weather was warm and we had a hard-top gazebo, he had shelter, food, and as I liked to call it, “maid service” twice a day with water, food, and treats.
Cold Weather is coming, what do?
By the end of September 2010, I started to think about how to keep this feral cat warm and did a little digging (not in the litterbox) and found some good information from the Humane Society.
I learned that the shelter must trap the body heat of the cat, so the interior stays warm. You can also buy heated cat shelters or use disposable hand warmers.
Straw is for strays; hay is for horses.
Another important thing to remember is to use straw, not hay as straw allows a feral cat to burrow. You can also stuff an old pillowcase with the packing peanuts that come in a box or use shredded newspaper.
The cat won’t go in the house.
I invited a rescue friend over to help me build my new feral cat “home” for Chester. We cut a round hole in the storage bin I purchased, lined it with Styrofoam, and then added the straw. It had to be elevated off the ground, so I just put it on top of the patio table. I thought for sure Chester would love this, but weeks went by, and he refused to go in the house.
I broke the rules!
I was getting upset that Chester wouldn’t use the house, and the nights were getting colder, so I broke the cardinal rule of outdoor feral cat shelters: I bought a small cloth play dog house that was meant for indoor use, folded a blanket to fit inside, added some disposable hand warmers under a layer, and wrapped the outside of the house with towels and a plastic tablecloth.
I placed that on the table on top of old door mats, and 2 hours later, took a peak out the patio door, and guess who was sleeping comfortably? I was elated, and all these years later, this is how I’ve cared for Chester! He is still with me and at 14 years old, has earned the title of “the oldest living yard feral!”
The houses I currently have are “Purrfect”
The reason why I said I broke the rules is because you’re not supposed to use towels or blankets as condensation can form and make the cats cold. If you feed an outdoor feral cat colony and have straw inside your shelters, leave it that way. I have two sets of blankets for every house in my yard (more ferals showed up in 2020) and I change them every morning and wash them each day.
It’s A LOT of work, but I feel they’re more comfortable and condensation doesn’t have a chance to form because of the frequent changing. I also buy disposable hand warmers on Amazon every week, and they last about 18 hours a day.
On cold days, I add hand warmers in the morning and again at night for extra warmth and comfort. There’s now Bowie, Ziggy, Stardust, Jerry, and Blackie. They all live in my yard, and as you can see from the pictures, I have a nice condo community under my gazebo!
It takes a lot of planning, especially if I’m going out or on vacation. I not only need a pet sitter for my two inside cats, I need someone to also handle the yard ferals. In the end, I wouldn’t change a thing. I feel accomplished that I’ve helped make some animals’ lives a little better, I have a sense of purpose, and even though they won’t let me pet them, they’re still a part of my family.
More Purrfect Content: Magic 98.3’s Kitty Corner
