Just watched a feral cat walk by in this bitter cold.

[Critters2]

I see him a lot, I've even named him..."Red". I think he's the father of the kittens born under my porch last summer. He won't let me near him, but I've been putting food out. When it's this cold, I put out kitten food, for the extra protein and fat. That way, they'll have the extra calories to fight the cold, and won't have to eat as much, to venture out as often for food. He knows I'm the one who puts out food. He's watched me. I keep hoping he'll stop seeing me as a threat, so maybe I could find him a home. But for now, he's out in this bitter cold.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. At least he sees you as a food stop.

That's a start.

[spinbaby]

2. Put out an insulated box, too.

When our Tennessee was just the local feral, we put out a cardboard box with a cat-sized hole on one side. A couple of towels on the bottom and a good blanket over the top, and he had a good nest. He came in the house eventually, but was still really touchy until he managed to split open his chin in a daredevil leap off the fridge. For some reason, the vet experience calmed him--he trusted us after we took care of him while he was injured.

Good luck with your new buddy.

[Critters2]

3. He hangs out in the beagle's dog house, which she doesn't use in the winter.

It has a dogbed and a blanket in it. I've moved it against the privacy fence, for more protection from the wind. I watch him and another cat, the mother of the porch kittens, come and go from the doghouse, though I don't think they've really moved into it permanently.

[Dangerously Amused]

5. Oh. Just saw this. Never mind the post below, then. : )

[Dangerously Amused]

4. Seconding the insulated box suggestion.

I put out an old wooden barrel (one of the smaller ones), put some plastic material over the top to make it draft and water-proof, and lined it with some old woolen sweaters for the ferals I've seen around here. I don't know if they ever use it, although the food I put out nearby is always gone. But I just couldn't sleep at night if I didn't have some type of shelter out there for them in this bitter cold weather.

Good luck!

[Resuscitated Ethics]

6. Ferals will break your heart

My neighbor had a garageful: this garage has been left open a crack since 1952 with a constant population of semi-ferals. After some tropical flooding drowned a litter in my yard I did some research, bought a trap, and got 16 fixed one autumn. No more litters! We started with the few she could grab and put them in soft cases. Then trap/transfer, and finally trap.We would trap maybe three or four of them every Friday night at dinnertime. I used a special service in town that would fix and give shots (rabies/distemper) for $50 per critter. I figured ASPCA may sponsor free spay/neuter but I could afford $50 per and didn't want to stress the emergency system. Anyway, four years later three of the little dears "live" around my front porch. But no more litters!!! It was a happy day when we got the last one trapped. Don't forget the "ear notch" so you can tell a spay from a distance.

http://www.feralcat.com/traps.html
http://www.feralcat.com/trapinst.html
http://www.livetrap.com/cgi/search.cgi?user_id=59789&database=dbase1.exm&template=products.shtml&2_option=1&2=Deluxe+Double+Door+Traps

This is a huge pain and a labor of love and if done improperly it is worse than not acting. Never set the traps and leave them overnight: you will end up with either a non-cat nocturnal prowler or worse, a trapped cat that has beaten themselves senseless in a steel cage or worse a trapped cat harassed into heart failure by either the dear neighbor kids or some other evil predator like a dog.

What galvanized me into action was the mother kitty calling for her drowned babies a week after the storm.

Ferals will break your heart. You are saving Red's life by offering GOOD food and thawed water.

[hamsterjill]

11. TNR Works!!!

Good for you! TNR works. It takes effort, etc., but it ultimately works.

Thanks for making the effort for these cats!

[NickB79]

15. Trap-Neuter-RELEASE? After the OP stated it was bitterly cold outside?

Releasing a feral cat back into -10F weather just strikes me as wrong.

[hamsterjill]

16. No, you need to have a little common sense, too

Of course cats should be protected from the elements. Providing shelter for feral cat colonies is a part of ANY good TNR project.

[NickB79]

22. What kind of shelter is sufficient in Illinois in mid-January? NT

[hamsterjill]

23. What is it that you would propose?

Are you against TNR? Are you advocating catch and kill? Or what?

First off, my original reply was to response # 6, not the OP. I was merely thanking the person I was responding to for caring about the cats he/she helped.

I don't live in Illinois so I'm not sure what type of shelter would be adequate for feral cats there, but I'm betting that there are feral cat rescuers in Illinois who have used great creativity to take care of their charges. Most feral cat colony caretakers that I know are very serious about the cats that they care for. They expend much time, effort and their own, hard earned money to see that the cats have what they need.

I live in Texas and although our temps don't usually dip much below freezing, there is the issue of the cats having to acclimate to winter conditions after having most of the year warm and sunny. We DO provide shelters for our colonies that provide a warm place for them to get, as well as protect them from rains.

Now...I hope I've answered your concerns and I hope you have yourself a nice day.

[Debi]

20. We have been able to get the pregnant moms or the moms who just had litters in our house

and after we find homes for the kittens get moms spayed and back out they go. Have had two toms neutered but they are harder to get near us. Haven't had any kittens for almost a year!

[MineralMan]

7. I converted one of my basement window

wells into a sleeping place for one of our feral cats. I just put a box over it, with a flap for the cat, and lined it with old towels. The heat from the basement keeps it warm enough for a cat to sleep. I can see the cat through the window at night. It uses the thing consistently.

Lots of feral cats use basement window wells as sleeping places. They're pretty resourceful, actually, and this one has survived at least two winters so far.

[Dangerously Amused]

8. Wow, that's a really good idea. Thanks!

[sammythecat]

9. When I was younger I used to root for the cold.

I figured if it's going to get cold let's go for a record. I wasn't callous, just stupidly unaware. Now I realize the suffering that severe cold like this brings to nearly all outside animals and especially feral cats and dogs. They're domestic animals and simply not meant for conditions like this. The only reason they're in this situation is because of neglect and abandonment. It really is heartbreaking. And frustrating. And depressing.

I'm not very religious at all but bless you (and the others here) for having a kind heart. That's the best quality a person can have in my book. :hug:

[Critters2]

10. Indeed. Domestic cats are descended from North African wild cats,

basically a desert animal. This weather must be brutal on their systems.

[Bertha Venation]

12. thank you for taking care of the cat

:hug:

[Parche]

13. fingers!!

i love kitty cats:hi: :hug: :hug:

[Critters2]

14. They love you too!

They say so all the time!

How are you?!

[Arugula Latte]

17. Thank you for helping him!

I HATE thinking about all the animals suffering in bitter cold. When we had an Arctic snap here in December I'd lie awake at night worrying about all the creatures. :cry:

[graywarrior]

18. Aw shucks, I just fell in love with you!

[Debi]

19. I created a 'house' for my strays with one of those plastic storage containers

and some pillows and fleece scraps. I cut one of the corners out about 1/2 way up the box and put a pillow in it and some fleece. I also lined the sides with fleece and used the lid to secure a piece of fleece around the top. On warmer days I pull everything out and wash it and put it back in. The strays sleep in there at night and come out to eat. I don't know what they do during the day. It all cost about $20.00.

[applegrove]

21. I've heard of people who set up a wood box with a light bulb to give a stray cat

a place to curl up in during the cold.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. My 2 cats are CHOOSING to be out there !! They will come in to eat

and take a short nap. Then, back out they go!! Figure that :eyes: