About Feral / Stray Cats in Winter

 

Tonight’s low was eleven degrees and the weather advisory report said that the temperature outdoors felt like negative seven. This means that cats that live in your home need to stay indoors and stray/feral cats will need to find a shelter where they can be warm.

Finding shelter is not as easy as people think. Too many people think the cat has fur it is fine. That is the furthest thing from the truth. Cat will suffer when there is a winter advisory. Cats can die from the cold and even if the cat lives outdoors permanently they will suffer from hypothermia or frostbite or both.

Caring for the feral cat during a snowstorm

“Symptoms of Hypothermia

As body temperature continues to decrease, heart rate and breathing will slow down. Without treatment, affected cats will go into a coma and death becomes likely."

“ Stray cats do not have to freeze to death in winter as long as people care about them they can survive the cold.

To provide the stray cats with the shelter/ insulated cat house we bought a bale of straw at the Tractor Store (ask for it at the cashier as they keep the bales in the warehouse at the back of the store) We used the straw to fill the cat houses that are outdoors and the ones inside our shed. As long as the cat houses are not drafty and have a hefty layer of straw the cats will stay warm even on a frigid cold day or night in winter.

Straw on top of mylar reflective blanket

Another way to provide shelter for a stray or feral cat in winter

If you have a garage then leave it open a crack so the stay cat can enter. Once inside offer the cat a self-warming cat house or a cat house with a heated pad. Even a self-warming cat bed on the floor will help the cat to be more comfortable on a bitterly cold night.

Cat lying on self-warming pet pad in the garage

One of my cat-loving friends dug a two-foot deep hole under his enclosed and covered deck then encircled that hole with paving stone before filling it with straw. The stray cat that he took care of burrowed into 3 feet of straw. My neighbor also installed a Mylar reflective blanket underneath his deck to help generate heat for the cat.

The staff at our local Humane Society received a donation of Styrofoam coolers and they added a hefty layer of straw and cut two openings for the cat. (entrance and side escape) These cooler shelters provide insulation that will keep the kitty inside warm and cozy on a cold winter's day. They are not expensive to buy and easy to make.

Know if you intend on making the Styrofoam shelter for stray/feral cats in winter then make sure you fill it with wheat straw and not a blend with hay. Hay is edible, is moist, and will get moldy. Also, set a self-warming Mylar reflective cat pad on the bottom before covering it with the straw.

Set this shelter in an area where it is flush against a wall (wind block) and is hidden. A good place would be under or behind shrubs. Another good place would be on a covered porch or deck. Note that this Styrofoam shelter is light in weight and can easily be airlifted or knocked over. Prevent this by setting brick or a stone on top of the house.

A wooden cat house with Mylar reflective blanket inside and straw. This cat house was a donation from a neighbor.

Note if you have a dog house and you bring the dog in at night. Make sure that the house is not drafty. Use a chalking gun to seal any cracks in the floorboards or sideboards. Make sure the roof is not leaking. Insulate the house with Mylar self-heated blanket for cats. Cover the floor with this blanket then add a hefty layer of wheat straw. Add straw so that it's pushed up on the sides, and covers the floor. This will keep your dog warm during the cold days and at night stray cats will use the house for a winter shelter.

Shop for Mylar reflective blankets for cats at amazon and at chewy.com