Garages Can be Deadly For a Neighborhood Cats

Many people have indoor/outdoor cats. And these cats usually go outdoors on a warm day and return at the end of the day to go indoors. But what happens when the weather is rainy or cold, will your cat go in an open garage or shed? Most cats when they enter a garage they will investigate and some may lie down to go to sleep especially if it is raining or cold outdoors.

Garden shed can also be deadly for a cat.  If the door is left open

The homeowner will have no idea the cat is in their garage because when a human approaches the cat may hide. The garage is closed because they are unaware a cat is in their a garage.

Now, what if the homeowner goes to work and returns 12 hours later and do not open the garage. They park their car in the driveway go to the back bedroom to take a nap or watch TV and do not hear the cats meow.

Know that a cat can go without food but they cannot go without water. Water is a necessity. What happens to the cat if the homeowner closes their garage door and leaves for vacation?

An open door is inviting a cat to come indoors

Garages that are left open then closed at some point with a remote are dangerous for a neighborhood cat. My neighbor leaves his garage open for many hours then closes with a remote. He told my husband that where their garage is situated that they would never hear a cat meow. He also said that they went on vacation and came home to a horrendous stench. They opened their garage door and found the remains of a cat.

This is why I say an open garage can be deadly for a neighborhood cat.

Garages can be deadly for a neighborhood cat and I am hoping that everyone spreads the word, people know to sound their horn in winter for cats that may climb into their engine block for warmth. Maybe we can get the word out about garages that are left open and that everyone should check for a neighborhood cat or leave a bowl of water.

We always leave a bowl of water and some food, especially if the garage door is left open. It is the only way to know for certain that no cat or other animal is inside. If food and water are missing then you will know to leave the door open and watch for the animal to come out.

If you leave your garden shed open, be sure to check for animals by leaving food and water and closing the door, then recheck the next day.

People Who Should Not Own a Cat

This month I have wondered why people adopt cats because some people are not responsible pet owners. Three weeks ago my husband found a cat in our yard in the middle of the night that was attacked by another cat. The cat my husband rescued was an adult Maine Coon that was defenseless because it had no claws.

Read my first post about this cat here

We gave this cat shelter in our garage and treated its wounds. For the next three weeks, we tried to locate the cat's people. A neighbor showed us a house that they thought was where this cat resided but after several attempts to contact the pet owner, we never heard from the people who resided in this house.

Then my friend who lives a block away called to say that she found the cat owner and they said to release the cat because it was an outdoor cat. My friend mentioned to the pet owner that the cat in question had been wounded and they said their cat was nice and did not fight and if it got into a fight then it was nature.

A cat that has no claws should not be an outdoor cat. They cannot defend themselves and it is not natural for a cat with no claws to get into a fight with another animal. No claws this is not a fair fight and cat with no claws will take a beating, is no match against other cat or dog.

My husband said we must release the cat as that is what the owner has requested. We did release the cat but the cat did not leave our yard and at the end of the day, the cat went back into our garage to sleep in safety.

When my friend called to see if the cat was released we were honest and said that we did let the cat loose. She told me the cat did not go home, after four weeks the pet owner said they would not come get their cat because it was an outdoor cat and they did not mind it wandering the neighborhood.

As requested we release the declawed cat daily and he goes where he goes and returns to sleep in our garage at night. We have never met the pet owners. In my opinion, they should not own a cat, especially not a declawed cat.

Sewers are Not a Safe Shelter for Cats

Outdoor cats will go into the sewers when the weather is rainy, cold or hot. The sewer provides cats with a comfortable temperature and they feel safe under the ground. However, the sewers are not a safe shelter for cats.

This week the weather forecast is calling for a dip in the temperature which means the mild weather will cease. The weather forecast is calling for a light freeze and heavy rainfall. The temperature dip will come first so the cats will go to the sewers, then the hard rain. There is one wide opening sewer that has a ledge where the cats go to lie, then there is a wide mouth drain. We worry about the cats if the rain water from gutter rushes the sewer, these cats could get swept into the drain.

Neighbors have petitioned the city to put a grate over the opening of this sewer but they city said they would prefer to have animal control come out with traps to remove all stray cats. Well, that is not the solution because even neighborhood cats, small dogs or a child that is curious about the opening could fall into this sewer. Since the city will not install a grate covering my neighbors and I are watching the sewers and will do our best to rescue any cats.

One of my friends lives across from the large opening street sewer and he recommended that we all open our garages to welcome the outdoor cats to a warm and dry shelter. The thought is that the cats would go into our garages instead of the sewer. That if we all install a kitty door that the cats will know that our garages or storage sheds are their safe place.  

We have also opened up the shed. Both the garage and shed have cat beds with self-heated pads if the weather is cold. We are hoping the outdoor cats have the good sense to come out of the sewers and go into the neighbor's garages. 

Cat Safety During Thunderstorm

There are two Bengal  cats that comes to visit my yard daily; these cats used to belong to a neighbor that resided two blocks away. But they moved and now their neighbor  in that area have been feeding and providing shelter for the cats,  however both cats seem to find their way to my yard daily. 

Normally when the weather is mild, the cats will lie happily in my yard and underneath my shrubs, sometimes they hid under the ornamental grass leaves.  It is all good, I love cats and do not mind the feline visitors. However  yesterday a thunderstorm was in the forecast  and the lightening and wind was to be fierce.  The sky was darkening and we cold hear the thunder in the distance.

The Bengal cats had no time to get back to their homw.   The cats were cowering under the overgrown foliage in the garden and my husband says “the cats will never make it home before the storm.

 We agreed to provide the neighborhood cats with shelter and decided to open up our garage for them.  

My husband picks up one cat and I picked up his sister and we ran through the rain to get to the garage.  We put both cats in a large cat cage.  Then I made up a bowl of water, food and put fresh litter in the box.  All of these items were added to the cage along with a cat bed that was sprayed with feliway comfort zone  behavior modifier to help to keep the Bengals calm during the storm.   

Husband covered the cat cage with a cotton blanket to comfort frightened cats.  I turned on the radio so they could listen to new age music.  We took steps to keep the cats safe during a thunderstorm.  

It poured rain for several hours but by late afternoon the dark clouds passed and the sun came out.  Husband went to the garage and opened the cat cage, he allowed the cats to exit our garage and the Bengal cats did not hesitate they went home. 

Do you provide neighborhood cats with shelter in an emergency? 
Would you bring a cat in out of the rain?