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.

Cats Choose their People

Cats are social animals that will choose the people they want to be with and the yards that they want to visit. Some visits are daily and other visits seem like the cat will never go home.

Know that when neighborhood cats visit your yard that it means that the yard has a positive energy, Cats visit my yard daily, they drink from my pond, lie in my clover garden and lounge on my patio furniture. These cats are feral, stray and cats from the neighborhood. My neighbor has a pond and a natural looking yard but no cats go to their yard and I suspect it is due to the energy, they do not like cats and the felines sense this.

Here are some cat cards that I created from the photographs I took of the cats that have chosen my yard.

Beautiful Tabby Cat in Grass Garden Photo Postcard

Feral Kittens in Garden Postcard

My husband and I love cats, but that does not mean that we do not respect their space, as we make no attempts to bond with them because if we did they would not go home. We care for a feral and stray cat colony that is away from my home but we do not put out a bowl of cat food in our yard.

Know that over the years I have had two neighborhood cats decide that their visit would be indefinite. Both cats had no intention of going back to their homes. Both cats were from the same family and they were subjected to abuse. The cats decided that they wanted to live at my house and showed me that I was the chosen one by jumping up on the bench where I sat to lie next to me when I read my book in the garden.

Eventually, I did put out a bowl of food and fresh water for these cats. I also opened the kitty door on my shed so they could take shelter when the weather was extreme heat, cold and the rain.

Photo card of feral cat being fed in winter

Cat in Snow with Greeting Christmas Card

But before I did any of the above I researched the family and found that the mother was a hoarder and that she had many cats that did not get along. She trained her cats by allowing them to fight among themselves and work out their indifference. The cats that got beat up were put outdoors and the cats that ruled the house lived indoors.

Both cats that came to my yard, arrived with multiple bite wounds, and these cats were seniors, age 14 and 17. The cats choose to my yard as they are free to leave anytime between 6 AM and 7 PM ( the time when the cat shed is opened/closed.) The cats were always prompt to go in for the night because they choose their people.

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If you are thinking of adopting a cat or a kitten then I would recommend that you allow the cat to choose you. Whenever we have taken in feral or rescue kittens I have told the adopters to sit away from the kittens then wait for the kitten to approach them. To allow the kitten to check them out and the kitten that shows affection is the one that has chosen them as their person. These unions have been very good and no kittens were returned to me.

Plans to Relocate Cats to Farm Rescue

As far back as I can remember I have always wanted a small farm where I could relocate the neighborhood cat colony that I oversee. This farm rescue would provide feral, stray and abandoned cats with safety from crossfire from hunters, wildlife predators and animal control trappers. 

It has been my dream to trap the cats that have been abandoned to the woods by my home. I would like to socialize them and adopt them into forever homes.  

The plan is simple, my cat rescue would be open to accepting all feral cats that had been previously vaccinated, and sterilized, excluding cats infected with felineimmunodeficiency virus. The feral cats then would stay on the property and become barn cats.

This has been my dream for a long time, but I thought it was only a dream. I never thought it would come true, BUT my husband has agreed that if this is what I want then we can move in the summer to a farm and I can have a cat rescue. 

Husband suggested that I look and collect ideas as to what I want. In the past month I did look at 2 hobby farms but both were too small for what I wanted, plus they backed up a busy crossroad and I desired a remote location. Remote being better for barn cats as there were be less worry of them attempting to cross a busy road to get to the other side.

Both of the hobby farms that I looked at had old dilapidated barns which meant that we would have to go to the expense of building a shelter for the cats. It is one thing to remodel a barn, but to build from ground up is a great expense. In addition the land was rocky and there was not area suitable for garden. Neither of the farm houses were to my liking, in my opinion they both should have been demolished and taken away.

So my search for a farm to be converted into a cat rescue continues. I do think there is a need for the feral and stray cats and do plan to trap the cats at the colony that I oversee before construction; excavation and blasting of the south ridge commences for urban development.

Yes Cats Communicate with Each Other

I am convinced that the feral and stray cats talk among themselves because every day a new cat finds their way to my feeding station. Some of the cats reside down the street, but that does not mean that they stay in their neighborhood. Nope you will see the cats waking down the street, then down my steep hill but instead of going to the park entrance they will turn and go down my sidewalk, all the way back to where the feeding station is. Look around and then sit down to eat.

Feral kittens hanging out by water bowl in my garage

This is why I think the cats talk among themselves. When they are hanging out they may say check out this house they put out tasty grain free kibble and fresh water. If cats did not communicate with each other than how would the cats from two blocks away know to come to my yard?

Two satisfied neighborhood cats at my feeding station by shed

Know that when I mention the cats communicating among themselves that my husband usually laughs at me. What do you think? Do cats tell each other where to get a good meal, shelter and a comfy hangout where dogs do not chase them?

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?

Reports of Missing Cats

The end of November I noticed that many of the feral and stray cats that we care were not showing up at the feeding station.  We assumed that they were hanging out at a kindly neighbor’s garage that was opened to them for a shelter throughout the cold winter months.  We also thought that the cats had gone to another feeding station.  

Orange tabby lying on the snow

This was a reasonable explanation for the missing cats however we continued to walk the neighborhood looking for the cats and calling for them.  Several of us went into the woods and found 3 cats at the thicket colonies but 6 feral and stray cats are still missing.

Tuxedo cat sitting by branches

Last week the cat caregivers volunteer meeting it was reported that 6 feral and stray cats were missing and that community residents were seeking their housecats as well.  This of course was reason for concern as it now seemed that foul play may be the reason why the feral stray and housecats are missing in our neighborhood.

We suspect the a resident that lives close by may be luring the cats into traps and then calling animal control to report cat nuisance on his property.  We are looking into the missing cats more seriously.