How to Keep Feral Cats Warm in Winter

Cats that live outside during the winter need shelter from the cold, snow and ice.  Many people believe that the cat’s winter coat will provide adequate warmth.  

The cat's fur will keep them warm, but if the temperatures dip below freezing the cat will be cold and if the cat is left outdoors, with no shelter or wind protection in extreme cold weather they will develop frost bite on paws, nose and ears.  

Feral and stray cats need an insulated shelter to stay warm and dry in winter. 

Winter is coming and I need to make sure my colony cats have a shelter to protect them from the cold and snowy winter.  The feral cats visit the feeding station that I monitor and occasionally they will come inside my shelter/shelter.  



Locating the Feral Cat Colony

Feral cats are terrified of humans and will go to the hallow trees and the thicket dens in the forest when the weather is bad.  My husband and I decided to fill the hallow trees and thicket dens with straw as it would provide more insulation.   

I decided to track the feral cat I call Bob in hopes to find the forest colony.  I followed each of my colony cats by walking 20 feet behind them into the forest.

 I found that the cats shelters, they were 107 feet south of my home; a hallow tree, a groundhog burrow, thicket den, shallow crevice in the limestone rock.  

The stray cats lived closer, they had leaf shelters that were located under my neighbors low to the ground deck. 

 I noted the cat’s shelters and returned to the areas the following day when the cats weren't there.  I brought insulation material; straw for their shelters.  I set a thick pile of straw inside the hallow tree, burrow and thicket den.

I spoke to my neighbor and informed him that the cat was using his deck for a shelter and asked if I could insulate it for the winter.   

Insulating a deck is a little tricky because you never know what is living under it.  I crawled under the deck and my husband handed me cardboard to set on the ground.  I then piled a thick layer of leaves on top of the cardboard and topped the leaves with straw.  

The top of the deck was covered with a plastic tarp that was secured tie downs. The tarp would provide a wind break and it would also prevent the water from getting the cats bellow wet.  The home owner had no problem with the tarp on the deck because during the winter months it was seldom used.  

About Sgolis, Feral Cat Colony Caregiver

When the temperature dips into the teens I will provide shelter for the feral or stray cats  by allowing  them entrance to my shed or garage. I  Installed a kitty door at the entrance.  The door allows entrance to cats only and does not allow raccoon, dog or fox. 

Inside the shelter I hang heavy blankets or insulated drapes over the windows and walls.  For added warmth I cover the cement floor with cardboard or old carpet.  

For cat bedding;  I filled dish boxes with straw and gave the cats a fleece blankets I also provide the cats with self heating cat beds, mats and igloo and other insulated plastic cat houses.

Insulated cat bedding inside shed:  Image by Susan Golis

Here is a video that will show you how to get your feral and stray cat shelters ready for winter:

Tips 

1. Keep cats warm by fueling their bodies with high protein food. The protein will give the cats the energy they need to keep them active during the winter months.  
2. Feed the cats daily and provide them with fresh water.  
3. To avoid freezing put cat's water in a heated bowl
4.  In winter season I feed outdoor cats dry food as the canned food will freeze.  If cats are in the heated shed/shelter I will leave canned food for them.   
5. As long as an outdoor cat is in an area that is dry, with some insulation, straw and a wind block the cat will adapt to living outside during winter.  The cats will sleep together and their bodies will keep them warm.
    

National Feral Cat Day

National Feral Cat Day, an annual feral cat awareness day.  A day to educate and to make others aware of Alley Cat Allies and their pledge to help control feral cat population by the trap neuter and release program.  For me it is a time for me to reflect on the year and the work that I have accomplished by being a feral cat caregiver.

The volunteer service  that my husband and I do for the feral, stray and abandoned cats in our neighborhood is done out of love for the cats.  

We oversee the colony of cats along with two neighbors and we work together to provide the cats with medical care, nourishment and shelter.  We pay for their needs out of our pocket and I design gifts at zazzle.com from my photographs to raise money for the cats.

Kitten at doorway of our shed/shelter

We provided woods cats with straw to walk on when snow too deep

Rescued 4 week old kitten for medical care

Cleared a path so cats in woods could come to feeding station

After blizzard cleared the sewer so cats could get out

Rescued wounded cat and kittens and took in for medical care

Hiked through 2 feet of show to feed cats in thicket dens

Provide warm beds for feral cats in winter

Care for cats at the shelter

Feral Cat Recuperating after Spay

Lost Cats at Shelter

Caring for Forest cats / 2 kittens and queen by den entrance

In the last year, we trapped many paid for their sterilization and vaccinations as well as preventative vaccines.  We also saved a feral queen cats life along with her three five week old  kittens.  

The queen cat fought off a wild animal that attacked her kittens, the orange tabby kitten need medical care.  I trapped her and her kittens and they all received medical care, however they needed to stay in the animal clinic for 21 days due to a serious infection.

Out of the 16 cats that we trapped, we were able to socialize and adopt five cats into forever homes, seven of the adult feral cats returned to the colony and the remaining four cats live with my husband and I.

I believe in the Alley Cat Allies cause and will continue to protect and improve the lives of feral cats in my neighborhood.  Any feral or stay cat that I come in contact with will be given a bowl a food, fresh water and if I am able to do so I will trap them for spay, neuter and for medical care.   

I will rescue and protect the feral cats from a life of hardship.  They will always find food and water and the door open at my shelter. My husband and I and the two civic minded neighbors will always care for the feral cats in our neighborhood.

View this video to learn more about Alley Cat Allies.

Feral Cat Released to Colony

Feral cat Lucy in Woods

On August 9th the feral cat named Lucy was released from medical care. Her attending veterinarian said she was healed and could be returned to the feral cat colony.  

The cat was released where I trapped her, inside the shelter. I assumed Lucy would bolt out the door and run into the woods but  Lucy was not ready to go outside and she hid in the back of the shelter.

During her stay in the shelter I treated her with a homeopathic healing.  My friend in Atlanta who is a gifted healer helped me with the treatments.  I also fed her a raw diet of lean meat, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and liquid vitamins.  Lucy grew healthy and strong and within two weeks Lucy the feral cat was ready to return to the woods.  

Released feral cat

Today Lucy walked outdoors and laid by my pond and then she slowly walked into the woods. I did not see her for several days and then one day I saw her go into the shelter.  I brought her some evolve maintenance formula natural cat food and fresh water. 

Lucy looks great, her fur has grown in and her coat is healthy and shinny.  She limps on the front paw that was injured and I suppose she always will.  She visited with me for an hour.

Feral cat Lucy resting on deck

I spoke softly to Lucy and told her of her kittens. Charlie the yellow kitten who was wounded was socialized and he was adopted.

Her other kittens Boris and Natasha were still under medical care, but would be coming home soon.  They would be socialized too and would be adopted.  

Lucy the feral cat need not worry because her kittens would have a better life than she.  Lucy was a good listener as she did not turn her head nor did she walk away. 

Lucy was reunited with the feral cats at the Oak Ridge colony on August 26th, 2010.  She will live the rest of her life in a wooded tract of land that is privately owned. My husband and I will watch over her with the help of the civic minded volunteers..

God Guided Feral Cat to Shelter

When the sky turned dark and the air felt heavy we knew that this was a sign for a thunderstorm. Sure enough, the weather forecast called for high winds, hail and a warning of a possible tornado.  We hoped that the feral cat that escaped our shelter three days ago would come back and enter through the kitty door on our cat shelter.  My husband and I prayed that God would guide her to safety.

The rain came down hard, the wind so strong that mature oak trees swayed and hail was large.  My husband and I stayed at the back window even though we were told to seek shelter underground.   Then I saw the feral cat I call Lucy she was soaked to the bone but in spite of this horrific storm, she was able to go into our shed through the open cat door.


I believe this to be the grace of God that he has guided Lucy to safety once again. Lucy had escaped the shelter several days ago with a wound that was not healing, so I ran out to shut the cat door because we must take her back to the veterinarian for evaluation of her wound.

Photographs of the injured feral cat in our care.

My Veterinarian is aware that her wound is not healing and he advised me to bring her in for medical care. However when I tried to trap Lucy she ran away and I did not see her for several days.

The veterinarian did a culture on Lucy's kitten Natasha and found that the bacterial infection was not responding to the antibiotics was due to L-Form Bacteria. The kitten’s immune system cannot fight this bacteria and my veterinarian suspects that Lucy has the same condition and this is why she has not healed in three weeks.

My veterinarian prescribed the medication that is needed for Lucy to heal. Doxycycline an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, and liquid vitamins to help Lucy with the infection and to boost her immune system. 

I am to give her one dose per day mixed in her chicken and liver canned food. I should feed her the medicated food when she is very hungry that way she will eat it. Otherwise she may shy away from it. Lucy must take the medication for 14 days. I have this one chance at healing her. I feel God brought her to me and that he is watching over her, he wants her to live and to return to her colony.