TNR Cats Milestone

This month we are celebrating the milestone of trapping 102 cats in our neighborhood for the TNR program. Know that the woods by our home is a dumping ground for abandoned cats. So my husband and I along with two neighbors worked together in trapping the cats, taking them to the veterinarian for cat disease tests, vaccines (rabies, cat respiratory, and Feline Leukemia), and sterilization. 

A feral cat in the trap 

 We did not return or release all of the cats. There were many strays that we tried to socialize so that they could be adopted into forever homes. The feral or stray cats that could not be socialized were released to a private property colony with daily caretakers. 

 It took us 7 years to reach 102 trapped and rescued feral and stray cats and we are all proud of our accomplishment. Learn more about our cat cause here. 

Know that we are not affiliated with any charity and pay for all cat medical expenses, food, and outdoor cat houses, out of our own pocket or from donations given to us by cat-loving neighbors.  Cat rescue and adoption is our cause because we love cats.

Here are some photos of the cats that we have trapped, picked up, or rescued over the years. 

two cats recuperating after TNR

The cat in the box was found in the woods. 

Feral cat Lucy first cat in TNR resides at Colony

Rescued cat when people moved and abandoned cat

TNR cat recuperating after nueter

Feral kitten learning to play with toys

A TNR cat that we feed daily 

We paid for medical care for this cat when he was injured.
A 2nd chance kitty that was adopted by one of my friends

We found these cats when they were kittens, they were in a trash bag and left on the side of the road.   Sickly kittens that we nursed back to health.  Both were adopted and found their forever home

Feral kitten recuperating after her spay 

Feral TNR cat.  She is alive today and resides
in a colony of cats.

Kittens we rescued and took care of them until they could be adopted

White Tomcat Gets Rescued and Forever Home

A month ago a stray aggressive white cat showed up in my yard. This tomcat was chasing my cats from their yard and fighting with other cats. At first I thought the cat might be sick, abandoned or a feral tomcat. I learned rather quickly that the cat was nuisance because there was a feral queen cat that was hanging out close to my home and this is what was instigating the cat brawls and the mating calls at all hours day and night.

Abandoned white tomcat looking sad after the neuter

I inquired to find out if any neighbors knew the cat owner. It was unanimous all said that the cat just showed up one day and was a fighter. Another neighbor said that “he has to be neutered as I saw him trying to stand up to a raccoon over a food bowl” My guess was that the cat was abandoned and was acting out due to that and because he was not neutered and that he was hungry and didn’t understand that a raccoon was danger.

Stray tomcat eating at the feeding station

When tomcats are abandoned, they are really lost, they don’t know how to find a safe shelter to sleep, food to eat, or clean water...all they know is that they need to fight off anything that gets in their way to find a queen cat to mate with.

Know that I watched this cat one day crying because it was raining, he did not have the good sense to go into one of my insulated and waterproof cat houses. This of course confirmed that he was an abandoned housecat. Of course, I tried to help the cat but it ran from me, but the poor thing never got out of the rain.

White cat trapped and going to the veterinarians for medical care

I let everyone know that I would trap the cat and take it in for neutering and vaccines and that I would try to find it a forever home. Trapping was not successful as the cat didn’t go into the trap. So my husband grabbed the cat carrier and set it on our patio with an open door and cat food in the back. The tomcat walked into the carrier and sat down.

The tomcat was tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency and both were negative. I was told that he was five years old, that he had ear mites, and that he needed to be wormed. The cat was neutered, received all of his vaccines, and treatment for mites and worms, and needed to stay 2 extra days at the animal hospital. Upon release, his paperwork said that he was vomiting dead worms and that he should be kept calm for the next 7 days.

The garage shelter has everything cats need even indoor/outdoor carpet

We released the white cat to our heated garage. The garage is carpeted, has cat beds, houses toys, and fresh food and water. Once the cat was in a home setting he calmed down and became a sweetheart.

The white cat is no longer aggressive and gets along with another cat in the shelter

The garage is cozy and warm for the stray cats this winter thanks to the many customers who bought from my Zazzle store.  I used the royalties from the product sales
to buy this window heater. 

(Pure white cats are fairly rare in the general cat population, as they require a gene that hides every other possible coat color and pattern in a cat's genetic makeup.)

The cat loves blankets, rolling around on the carpet, playing with toys and he accepted the other cats in the garage without any aggression. He has been recuperating for the last five days and in that time I have made contact with two pet adopters. 

This once abandoned tomcat will be adopted and will get another chance at being a housecat at his forever home.

Taming Feral Kitten for TNR

 The stray queen cat that took refuge in my garage had one small kitten. That kitten was orphaned at a young age and I took up the care of it and worked to tame it for TNR.

The kitten hid from me and meowed loudly. Clearly, it was traumatized at being abandoned. It took some time to corner the kitten but was able to grab it by the scruff to examine and since it had teeth my husband and I decided to feed it kitten kibble mixed with KMR replacement milk for kittens.

The kitten was very hungry and ate the food. So for the next 6 weeks, I fed the kitten daily at the same time and weaned it off the replacement milk.   I also read a book while sitting in a chair in the garage for several hours daily.

I wasn't sure if I could use the Feliway diffuser for such a young kitten so bought a boombox radio at a garage sale which enabled me to play low-volume classical music in the garage.   In the past, I have found that low-volume background classical music is soothing to feral cats.

Then one day the kitten jumped up on my lap and I knew that I had successfully tamed it and that it was dependant upon me.  However, I didn't immediately trap it for veterinarian care.  Instead, I waited until that kitten played with its toys on my lap. The feral kitten was tamed and would not be released after sterilization.  

Today I was able to pick up the kitten and put it in a cat carrier.  No problems picking up by the scruff, but once in the carrier, the kitten regressed into a wild feral cat.

The kitten was taken to the veterinarian's office immediately and they will do the combo test, give vaccines, worm, and spay. The veterinarian will keep it two days after the spay so the kitten will heal in comfort.

I am certain the kitten will need a refresher course on socialization and will need to learn to trust me again. If the kitten can be tamed again we will not release it but instead, seek adopters for a forever home.

Found White and Gray Tabby Kitten

 Today when I went out to the shed to check to see if any cats had entered through the kitty door I discovered that food was eaten from the food bowl.  I looked to see if a cat was there but could not find one. That didn't mean that there was no cat in the shed as it could be that it had a really good hiding spot.

I took steps to set up an overnight feeding station of wet and dry food plus a fresh bowl of water. I then set a self-warming cat bed on the floor along with catnip toys.

Before turning the lights out I heard movement in the back of the shed, it sounded like it was coming from behind a storage container, so I took my flashlight to look behind the container, and there in the corner I found a gray and white tabby kitten.

The kitten appears to be approximately three months old.  It looks healthy however there was no collar and it wasn't sterilized.   From the way the cat is hissing and spitting at me, I assume that it is feral or maybe just afraid of me. 

We provided the kitten with a safe and warm space with food, water, toys, and a litter box.  Tomorrow we will look for lost cat flyers, and also put the word out that we found a white and gray tabby kitten. 

I stayed with the kitten and took a few photographs. It's afraid of me but doesn't appear to be feral.  Here are a few photographs of the kitten that came into our shed.

Pet Owner Relinquishes Rights to Cat

Many times I think that the cats that come into my yard are stray due to their matted fur and they are usually hungry or thirsty. If the cat meows and is friendly and spends the entire day and night in my yard. I assume that it may be an indoor/outdoor cat, a neglected cat or that the pet owner has moved away.

What happens if you know of a pet owner who isn't being responsible and Do you know the cat needs care? Do you call animal control and report the neglect or do you visit with the person to find out if they still want the cat? 

Sometimes they aren't intentionally irresponsible as maybe they are sick, maybe there is a reason for the lack of care, and maybe they would prefer to relinquish their rights to the cat. Many times pet owners who never let their cats indoors and provide no outdoor shelter for the cat do not want the cat anymore and are eager to surrender their rights to someone who likes and wants to adopt the cat.

A cat that pet owner didn't want 

A few weeks ago my neighbor's cat decided to live in my yard. If would spend the entire day in my garden, drinking from the pond, hunting grasshoppers and salamanders and I found that it was sleeping in my dogs house at night. As soon as the dog was brought inside the cat went into the house in the kennel. The cat did not go home and I knew that it was at one time a housecat and needed to be cared for especially since my area has coyotes and other animals that would enjoy a cat snack.

Since I knew the woman who owned the cat I did go to visit with her. She told me to release the cat that it was outdoors now because she was ill and could not take care of it anymore.

I told her that the coyote was in the neighborhood at night and that it really was not safe for a housecat to be outdoors. But the neighbor was stern saying that the cat is not coming in here. She went on to say that the cat was too much trouble, always wanting to sit on her lap and that the cat kicked the litter all over the place.

I learned that the cat in question was approximately 15 years old and was not spayed and was taken to the veterinarian for vaccines when it was a kitten, but other than that no routine vaccines, wormer, or veterinarian care for approximately 14 years. Clearly, the cat was neglected and my neighbor was not being a responsible pet owner so I offered to adopt the cat if she would relinquish her rights of owning the cat to me. 

She was glad to do that but I didn’t take her word for it. I went home and printed out a cat surrender of ownership where the pet owner relinquished her rights. We both signed and dated the document and we both had a copy of the agreement.

 So now I have a 15-year-old cat that will be going to the veterinarian for a spay, vaccines, and wellness check-ups. If the cat is healthy with no serious health concerns I will then seek adopters in my neighborhood.

***If you love cats then you want to view my cat-designed products. Many products were created from the photographs of feral and stray cats that we care for. ***

Feral Cat Released after Wound Healed

 Six weeks ago a feral cat with a bloody paw entered our garage and my husband closed the door behind it. On that same day, my neighbor's cat appeared to have a bloody paw also and another feral cat showed up with the same injury. The cats were badly wounded and it appeared to a wound from a snare trap.

Snare traps are against the law in our area but that does not mean that poachers do not use them in the woods by our home.

Know that we tried to trap the one feral cat for medical care but that cat took to hiding so we took care of the cat in our garage. 

I thought that by caring for the injured cat that we would be able to tame it. But this cat was free-roaming too long and as of this date, we have not socialized it. The cat is dependant upon us for food and water and she did learn how to use a litter box but other than that is very fearful of humans. 

Know that the cat's paw has healed and that only a slight limp is noticeable.   My husband and I agreed to release the cat to the neighborhood. 

Some cats can't be socialized and we respect that.

I left the garage kitty door open all day and the cat did come out and walked around the yard.  It was out a total of ten minutes then went back inside the garage and never came out again.

Tomorrow is another day and will open the door at 7 AM and close the door at 7 PM. That is our routine. The cat can come out, go back inside whatever it wants. It may not ever leave and we are okay with that. 

Learn more about what we do to help the feral and stray cats in our neighborhood by reading this article 

Searching For Feral Cats After Snow Storm

 The weather was bitter cold with snow and temperatures dipping to 22 below zero. Two feral cats were in my heated shed but four feral cats could not be accounted for. We have been searching for the cats for the last week but at this point, we fear that they have been frozen or hunted by the coyote predators in the woods.

I checked under neighbors' houses, in the woods at thicket and groundhog dens.  My husband removed the snow from all the sewer openings.  Another neighbor went door to door to ask everyone to check their garages as the feral cats could have gone inside when the doors were open.

Cleared the snow from the sewer opening

Today was the first day that the temperature went about 20 degrees and the snow has started to melt.  Two of our neighbor's cats came to visit, but the feral cats that live in the woods are take shelter in the sewer were not seen anywhere in our neighborhood.

My one neighbor was very upset at the thought of losing the cats. We have cared for them since 2008 and they are animals that we all love.   

For now, I am still searching for feral cats.  I haven't given up hope.  These are the cats that we are searching for after the snow.  There is a coyote in the area and I think the cat may be hiding and not willing to venture out. So tomorrow we are going to search every cave, thicket den, and groundhog den that we can find on the south side of the home.

 

Keeping Feral Cats Water from Freezing

This week our weather is extreme and the temperature has gone down to 22 degrees below zero. Even on bitterly cold winter days, we take care of the feral and stray cats... it's caretaking as usual except when the temperature is extreme we have a  hard time at preventing their water from freezing.  After trial and error, I did learn that heavy rubber livestock feed bowls are the best choice for keeping feral cats' water from freezing.

Thin plastic like Tupperware or metal is not a good choice for outdoor cats during winter, the metal holds the cold and the water freezes very quickly. I was going outdoors to check the cat's water every two hours. I would take along 2 gallons of hot water to melt the ice in the bowl then I would fill the bowl with room temperature water. 

When the roads opened up we went to the Tractor Supply store and bought the heavy black 100 % rubber 2-gallon bowl. I filled it with room-temperature water because it doesn't freeze as quickly as hot water.  Look for the heavy rubber bowl in the livestock section.  Know that there is a strong rubber smell and that the smell fades over time.

When the outdoor temperature was 10 degrees the water that was on the south side of the house and in the sun did not freeze. However, the bowl was fully frozen within 4 hours when the sunset and temperature went to 4 degrees.  The sun warms the rubber which prevents the water from freezing.

Note: The cats were able to break the shallow ice on the top and get the water below.  

Know that the water in this rubber bowl still freezes but not as quickly as plastic or metal.

 

I check the rubber bowl every 4 to 6  hours during the daylight and my husband makes sure the bowl is ice-free at 1OPM. If the ice is thin on top we will break it up and add cold water to the bowl.

No worries when removing the ice from the rubber bowl, it's easy to remove and the rubber does not crack.

NOTE: The best water source for feral or stray cats would be running water as in a garden pond with a waterfall, moving water does not freeze but if your weather is extreme and temps below zero all water will freeze. I have seen the feral cats break up the thin ice in the garden pond with a waterfall to get to the water below.

Also, electrically heated water bowls are a good way to prevent the feral stray cat's water from freezing.  

No Winter Shelter for Pet Cat is Animal Abuse

 

Our area is bitterly cold with temps dipping to 15 below zero and night with a high in the single digits during the day. Throughout the week there have been winter weather alerts on the news, and at the animal shelter to bring outdoor animals indoors or to provide an insulated shelter with a heated pad or self-warming pad and straw bedding. But in spite of all the warnings people in my neighborhood put their pet cats out even though there is no winter shelter. 

No insulated shelter for an indoor at night / outdoor during the day cat when weather is extreme is animal abuse in my opinion.

Yesterday when the windchill was 15 below zero I heard a sorrowful meow and followed the sound until I found a black cat sitting in the snow covered leaves. It didn’t run for me and I picked up the cat and brought it indoors. The tips of the cats ears and the bottom of its paws were ice-cold / freezing.

Cold cat laying on the bed. He seems happier

I brought the cat indoors to my heated mudroom and the cat laid on the pet bed next to the heat vent. The mudroom is close to the side entrance and if the cat wanted to go outdoors into the bitter cold it had many opportunities. The cat stayed put only leaving the bed by the heat vent to eat, drink or use the litter box.

I wonder what would have happened to this cat had I not searched for it. Would it have frozen to death like the family of dogs did in the doghouse in St. Louis, MO?

Apparently this cat belongs to one of my neighbors who put the cat out daily at 6 AM then allows the cat back into the house at 6 PM. This pet owner does not feel a shelter is necessary because the cat has fur, and that cats have survived harsh weather for thousands of years.

I will agree that feral cats will survive the harsh winter better than a domesticated house cat and that is because the feral cat has adapted to their surroundings and knows where to go for shelter.

A feral cat in a groundhog den

When people do not heed the advice of experts concerning weather alerts and safety measures for their pets that are outdoors without a winter shelter then I think these pet owners are animal abusers.

Cats Cuddle When they are Cold

 

Cats are finicky and overall they do not like other cats but when it’s cold an amazing thing occurs. Cats will cuddle with each other, they will even cuddle with cats they don’t get along with.

This photo is of three of my rescued cats.  Oliver is in the center and he is the special needs kitty,  Frankie is the oldest at age 15 and he is to the right of Oliver. Frankie is temperamental, wanting his own space and not into togetherness.  I suppose it's due to his old age. But as you can see that doesn't seem to matter because cuddling makes a cat feel cozy and warm.

Cats like to cuddle when they feel cold

I have observed this phenomenon with my indoor cats and with the stray and feral cats that take shelter in my shed. 

The indoor cats could be bickering with each other one minute and the next minute they are cuddling with each other on the dog bed that is located next to the heat vent. My guess is they are cold and know to come together for warmth.

Frankie and Hairy cuddling on the dog's bed

On another day these two don't get along, but today was cold so they cuddled 

Stray cats will be fighting one day over who is sleeping in the cat house in the shed. Then the next morning I will find the two cats that were hissing at each other are sleeping together. This is why I say that cats cuddle when they are cold. I guess their instinct tells them to do this.

Warm and Cozy Sherpa Blanket for Cats

 

While shopping online at HSN I found a Warm and Cozy Quilted Plush Sherpa Blanket and thought it would be perfect for the feral and stray cats that seek my shed as a winter shelter.

In the shed, I have insulated with straw cat houses but saw that many of the cats do not like to hang out in the houses and prefer to lie on the floor or on top of a box. I decided to use the heavy Sherpa blanket as bedding for the cats.

The blanket and the self-warming pad are to the cats liking.

The floor in the shed is cold so I used two large storage containers that I pushed together as a platform for the cat bed. Since I ordered the full / queen size I did fold the blanket and rolled the one side so cats could cuddle on the side of the warm blanket.

The Sherpa blanket at HSN.com is the highest quality and is really warm

The shed is cool to cold even though I have the oil-filled space heater set at 41 degrees. The shed never freezes and is a whole lot warmer than outdoors but it still feels cool to cold. Because of the average temperature inside the shed, I decided to set self-warming cat pads on top of the Sherpa blanket. These cat pads have a Mylar reflective pad inside of them and your cat's body regulates the warmth of the blanket.

Sherpa blankets are the cat Meow!

I will say that I am glad I bought the Warm & Cozy Quilted Plush Sherpa Blanket at HSN.com because it is quality-made, and warm and it enables the cats to lie in the shed without feeling cold.

Note I do not recommend using a blanket outside or in a shed or garage that does not have heat.  Blankets tend to make the cat feel colder.  However, a blanket that is used with a self-warming pad then you could add to the cat house and also add some straw. 

View my related blog and shop for fleece blankets for pets here

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

Stray Cat with Scratched Eye

 

As a caretaker for a feral and stray cat colony, we always watch for injury or sickness. If a cat shows signs that something is wrong we do trap them for medical care. One cat was viewed with blood in their eye and we did not hesitate to trap this cat and take to the veterinarian.

.

The cat had been scratched and the veterinarian gave the cat a shot for infection and for pain. Along with the shot we were told to keep the cat indoors and that the cat must wear a collar. This fabric collar would prevent the cat from scratching its eye. We also had to take care of the cat by administering drops into the injured eye twice a day.

While at the veterinarian we had the cat's nails trimmed as this would make handling the cat easier.

Adding the eye drops to the cat was something I could not do alone. My husband had to hold the cat as this treatment wasn’t quick or easy. The cat thought we were trying to hurt him and each time it was time for treatment the cat would hiss at us and try to escape its cage.

We cared for the injured cat for two weeks then took him back to the veterinarian for his check-up. The eye healed well and vision was fine.

Note: The injured cat was kept in a cat cage that was located in a room where there was a Feliway diffuser. This cat product is a good choice especially when the cat is suffering from anxiety or stress. It helps to comfort and reassure a cat when it is coping with a challenging situation. It helps to prevent stress associated with any change to a cat's environment.

Follow-up The Feliway enabled us to handle the cat and to socialize the cat to be comfortable around humans. We were able to find adopters that had experience with feral and stray cats.