How to Care For Feral Cats During the Winter

Feral Cat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How to Keep Feral Cats from Freezing

Proper shelter is important for feral cats. This cat appears to be trying to use the a bird house. He may think it is a kitty bed and breakfast.

Source: Wikimedia Commons Jacob Rush

Do you let Hobo Cats Stay the Winter

Feeding feral cats is an ongoing controversy. Many people object to the practice because it means that cats may be hanging out in areas where they are really not welcome. It exposes domestic pet cats that venture outside to diseases and aggression when they encounter these feral cats. Barn cats in rural areas also pose an issue if you live in the country. They tend to wander away from the barn as rodent population decreases in the cold and many times will show up on your porch or in your garage.

Feral cats gather in a scrapyard, with British Rail Class 105 car 56149. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Get the Inside on Outdor Cats

I have never dealt with a colony of feral cats ,but I have had my share of porch cats that have lived on my porch, in my garage, or just maid my porch a stopping place for a daily meal. I never turn a stray dog or cat away . In my opinion there are two types of cats indoor and outdoor. My cats are indoor as those who live between both the indoor and outdoor world I have found fare well in neither.

My prime example is my cats think that dogs are inferior creatures that you pounce on and occasionally sleep with when it is really cold. No cat of mine would have the proper fear of a dog that might want to make them a meal.

Still, if you care for any kind of cats that live full time outside there are certain things you can do to ensure they survive cold weather.

Becoming a Feral Kitty Flop House

The first goal for caring for feral cats is to provide them some shelter. While not all groups of feral cats are best of friends , many times cats that normally fight will share a common shelter in cold weather. If you let strays stay in your garage you will want to put up and clean up any antifreeze or the cats may drink it and die. You will also want to look under your car and under your hood before you pull your car out of the garage or drive. Cats seek the warmth of your car’s engine and the shelter your car provides.

　

Sometimes if the cat is not that feral ;you can let them on your screened in porch. If you do this ; keep other house cats away from the feral cat to avoid exposing them to parasites. You should have your indoor cats properly vaccinated. If you skipped rabies you definitely want to avoid exposing your household pets to feral cats. If you want to spend the money you can vaccinate the feral cat with vaccines available at most farm supply store. You may want to do this if you plan to encourage the cat to come indoors for even short periods of time.

The easiest thing to do is provide the feral cat some shelter in the form of a sturdy cardboard box covered with a trash bag. You should make the entrance big enough for a cat, bout not a stray dog. You can also make a watering station by putting a deep water bowl inside a Styrofoam cooler. Deep water bowls freeze less quickly then shallow ones. The cooler provides some insulation for the water to keep it from freezing.

You can make a feeding station by turning a cardboard box over and cutting a small door in it. Cover the box with trash bag to keep the food dry. Keeping the food out of the shelter lowers chances of fights between cats over food . Don’t worry about keeping squirrels and possums out of the food as any feral cat worth his salt will dissuade potential food thieves. You can supplement dry food with table scraps ,but tasty human leftovers are likely to attract neighborhood dogs.

If you find yourself caring for more than just a couple of stray cats; you might want to contact your local feral cat organization. They many times offer catch and release spay/neuter programs . They also are the best source of advice for dealing with feral cats. Occasionally, you will get a house cat or porch cat that has been someone’s pet. They are easy to spot , as they are much more social and will try to come inside your house. If you can adopt or rehome these cats it is best as they are unlikely to survive very long outside. ‘Still, have any stray pet you plan to bring indoors checked out by a veternarian , before you let it insde for any significant amount of time.

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When You Think About Getting Your First Cat or Kitten

English: Animal Rescue (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A six-week old kitten. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An adorably curious kittyyay its adorable, i love it, its called tricky nathen maister (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you wanted a cat when you grew up you may be tempted to adopt one at the holiday time. The holidays are not the best time to adopt a cat and you should never give a pet in a household you are not the head of. It may end up at the animal shelter after Christmas. Still if you are adding a cat to your household in the New Year there are things you should know.

First provide a homeless cat a home. Unless you are looking for a pure bred breed of cat, there are lots of great cats available from the local humane society, shelter, or animal rescue. Consider adopting an older cat as they will already be litter box trained and socialized. If you have to adopt a kitten; get one that has been spayed or neutered. If you adopt a smaller kitten get the cat spayed or neutered as soon as it is old enough. Many a cat owner has been surprised by kittens because they thought their cat was too young to get pregnant. Plan from the start to be a responsible pet owner and have your new cat spayed or neutered.

If you have younger children make sure they understand that the cat or kitten is a living thing not a toy. Some experts believe that older cats are better around younger children because kittens tend to nip and scotch. It all depends on the personality of the cat and the child. An energetic child and playful kitten might be a match made in heaven. Just don't leave a cat of any age unsupervised with younger children. Also note that the kitten will attach and want to be with the person in the family who pays it the most attention.

If you already have older cats or dogs take your time introducing the new cat to the house hold. Yes, there will be some kitty drama, but generally in the end it all works out. Dogs will generally adapt to cat, but if you have an aggressive breed you need to carefully monitor the situation. If the dog is overly aggressive with the cat, don't risk the cat being killed or injured. If you cannot keep an aggressive dog out of the way of the cat, it may be the wrong time to be adopting a cat. It is true that dogs and cats raised together tend to bond, but a young puppy and kitten can be a lot of work and something you will not want to take on during the hectic holidays.

If you do adopt a cat during the holiday season don't forget to have it see a veterinarian as soon as possible. You may end up having to wait a while because many veterinarian clinics are closed during the holidays. Pick your veterinarian before you bring a new cat or kitten home. Get suggestions from friends or even the shelter that you adopted the cat at. You should be able to get a fairly good history on the cat you adopt from the shelter and the cat should be healthy. Never adopt a cat or kitten that appears sickly. A reputable shelter only adopts out healthy animals and fully vets them while they are in their care.

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How To Groom Fluffy Without Fear

Use a shampoo specifically for cats. Do not use flea shampoo made for dogs on your cat.

Long-haired calico (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Long-haired tortoiseshell cat, Clio, 11years old (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many cat owners who never bath their cats because we assume cats are well self bathing. If your cat however, gets into weeds, acquires fleas, or demonstrates a skin condition then you will want to bath your cat. It also helps to bath the cat regularly in a household where someone has sensitivity to their dander.

When bathing a cat use products made specifically for cat fur. If you have a long haired cat that is matted; use a conditioner or detangler made for long hair cat breeds. You will want to use an oatmeal based product if you are treating minor irritation on the cat’s skin. You may want to treat the irritation with anti itch cream or cortisone after you bath and dry the cat. You can use creams made for people. Any serious skin condition should be examined by the veterinarian before you irritate it by bathing the cat.

Fleas are a common problem. If you are treating for the first time, read the flea shampoo. Make sure that your cat is within the weight and age limits to use the product. Don't sicken your cat by using multiple flea products on your cat. Only use flea shampoos and dips when peccary. Do not flea dip your cat and then apply more flea medication. Read the directions and use only with other flea products that the instructions say are safe to use with the shampoo.

Remember flea shampoo is a pesticide. If you use over the counter flea drops for your cats consider using an organic flea shampoo, then treating the cat with the drops. If this does not work consult a vet or groomer. Many times having the flea situation addressed by the professionals, will bring the situation under control so that you will never have to flea shampoo or dip again. Do not use products for dogs on cats, you risk poisoning your cat

Other things you will need are mitt or brush appropriate to your cat’s fur. Long haired cats should be brushed daily and short haired cats a least twice a week.  You can comb out a long haired cat after washing them. Use a de-tangler made for long haired breeds. Do not brush your long haired cat until they are completely dry. Many long haired cats that are bathed often will adjust to being blowed dried.  Short haired cats can be toweled dried for as long as they stay around. Provide a warm place for your cat after the bath.

Trimming nails, cleaning teeth, and applying skin medications can all occur after bath time? It is a good way to remember to do these routine maintenance things. If your cat does not tolerate it then don’t push it. If your cat totally freaks at any kind of human grooming, then get a kitty happy pill from the veterinarian and use the groomer.

If you start a grooming routine with a kitten at about three months of age then you can avoid a neurotic reaction to human cat grooming in fluffy. You can do teeth maintained by using a wet cotton swab (no tooth paste) a couple times a week. You can clean excessive wax in the ear with a dry cotton ball; do not insert anything into your cat’s ear. It is a good time to check for cat ear mites, and apply ear mite medicine. Again serious oral or ear conditions in your cat should be addressed by the veterinarian.

I you have not started a grooming routine with your cat as a kitten. You might try introducing a small amount of grooming act like ear cleaning or tooth cleaning before you try bathing. Do the bathing when the cat is not stressed by some other action. The best way to groom your own cat is to start young. Giving it a try can not hurt just is aware you may end up using the groomer anyway.

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