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| 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.
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| 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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