Keep Kitty Warm: Feral Cat Winter Safety
Last Updated on October 5, 2023 by Holly Anne Dustin
How do feral cats survive when the weather turns cold? You can provide essential care for feral cat winter safety.
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Feral and stray cats spend all their time just doing what they need to do to survive. Hunting is more difficult, finding shelter is hard, even moving around takes more energy plowing through the snow and ice.
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All cats will grow a thicker coat in the winter. However, the extra fur alone isn’t enough to keep them warm enough to prevent frostbite and hypothermia. They need shelter from the cold. Hypothermia occurs when a cat’s body temperature drops below 100 degrees. When the temperature outside drops to freezing the risks for severe hypothermia is high.
Frostbite risk is highest on ears and paws but will happen wherever the body is exposed to the cold for long enough. There are all kinds of stories online of kittens found frozen to the ground. If a cat gets wet, it is even more dangerous for him so snow is a hazard in more ways than one.
It is important that cats outside in cold be able to find shelter from the wet and wind and enough to eat. A well-fed cat will withstand the weather better than one struggling to find food.
An indoor cat that escapes out in the winter will be at much greater risk. He will be helpless to find food and shelter. Dr. M.A. Crist of Texas A&M, says
“it is clinically accepted that indoor pets that are not acclimated to cold weather should not be left outside when the average daily temperature is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Cats, even if acclimated to outdoor temperatures should always have access to warm shelters. Kittens, cats advanced in age, or sick should never be kept outdoors when the temperature is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.” 1https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/how-cold-is-too-cold/
You can provide a winter cat shelter to help keep outdoor felines warm. A homemade shelter can be as simple as a simple styrofoam cooler inside a plastic storage tub. Fill the gaps with home insulation board or spray in foam insulation.
You can make a more permanent winter shelter from converted dog houses or chicken coops, pallets and plywood. If you have building skills, you can build a mansion. You can enclose the space under a deck or porch to provide a sheltered space.
If DIY isn’t your thing, there are houses you can purchase. I’m considering buying a Kitty Tube and a self-heating bed as an addition to my catio.
Do you have a cat that goes outside? You need a shelter too in case she gets stuck out in bad weather. It could be a dog house or access to a warm bed in your garage, porch, or barn so she can get out of the cold and the snow.
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Alley Cat Allies recommends the feral cat shelter be at least 2-3 feet long and 18 inches high. Bigger is not better. If the shelter is too big, the body heat will dissipate and it will feel as cold as it does outside. Choose the size of your shelter based on how many cats will use it. The opening should let cats in but keep larger animals, and the wind and snow, out.
Build your winter cat shelter in a safe spot concealed from predators where your feral cats can feel safe. Provide a buffer from wind and snow. Bushes, or a covering of fir branches, hide shelters well. Bales of straw are great insulation and a good windbreak. Orient your shelter toward the morning sun. Elevate the cat shelter off the ground with a pallet, bricks or cinder blocks.
Don’t use anything folded on the floor of a shelter. It will absorb body heat and leave the cats cold. Stuff the shelter with straw or pillowcases stuffed with shredded newspaper or bags of packing peanuts. These allow the cats to burrow. Don’t use hay, it gets moist and moldy. Replace the bedding material if it gets dirty or wet. Blankets and cuddly fleece might sound good to us; but for don’t use them for bedding in your feral cat shelters. They attract moisture and freeze.
The Snuggle Safe company makes a hard plastic disc you can microwave and put in a shelter to provide warmth. They will stay warm for 8-10 hours depending on the outdoor temperature. Hot Hands products used by outdoor sport participants are less durable, and not reusable, but can serve the same purpose.
For a more permanent solution you can “wallpaper” your shelter with mylar blankets. You find these in emergency kits, or camping and hunting supply stores. It is easy to cut them with regular scissors. Duct tape or glue it to the inside of your shelter. The mylar is safe for cats to lie on. It will reflect the cats’ body heat and keep them warmer, as well as protecting the styrofoam from cat claws.
Pool covers attract the warmth from the sun to keep the water in pools and hot tubs warm. You can use them to cover your cat shelters and feeding stations to keep your cats warm. Ask around for torn covers, you will cut them up anyway. But even bought new they are cheap.
Cover the shelter with the silver side down. You want to check the inside temperature often as it could get too hot for milder days. It is best suited to areas that experience severe cold, or adding extra warmth in mid-winter when the temps really drop.
A solar-powered feeding station is a great plan throughout the winter. It will keep wet food and water from freezing and keep the cats comfortable as they eat.
Locate your feeding station on an incline so water will drain out the front. If your yard isn’t sloped in the right place, raise the back of the feeding station with a board or a couple bricks.
The feeding station can be a storage box turned on a side weighted with some rocks and tented with the solar pool cover. You’ll have to get more creative if you are plagued with raccoons or skunks. Just elevating your feral cat feeding station will keep the skunks out.
Place your feeding station away from areas with lots of foot traffic and loud car noises that would scare the cats away from using the station. Don’t locate too close to your shelter. You don’t want one cat to claim it as his territory and leave other cats to starve.
A dark, insulated, or heated bowl will keep wet food edible longer and keep water from freezing. Put a hot hands pad or a Snuggle Safe heating disk under the bowls. Spray foam insulation into the gaps in the walls of plastic bowls. Never use metal dishes; you don’t want the kitties to get their tongues stuck to the bowl. There are electric, battery, and solar-powered options for dishes, but make sure they won’t become a fire hazard.
Expect to feed more food as the temperature drops. “During the winter months outdoor pets need a significant number of calories to help keep them warm,” says Dr. Crist. “This increase in caloric intake needs to be maintained throughout the season. Food is the fuel our animals need to maintain their body heat.”
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Feed the cats on a predictable schedule. They will learn your schedule and be ready to eat when you arrive.
Wet food is easier to digest so feed your feral charges a helping of warmed wet food with added water right at feeding time when the cats are there ready to eat . Leave a helping of dry food for later. Consider using kitten food. It is more calorie and nutrient dense.
Related Post: Keep Your Indoor Cats Warm in the Winter.
Make sure your shelter and feeding station are clean and safe. You don’t want to find a new predator or aggressive new arrival has chased away your usual residents.
Feed and water your charges on a predictable schedule. Routine will get the cats expecting when to show up for dinner and help them learn to trust you. But feral cats feel threatened whenever they see humans nearby so don’t hang out after you feed them. You can observe from afar or set up a trail camera.
If a cat visits your set-up and is willing to make friends it is probably not truly feral. It could be someone’s roaming outdoor cat, lost, or abandoned. Check for tags, post online, and try and find Kitty’s home. If temperatures have plummeted below freezing, you may want to consider bringing him indoors until you locate his family.
We all know the risks of leaving a cat in a hot car in the summer, but a cold car poses the reverse risk. A cat left in a cold car could become hypothermic.
Bring along a few Mylar blankets and a pre-warmed Snuggle Safe heat pad or a self warming bed if you take kitty out in the car in the winter so you can keep him warm should you break down. A sweater or coat that doesn’t constrict his motion or make him feel confined can help keep him warm – if your cat will wear one.
Related Post: Read more about safe winter travel here.
While a cold car poses risks to a cat traveling in it, a car engine warmed from driving might be irresistible to an outdoor cat seeking warmth. Bang on your hood a few times before starting up your car in the morning to give someone snoozing inside a chance to get out.
Another auto related threat is antifreeze poisoning. Antifreeze is toxic and yet cats find it appealing. Look for pet-safe versions. Clean up all spills and wipe down the bottles before storing or disposing of them.
Look for pet friendly version of ice melter to clear your walkways rather than rock salt that could burn or irritate a cat’s delicate paws.
With a little effort you can give a feral or stray cat a chance to survive the winter. These tips can also help provide your outdoor pet cats with some level of comfort in the cold. If the weather is bitter cold or snowing keep your pets inside.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor
This post was last modified on 31/10/2023 07:12
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