Shelters for Outdoor Stray Cats
Shelter, food and water are especially important to feral and stray cats in cold weather.
As the weather gets colder, you may worry about the cats you see around your neighborhood.
They may be pets whose owners let them outside, or they could be community cats, a group that includes ferals (who are afraid of people) and strays (who’ve been lost or abandoned). No matter how resourceful these outdoor cats are, they need help surviving winter.
Yes, their thickened winter coats help feral and stray cats weather winter’s chill, but they still need warm, dry, well-insulated and appropriate-sized shelters. It’s cheapest to build your own, and there are many plans and instructions that can help you get started.
Straw allows cats to burrow. Pillowcases loosely stuffed with packing peanuts and shredded newspaper also work.
Don’t use blankets, towels or folded newspaper; they absorb body heat and chill cats who are lying on them.