Cold cats

I've been hibernating for the last three weeks. It's been very cold in Chicago. Last night they said it was supposed to be -20 degrees. I didn't follow up to see whether it got that cold. I just slept late. Somebody called me the other day and woke me up, though.

"Deb, what do I do about winter feral cat shelters?"

"What!?" I said, "You don't have shelters for your cats yet?" Long story short, here are some options for winter shelters for feral cats. And please do it quick!

Here are some links to building plans for the feral cat shelters.

Here's a substantial insulated wooden house,
http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/feral_cat_shelter.pdf

Here's a thick insulation styrofoam shelter that's light-weight and easier to make,
http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/wintershelter.htm

Here's a good, quick ,and inexpensive double storage bin shelter that I can whip together (with the right tools) in about a half an hour. It also includes other shelter instructions (scroll down the page when you click on the link.)
http://www.spayandstay.org/wintershelter.htm

And here's a great place you can order wooden shelters from and not build anything!
http://www.feralvilla.com/


Some important things to keep in mind are that the opening of any cat shelter needs to be no bigger than 7" or other critters like racoons and dogs and foxes might get in and cause problems. Also, don't feed cats in their shelters because it will attract other animals as well. Move the food away a bit. It's also a good rule of thumb to feed and take away any food for ferals before nightfall to prevent the same problem.

Straw is a better insulator than blankets or other fabric because it will dry rather than freeze after getting wet. Pressure-activated heating pads are nice because they don't warm until somebody sits on them, but are often not an option because they are electric. Snuggle Safe microwaveable heating discs are good for several hours, just be sure you check the shelter for animals before you reach your hand in there to put in or take out a disc!

Good luck! and if anyone has a plan for a solar-heated or any other heat-effective cat shelter, I'm all ears!