Operation Winter Cat Shelter - Part Two

 

Jesse demonstrates tub house

Providing shelter for my formerly stray outdoor cats is a priority for me. As I mentioned in Part One, I put aside items throughout the year that I think will come in handy for the shelters. I make two sets: one inside my fenced yard where Chauncie Marie lives, and the other overlooking the open yard where a larger fur family of 5 resides. Let me preface the following by saying up front: It ain't pretty, but it does the job.

We begin by framing the back patio with extra large construction tarps, ceiling to floor. The north winds are strong, and create a whole lotta misery for me and the cats when they tear down tarp walls in the middle of the night. We now buy the kind with grommets and both tie and nail them into place. We also anchor the bottom with cider blocks, also tied into place.

Operation Winter Cat Shelter - Part One

It's never too early to set up winter housing for your outside pets.

This time of year is crazy, weather-wise. November in the Mid-South means sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60s, but it will descend to freezing at night. December, January, February become progressively colder. I find it impossible to enjoy the snuggy warmth of my bed when I know my outside cats are miserable. Therefore, I plan ahead. Items most people throw away, I put aside for my cat shelters. They will never win an award from Architectural Digest, but my kitty camps do the job they're meant to: Protect my outside ex-strays from the elements, and hopefully keep them healthy.

I have two yards. One is fenced, the other is open across the back of our home. The fenced yard is the preferred domain of ex-stray tabby, Chauncie Marie.

She had a feral attitude when she arrived in 2007. In 2012 we had a break-through. Yes, it took 5 years for her to trust me, but now she invites body massages and cuddles. This summer she seemed curious about entering my home, so I let her in to see how she would do. Well! She behaved better than some of my indoor brats <pointed glare at those who will remain nameless.> However, Opie doesn't like Chauncie when she's outside and boy, he sure didn't like her any better in his kitchen.

After Opie made it clear she would not be invited to join his indoor gang, Chauncie returned outside. Never fear. I created a cozy kitty camp for her as follows:

Blue Christmas: It's Cold South of Graceland

It’s been unusually cold here, south of Graceland. I now realize Elvis was singing about how cold he was when he sang “Blue Christmas.”

We’ve been here since 2006, and in years past we’ve had a few snow-days or ice-days in January or February. However we’ve had both already and Christmas, as of this writing, is still 15 days off.

With the onset of winter, my first priority is the animals. Not just my cats, but also the critters that live in the creek and trees behind my house. Old Yeller dog food is a staple for my raccoons and possums, along with food donations from friends like day-old bread, cookies, peanuts, and peanut butter sandwiches. No, I don’t put bananas in with the PB.

I buy a large bag of nuts for the squirrels to enjoy. One year I watched a squirrel deliberate over a large walnut. He tried to bite it, but it was thick-shelled and huge for his mouth. He worked on it for at least 10 minutes. Finally, with clear disgust, he pitched it aside in favor of something smaller. I now make sure to crack the larger nuts. I also keep a bag of birdseed in my car to scatter in parking lots around town. If you’ve seen a pile of birdseed on the ground when you pull into Kroger…you know I’ve been there.

Wal-Mart carries cheap blankets. I load up with enough to give my outdoor cats a fresh blanket all their own, free from last-year’s stray smells. Although I wash formerly used blankets, I know the cats can still smell the other cat that used it. This year I have Tab Hunter, a handsome tabby who showed up this fall. He’s yet to be neutered; however he’s rooming with Jesse the Wonder Cat. Jesse isn’t happy about sharing his tent; however I’ve set up both cats with their own beds and heat lamps. Their only face-to-face time comes while one is eating and the other enters the tent. After yowling and posturing, they settle down to eat, and then slide into bed.

We purchased two large tarps from Lowes and hung them from the porch rafters using rope through the eyeholes in the tarp. The length is long enough for me to place an old table on the excess length, and that is what I put Jesse’s house on. Cats prefer to get high up off the ground, if at all possible. I draped an old fabric-lined plastic tablecloth over his house, to keep dampness off, and I lined the house with old cushions. I put an old pillow around the inside back, and covered that with a blanket. With the heat lamp several inches away, not to close as to roast him, he’s very snuggly.

Tab’s bed will most likely change. I want to get him inside a cat house, but for now he’s sleeping on a cushioned chair, with a blanket hanging to deflect a direct breeze. He’s lying on a mat designed to warm under his body heat. He has another blanket he’s laying on and of course, his heat lamp. So far he seems very comfortable.

I have two other cat beds under Jesse’s table. Gidget, Jesse’s daughter, has been sleeping inside my laundry room at night. However, for days when she’s being stubborn, I want to be sure she has a safe place to sleep. 

Black cats are notoriously smart. She “gets it” that if she comes inside at night, she will have a warm cup bed, food, and most important--central heat to warm her fuzzy toes!