Four Summer Safety Tips for Feral Cats

Hello everyone.  This is Lexy checking in with another important PSA. 

We had a heatwave here in New York last week, and Mother was concerned about our well-being during the day when she went to work.  Whenever it's over 90 degrees or very humid, she leaves the air conditioner in the bedroom on a timer.  She also leaves an extra water bowl out in addition to our fountain.  The blinds are not open all the way to avoid the blaring sun from warming up the apartment too much.  Lola and I are lucky, lucky cats because we live indoors and have a good pet parent to take care of us.  But what about the ferals that live outside and have no family? We all worry about them, so I thought it would be a good idea to give you four tips for their summer safety. 


1.  Food: If possible, keep food bowls in the shade. If it’s too hot for you to stay in the sun, it’s too hot for a cat. Wet food will spoil quickly in the hot summer sun so feeding dry food is a better option. (Dry food also attracts less bugs.)  If you do feed wet food, try to remove the uneaten food after 30 minutes so a feral won’t become ill from eating spoiled food. There are also a few ways you can help prevent ants and other bugs from entering the food bowls, such as placing a ring of baking soda around the bowl or placing the food bowl in a center of a tray that is partially filled with water.  Another tip is to raise the feeding station off of the ground. Alley Cat Allies suggests some ant-proof bowls, which you can read about here. Darker colored bowls will absorb the heat, so consider using lighter colored bowls.  

2.  Water: To help prevent dehydration, provide lots of water sources in different places, preferably in a shady area.  Water evaporates quickly in summer, so a narrow bowl, as opposed to a wide bowl, will slow down evaporation.  Another idea is to put out one frozen bowl of water. We found this Neater Feeder Polar Bowl that will keep water cool for hours (See number one about avoiding darker colored bowls.) 

3.  Shelter/shade: Outdoor cats will really appreciate an escape from the blazing sun. If you have some of your children’s old playhouses in the garage, drag them out and put them in the yard for the ferals.  You can also purchase outdoor kitty condos (like this one from Petmate), or make a DIY oasis by simply placing a tarp over two chairs.  The possibilities are endless! The Green Pet Shop makes a cooling pad that doesn’t require electricity or water.  This is very cool and a very easy way to provide some heat relief. 

4.  Be mindful of trapping conditions: If you do TNR, please remember how the heat affects the cat’s safety in the trap. If they are confined in the trap too long, they could die of heat stroke.  We don’t want that to happen, do we? Remember the simple guideline we stated in number 1: If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for a cat! Some people may not be aware that placing the trap on a surface that absorbs the sun’s heat can make the metal on the trap very hot for the cat’s paws. Please place the trapped cat indoors as soon as possible. 

A little bit of kindness goes a long way, and the smallest act of compassion can help change the world. We hope these tips are helpful. 

Do you feed cats in your neighborhood? 
Lexy


Sources: Alley Cat Allies, Cattipper, Feral Cat Focus of WNY
Photo Credits: Deposit Photos - fantasticbunny, verylucky.
                        Creative Commons - Stavrolo


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