4 Tips To Help Keep Community Cats Safe In Cold Weather

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

It’s winter time and not only are we in a deep freeze here in the North East, as I write this we are in the midst of a blizzard. Lola and I are very lucky to have a home where we can be safe and warm inside. But not all cats are blessed like we are.  This time of year we always worry about community cats, so I thought it would be a good idea to give you some tips for their winter safety. 

Shelter Tips

Even though cats grow a thicker coat in the winter, they still need a refuge where they can escape the cold, wind, snow and rain. A shelter doesn’t have to be fancy, and a simple shelter is actually easy and inexpensive to make. (Mother made some a few years ago with her friend. If she can do it, anyone can!) Here’s a video from Cole and Marmalade that shows just how easy it is. 

Alley Cat Allies has some great resources for other DIY shelters, and even some heated ones you can purchase.  And Alley Cat Advocates  alleycatadvocates.org has a great resource with tons of information on making the shelters safe. 

Food and Water Tips

Feral cats require more calories in the winter to help them stay warm. You can slightly warm some food and put it out at the same time every day so the cats will learn to arrive then and eat the food before it freezes. Since canned food will freeze if not eaten every right away, leave some dry food out as well. (Wet food is ideal for feral cats in the winter because it takes less energy to digest than dry food, and the cats can use the extra energy to stay warm.) Here are some heated bowls you can consider using. 

Photo by Neighborhood Cats

For water, use water bowls that are deep rather than wide, and try to place them in a sunny spot. Using silicone camping bowls or baking pans make emptying frozen water easier since the ice will pop right out. Consider using bowls that are darker in color, made of thick plastic and have a small opening. Heated electric bowls or solar heated bowls will really help prevent the water from freezing. To prevent dehydration, check their bowls twice daily to ensure the water hasn’t frozen. Just remember not to put the water bowl in their shelter. You don’t want it to spill and get the hay wet so the cats are sleeping on ice.

Other Safety Tips

Before you start your car, give it a good tap on the hood and honk your horn. Cats will often crawl inside the engine to stay warm and you want to make sure they are not hiding in there before you start your car. Cats will also go underneath the car, so don’t forget to check the tires, too! 

Photo by Hope Abrams via Flikr

Antifreeze is poisonous! If you keep extra around in the winter, make sure cats can’t get into it, and please clean up any spills right away. Ingesting just a tiny amount can be fatal to a cat. 

Winter TNR Tips 

If your trapping in the winter, please make sure the cats have a temperature controlled holding area where the traps can be kept covered and warm pre-and post-surgery. (Cats can’t regulate their body temperature when they are recovering from anesthesia, so a longer recovery period should be allowed for.) Make sure you can pick up the trap right away because if it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for a cat to be exposed to the cold in a trap for an extended period of time. The cats should have adequate shelter when you return them to their colony. (See above!)

You can help a community cat survive the winter more comfortably  All it takes is a little extra attention and care. 
Lexy