So what's next? Feral cat shelters for winter (A Saturday project)

So what comes next?  

Most of our house improvement projects are done, but the last blog post I wrote got me thinking about something because winter is closing in on us, although this time two years ago we already had a several inches of snow on the ground.  Today, as I write this we are expecting a balmy 46 F (8 C) although it's rainy and windy so it feels a bit colder.  

Sadly winter is on it's way, so my first order of business on a lazy Saturday is creating a bit of a shelter for all the outdoor cats which have adopted us.

We have two indoor cats and two indoor/outdoor cats which are our own.  Our neighbor is a good guy but he owns four horses and a goat.  Because of this he keeps a few barn cats around, which serve to keep the rodent population in check and away from his animals feed

Our back porch is generally where they hang out  because they are protected on one side by a wall, which serves as a windbreak and they also know that Sue and I are totally powerless against their combined cuteness and will feed them at least once a day.  At any time we have at least five of the little freaks running around.

In the past we created a temporary shelter for them by using old blankets, cardboard and plastic milk crates.  Basically using the cardboard to create walls in the plastic crates, and then surrounding the outside of them with the blankets to provide some insulation and protection from the wind.   

They served the purpose, but were basically still an open air shelter.  

This year, I want to do something a little more enclosed and permanent.  I've also learned not to use the blankets like we did in the past but something that the cats can barrow into, such as straw or shredded newspaper.  As this borrowing will actually allow them to trap heat, much in the same way that we sleep under blankets.  

We have some old Styrofoam shipping boxes which we are going to use.  By cutting a small 6 inch by 6 inch (15 cm by 15 cm) door in the short side about 2 inches (5 cm) from the ground, to prevent possible flooding n the rain, and adding some shredded newspaper to it, we have created a safe and warm environment for a cat or two to sleep in.  We applied silicone glue to the top of the lid to maintain a waterproof and windproof environment.  

A website I visited also suggested taping heavy duty lawn or garbage bags to the box; you only increase the weatherproof and insulating nature of the box.  I decided to skip this part for now but would keep the idea in mind for colder weather.   

I also made something similar to the video below using an old plastic container that is no longer need. The only issue that I have using straw or newspaper is that it will have to be replaced.  Thus it made sense for me to run out and buy some Styrofoam insulation for the walls between the containers. 

  Somewhere along the line we purchased a gravity based water bowl (see picture below), to prevent the water from freezing I applied some spray foam to the bottom of the dish.  A small homemade insulting blanket wrapped around the outside should help keep the water from freezing.  Keeping your animals water flowing in the winter is always an ongoing battle.

Smaller shelters, designed for one or two cats max is better than having one or two cats in a larger shelter.  As the space would not be warm enough for them.  

Now I can only hope that they use them because I've no idea where these little furballs actually sleep or shelter.  I've seem them run into my neighbors small barn, and under his house.  However I figure that a little more shelter is never a bad thing.