Recommending a Full Service Cat Sitter: Mama Bear Pet Care

Going out of town when you have multiple cats can be stressful. Not only are there pet cats to care for, sometimes with medical needs, but there can also be foster cats, sick feral cats resting in recovery lounge crates, and outdoor cat colonies.

Greer from Mama Bear Pet Care handles all of the above scenarios and then some. She cat sat for me a few times this year now. She has been a cat sitter for 20+ years, worked as a vet tech, and volunteers as a wildlife rehabilitator for Flint Creek Wildlife Center. She doesn’t just cat sit – she also cares for dogs and other pets.

In fact, she is currently pet sitting for a woman fostering a dog and her seven puppies for PAWS Chicago. Here’s Georgia and her one week old puppies. 10580719_507026606100650_7876362716078040356_o

Greer and I met last year when she adopted two former feral colony cats from me. Both of these cats ended up separately in animal control facilities. Their microchips were traced to me and saved their lives.

Louie is now the poster cat for her business. Louie is FIV+. So is his sister here that Greer adopted from Lulu’s Locker Rescue. 1890457_399810490155596_2111904987_o

Emrys is a bit more shy, but he is now also a total house cat. Emrys does not have FIV, and he mingles freely and safely with his cat friends. More and more progressive shelters are adopting this approach. 10365777_10152675473734610_1227857297545773598_n

See? Here they are together. They came from two different colonies with two different feeders a few blocks apart. I like to think they knew each other on the street and are reunited in Greer’s home.

When we were out of town last May I had Zombie Cat isolated and recovering in a feral cat recovery lounge. Here’s what the lounge looks like from the outside. It’s a crate with a Tru-Catch trap attached to it.

You could not touch her, but Zombie Cat was safely inside here and resting with a bed, litter box, food and water.

Zombie Cat is fully feral, and at the time, was in my house very sick with a URI, recovering from dental surgery, and required daily antibiotics. Greer took care of her and offered holistic suggestions from her own experience.

The cats in my yard also got her full attention. Greer kept their feeding stations clean and full of fresh food. While we were gone she gave me updates on their eating habits and who showed up for dinner.

She sent me photos. In fact, all of the photos in this post are taken by her.

Her photos made me smile because it obviously looked like business as usual and the cats barely noticed we were gone.

Bouncy Bear and Dice were still dining together.

Dash checked her out from the Jim Villa. And Funny Face stayed back on the Feral Villa.

Of course Greer didn’t forget my pet cats, Mooha and Mini. Mini is semi-feral and mostly bonded to me, but Mooha loved Greer.

I can’t say enough about Mama Bear Pet Care. Greer cares deeply about animals, and has devoted her life to caring for them in her home, in her work, and as a volunteer.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

It’s Still Summer in the Garden

After a week in Mexico I was pleasantly surprised to find summer is still here in Chicago. The leaves are turning colors, but the feral flowers are in full bloom.

The cats in my yard were regularly fed while we were away, but I think they noticed we were gone. The garden path was littered with feline gifts of rats and a pigeon. Bouncy Bear and Funny Face ran around us in protest when I discovered these gifts, and we disposed of them. The colony cats rarely hunt, so I wondered if these gifts were their way of missing us. Who knows…

But it got me thinking about how the garden is a tiny patch of nature here in a city setting, on a standard Chicago lot.

The zinnias have truly taken over. When you sit in the corner catio, it’s like you’re hiding behind a secret wall of zinnias.

Zillions of zinnias.

They even took over one of the paths.

With the zinnias, came the insects. We have TONS of butterflies. This particular monarch was tagged from Monarch Watch, a group based in Lawrence, Kansas. The grasshoppers and bees really like the Green Envy zinnias, which were kind of like camouflage for them. My friend across the alley has a bee hive, and the bees were all over the flowers all summer.

And then of course, there are the cats. Who basically hang out wherever they want.

On the garden path.

And the walkway.

In the shade.

And in the sun.

On the Feral Villa. BouncyBear

And on the fence.

On the deck.

And on the catio.

Except when I’m there. They won’t sit with me. I didn’t even see Jim take these photos. This is my favorite place to blog.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Convincing Your Neighbors to Put Cat Houses in their Yards

A rescue friend who does TNR in the north suburbs is having problems convincing a a neighbor who feeds cats to put an outdoor cat house in her yard for the winter.

The feeder fed a cat family all summer, and my TNR friend did the TNR for them, and even adopted out the kittens herself.

Then my friend sent me this email, “I got the momma cat Saturday night and she was spayed Sunday. The woman that feeds her doesn’t want a dog house in her yard. Any other suggestions?”

Obviously I think the cats and their cat houses and the fact that they hang out in my yard all of the time makes my garden even more beautiful, but I understand that not everyone feels like this because they are unaware of the possibilities. A big purpose of this blog is to not only show how TNR works, but to also show how you can peacefully and beautifully live with the TNR’d cat colonies in your yard, and the relationships people have with the feral cat colonies that they feed and care for.

My first suggestion is to ask if this woman would be open to having another type of shelter in her yard. There are all kinds of outdoor cat shelters in my area to help keep the feral cat colonies warm in the winter.

The Rubbermaid bin shelter is the easiest to make, and it’s easiest to move around in a yard until you find a spot where the cats will use it. It should be placed in an area sheltered from the wind and elements, such as under your front steps.

Also, if someone objects to having it or the aesthetics of what it looks like, it will be hidden from human view. Then, in the spring, it’s easy to remove.

Otherwise, sturdier cat shelters can also be put in places not really accessible to humans, such as under a deck, or a tree, or in a gangway. The Jim Villa cat condo and Alley Cat Allies cat house are not only under our deck because it’s sheltered, but humans have to stoop to get under it. Otherwise this space would not be used for anything at all.

And when you’re in the actual garden, it’s camouflaged. Actually, if you were to paint it different colors you would hardly see it. You can get creative with it.

Really creative. In fact, you can paint a shelter any way you’d like, the cats won’t care. This shelter at another colony is one of favorites because the family who made it had their children design the outside. I call it the Kitty Graffiti House. Graffiti Kitty house is elevated off the cold ground to keep it warmer inside.

Shelters can also be a design element in a yard, and be completely hidden from view with plants. You can hardly see the Feral Villa in my summer garden.

Well, you can see the Feral Villa from the deck above, but it’s part of the overall design, and it’s my favorite part of the garden. But it’s really not that noticeable, even when the garden is bare. The colors blend in. Occupy Feral Villa

You can also make a cat house out of something that was originally designed for your garden for another purpose. A few years ago we bought a chiminea and ended up using it only once because the cats decided to claim it for themselves.

If all else fails, you can go around the block and talk to your other neighbors to see if they will be open to placing a shelter in their yard. I’ve already had good luck on find people by knocking on their doors and talking to them face to face, and I’ve blogged about other people’s success stories as well. The cats will find any shelter you put out for them, especially if that neighbor can feed, and if you make the shelter more enticing for them. This can be done by sprinkling cat nip around the cat house, or placing it in areas where cats will seek refuge from the weather.

Do you have any other suggestions or stories about convincing your neighbors to allow cats to seek shelter and refuge on their property?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Networking with Your Neighbors to Help the Outdoor Colony Cats

Relocation for feral cats is very difficult and should be used as a last resort. I’ve managed to avoid it in my area so far by networking with neighbors to find other people to feed the cats when a feeder is no longer able to do so. I’ve written about The Rockstar Colony before, a colony that lost their home, and a new feeder on the same block stepped up to care for them, providing food and shelter, and even adopted one of the cats.

The Eleanor Rigby Colony is another example, as they are on their THIRD home since 2009, also all on the same block. Their previous feeders died, but each time another neighbor stepped up to care for them. People care about the cats much more than you may think. You just have to talk to them and network.

Ingrid H contacted me two weeks ago from Everyblock for advice on finding another colony or another feeder for her TNR’d feral cat, named Veda. She’s been feeding this cat for almost a decade. I was very excited to hear from another person here who did TNR that long ago! I asked to share her story, and she kindly obliged, even providing me with photos.

Ingrid is moving at the end of this month to another state, and she knew she was the only person that fed Veda. She let Veda into her basement during the winter. Veda is pretty feral and not suited to be a full-time indoor cat, though, and Ingrid was worried about what would happen to her when she left. Ingrid initially thought that Veda would have to be relocated elsewhere.

This is Veda.

Veda initially came to Ingrid’s apartment building looking for food. Ingrid fed her, and before long Veda showed up with her kittens.

One of the kittens, Ratso, was adopted out by PAWS Chicago. Ratso, the logan square kitten

Ingrid ended up keeping two of the other kittens.

This is Malvina. Malvina, Logan Square colony And this is Andy. He’s still a scaredy cat that only allows Ingrid to pet him when she’s laying down next to him.

Obviously Ingrid is going to take these indoor cats with her to her new home, but she was worried about what was going to happen to Veda.

Once Ingrid started talking to her neighbors face to face, she found people willing to help. A neighbor across the street from her said that not only would she continue feeding Veda, she would do it in the same spot Veda was used to! No relocation necessary at all.

Ingrid also just bought a Feral Villa hoping that Veda will use that this winter. I suggested sprinkling some cat nip around it to entire her. Do you have any other suggestions? I love a happy ending.

Pingback: Convincing Your Neighbors to Put Cat Houses in their Yards - Cats In My Yard

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Cat Colonies that Cuddle Together

I woke up today and it felt like fall. The animals felt it also.

My senior lady indoor cats Mini and Mooha put aside their lifelong feud of matriarchal jealousy and territorial domination, and snuggled up together on the bed.

Seriously. This is how they snuggle. If they got any closer they’d be hissing and clawing at each other. Here they’re actually warming themselves with the heat of their intense hatred for each other.

The outside animals were a little bit more obvious.

The finches flocked together on the sunflowers. sunflower finches

The James’ Gang Colony cats in my yard were too cute. They snuggled on top of the Feral Villa. Bouncy Bear watched carefully over the boys, Funny Face and Dice, while they napped. Ferals on top of the Feral Villa

Today’s weather was a great reminder that winter is coming, and this is the perfect time of year to start cleaning out the outdoor cat shelters.

Earlier this summer my TNR friends Anna, Ellen and Alex donated a truck-load of straw that’s been in my garage ever since. straw bales Straw is the ultimate insulator to keep colony cats warm during winter. The cats can snuggle together in it. It repels moisture and retains body heat. There’s way more straw than I need, so I asked if anyone wanted some on my Cats In My Yard Facebook page. People have already showed up for it, including my friend and neighbor Annamarie, who is currently fostering Indy, a very sick and friendly cat that was dumped outside on her block. Please visit her gofundme page to learn more how she is helping this local cat. And if you’re in the Chicago area, please let me know if you’d like some straw.

Annamarie Fadorsen says:

September 11, 2014 at 6:59 pm

Aw, thank you so much for sharing Indy’s story, and of course thank you again for the straw!

Vanessa says:

September 12, 2014 at 8:44 am

My pleasure, thanks for helping Indy!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

How We Made Heated Outdoor Cat Shelters

There’s a lot of quick and easy outdoor cat houses that you can make to help keep your TNR’d feline colony warm during the winter.

Years ago we purchased the Feral Villa and it has always been a big hit with the colony cats.

Then we made another wooden, insulated cat shelter, kind of like after the style of a dog house. The cats use it year-round. Since Jim made it, we called it the Jim Villa.

This year there was a lot of new construction in my area. A lot of abandoned homes were torn down, and a new park is being built. The cats used these buildings and land for shelter, and I got worried they would have nowhere to go. So we decided to add another outdoor cat house and include heat in all of them.

I am so thankful for this decision, as this winter is also the year of the Polar Vortex, and I live in Chiberia. The winter has never been this cold since I started caring for and TNR’ing outdoor cats a decade ago. We’ve been having our own problems as the pipes have burst in our basement this year for the first time.

But I digress.

First, Jim made a new insulated cat house, using these directions from Alley Cat Allies. He modified a few of the measurements, and we call it the Alley Cat Allies Villa. Here it is in progress. We have outdoor electric outlets and decided to take a step further this year. We ordered outdoor heating pads for all three of these houses from K&H Pet Products. The heating pads are activated by weight, and come in different sizes. We also purchased Thermo Cubes, which are plugs that make the heating pads turn off once the temperatures reach a certain level.

I love this company. I also bought their Thermo Kitty Cafe bowls to use for wet cat food and water. They’ve been a huge hit with the feral cats. The directions say not to leave them plugged in outside, but they’ve been outside working ever since I purchased them.

Bouncy Bear loves to eat and drink from all of the heated outdoor bowls. We placed the outdoor heating pads into all three of the wooden cat shelters.

Here is the heating pad fitting nicely in the new Alley Cat Allies Villa. That little shelf is for them to go up on, but I’m not sure how necessary it is. It’s not a waste, by any means, because they can also fit under it.

I put some straw around it to add warmth and cushion for the colony cats, but honestly, they push it to the side. They are more interested in keeping warm.

We drilled a hole for the electrical cord to go out of the villa, and then plugged it into our outdoor outlets. I had to use a few extension cords because my outlets are actually up on the deck.

You can see the hole drilled here. The Alley Cat Allies Villa was also taken over almost immediately by Dice, my James Gang Colony cat in my yard.

When it gets really cold, he lets Bouncy Bear in there with him.

The entrance hole is about six inches across, and seems to be the perfect size.

Now on to the Jim Villa.

Every year, it gets cleaned out, and we add new straw and insulation. The front can be easily removed with a power drill.

We use the old insulation pieces as templates to cut out the new insulation pieces.

And here is the Jim Villa drilled closed, with the outdoor heated cat pad inside, added straw, and a drilled hole for the outlet. You can see the cats pushed the straw to the side again.

Dice also loves it.

And so does Funny Face.

Now on to the Feral Villa. This was the biggest success because even the Doggy Woggy, the opossum, approves.

But really, this is Dash’s house. Dash is the O.C.C. – Original Colony Cat. He was TNR’d in 2007 and he loves the Feral Villa. He just keeps his a low profile.

This is the inside of the Feral Villa with the heating pad and straw in it. Again, the straw is pushed to the side. I’m pretty sure Dash doesn’t share it with any other cats, and leaves if Doggy Woggy the opossum is in there, and vice versa.

The cats come and go as they please, but with this extra added heat in this brutal weather, they don’t seem to be going anywhere as much. This is the scene that usually greets me when I come home.

Pingback: Convincing Your Neighbors to Put Cat Houses in their Yards - Cats In My Yard

Pingback: Recommending a Full Service Cat Sitter: Mama Bear Pet Care - Cats In My Yard

Kat says:

December 7, 2014 at 8:41 pm

I was reading your post because I wondered if I could use the straw, which I do use now with the new K&H extreme weather heating pads I just bought. I was concerned about fires but it seems you use both straw and the pads. I have ‘doors’ also on my shelters to help keep the drafts and cold out and they are find with them. I am getting cat doors to install to give even better protection. Where did you get that large black plug connecter? I need to plug in 3 things in a 2 thing outdoor outlet. I also bought a heated water bowl since water is already freezing here. Thanks for any info.

Vanessa says:

December 8, 2014 at 7:51 pm

Hi, Kat, yes, I use straw with the heating pads, but if you’re really concerned, just forget the straw.The cats push it to the side anyways, since they want to get to the heat. The large connector and outdoor extension cords all came from Home Depot. Links for heated water bowls can be found in this post: http://www.catsinmyyard.com/outdoor-heated-water-bowls-847

I’d love to see photos of your own set up for the cats if you’d like to share. Thanks so much for caring for them! Vanessa

Tammy Blankenship says:

January 22, 2016 at 6:21 pm

When your cats get up off of the heated pads in the winter, do they get cold because of where they were lying on the pad and got really warm? How do I know that the pad won’t to be hot for my cat to lay in? People are not susposed to lay on hearing pad long so would it be okay for my cat to lay on? Thanks for your help.

Vanessa says:

January 23, 2016 at 12:09 pm

Hi Tammy, I have been using those heating pads for a few years now without a problem for the same cats. They do not seem to get too warm. You can test the heat and see how they work for yourself by placing a heavy book on the heating pad – they are weight-activated. Thank you for caring for the cats!

Cat lady says:

September 29, 2016 at 6:58 pm

Tammy Blankenship

There is an attachment that you can buy for that heating pad which turns it off when it gets to a certain temp, so it regulates the temp using your cats body heat.

Louann says:

September 24, 2016 at 9:46 pm

I love your ideas! Thank you for sharing. I have 3 cats that have shown up as kittens are are probably 3 – 4 months old. I have 2 jobs, so I am gone most days, when I get home in the evenings around 10 – 11, they are waiting on me to feed them. I talk to them and feed them, but have only been able to get within a couple of feet of them. I have a friend who is going to build me houses like yours and I will add the heating pads and the heated food bowls. My question is how did you trap them for TNR? Did you have a safe trap? I worry about stressing them out. Do you have any suggestions? I don’t want to freak them out or have them get hurt, but I do want to have them fixed and healthy. Thank you!!

Donna says:

November 14, 2016 at 11:48 am

Luann, if you call the local humane society they will place traps for your kittens and take them to the humane society to be spayed and/it neutered. They bring them right back when they’ve had time to heal. Sometimes there is a small fee but sometimes PETA will pick up tab.

sharon j chamberlain says:

November 19, 2016 at 5:24 am

I guess its because I rescue homeless cats too but this this the most beautiful page of info I have seen in a long time. Their little faces looking out of the warm homes are a picture of real love, thank you for being a caring human.

Vanessa says:

November 21, 2016 at 5:57 pm

Thank you for your kind comment, and for all that you do for the cats, Sharon!

Jason says:

November 23, 2016 at 2:16 pm

My cat shelter inside dimensions is 30.5×17. I am wondering if the Extreme Weather Kitty Pad would be sufficient enough being it’s measurements are only 12×17 or should I go for something like the Deluxe Lectro-Kennel which offers a medium size, but it has a user controlled thermostat, so I am unsure which way to go. Could you offer advice? Thanks.

Vanessa says:

December 2, 2016 at 9:13 am

Hi, it depends on how many cats are using the shelter and will be sitting on the heating pad. The straw and their body warmth together will also heat the shelter. I like the K&H heating pads because they’re weight-activated, but I know there are many products out there. Please feel free to let us know what you decide and how it works out. Thanks for all that you do for the cats!

Jason Mulkey says:

December 6, 2016 at 1:55 pm

I ended up going with K&H medium lectro kennel pad. It was the perfect size and came with a soft cover for the cats to lay on inside the shelter. It is body weight activated, which is terrific for the application at hand. I live in southern part of Georgia, so it doesn’t get that cold very often, but on those night the temperature drops really low I can rest easier now knowing they have some heat. Thanks for the great ideas here on your site that inspired me!

Leah says:

December 9, 2016 at 12:41 am

Aw wow, it’s really uplifting to see that there are people like you who will spend their time and money to help homeless felines. I currently foster 2 lovely indoor orange cats and live in a rental basement suite (in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where winter Temps can reach -40 Celsius and worse). I’m just looking into what kind of outdoor shelter I can make for neighbourhood cats, if you have any suggestions. And thank you for assisting the furry ones😊

Vanessa says:

December 20, 2016 at 6:59 pm

This post shows how all of the shelters I have were made, with links. This other post also shows how to make simpler shelters:

http://www.catsinmyyard.com/quick-and-easy-ideas-for-low-cost-outdoor-cat-shelters-1843

Thanks for all that you do to help the cats!

Jeanne says:

December 11, 2016 at 11:07 pm

Hi Vanessa!
I love reading about your kitties, as I am a cat lover who recently lost my 20 year old Mr. Paws. Had him since he was a baby so I have many great memories of him. I have 8 outdoor feral cats that I provide food, shelter and after 2 years they are starting to trust me more and waiting at the back door every morning for breakfast. I make the Rubbermaid Tub houses and plan to buy the K&H pads for this winter, here in Virginia it can get very frigid!! Can u suggest if I should cover the outside of the houses with anything, such as old blankets. They are under a large carport with lattice siding so the cold still blows thru there. I put the white insulation panels inside the tubs but may try the kind you used in your pictures, it does look a bit more thicker and more solid.
Thanks for any and all suggestions!!!

Vanessa says:

December 20, 2016 at 6:57 pm

Hi Jeanne, blankets can get wet and cold. But plastic tarps can help hold in heat and block the wind. It also helps camouflage the shelters if they’re out in a more open area. Here are some photos as an example: http://www.catsinmyyard.com/introducing-the-kitchen-colony-4277

Thanks for all that you do for the cats!

Ronald Thompson says:

December 20, 2016 at 11:09 am

If you make the floor of the house larger then the heating pad, the cats will adjust their position on the pad based upon the temperature. If they’re too warm, they will put more of their body on the unheated parts of the floor. This occurs in the Fall and Spring when the weather fluctuates. In NY, the Winters are generally cold, so they spend most of the time on the heat.

Vanessa says:

December 20, 2016 at 6:53 pm

This is a great observation, thanks, Ronald!

Joann Asta says:

January 5, 2017 at 9:43 pm

Appreciate all the great info! I am now the caretaker of two strays, mama and baby. Have made a temporary shelter but will build better one in summer. Worry bout the cold weather coming. We seem to do what we can.

Vanessa says:

January 13, 2017 at 11:09 am

Thanks for caring for those cats, Joann!

Beth Mann says:

December 12, 2017 at 11:18 am

I have one stray cat in need of a small heated shelter. Your piece was VERY helpful and well-written. Thank you. (Kitties silently thanking you too.)

Vanessa says:

December 28, 2017 at 3:55 pm

Glad I could help! Thanks for the kind words, Beth, and for all that you do for the cats!

art says:

December 22, 2017 at 8:03 am

Hi everyone,
I was led to believe the heat pad I have was designed to keep my cat’s body temp. normal. It seems like the heat pad doesn’t heat the rest of the shelter. I checked the temp inside the shelter but it is the same as outside. the shelter is well insulated, out of the wind and just big enough for the cat basically. Our temp. is about to drop down to -20F. I guess I’m asking should I have extra heat or just maintaining the body temp. enough.

Vanessa says:

December 28, 2017 at 4:02 pm

Hi Art, if you could provide extra heat somehow, I’m sure the cats would appreciate it. This is what I’ve been able to provide the cats since the Polar Vortex of 2013/2014 and it kept them warm even during those plunging temperatures. In fact, wildlife like opossums moved into the shelters as well since those cold temperatures were unprecedented. If you come up with even more solutions, I’d love to hear about them and share! Feel free to email me at [email protected] Thank you for all that you do for the cats!

Kathy Williamson says:

December 28, 2017 at 5:12 pm

Since I have people in my neighborhood I have decided to make heated houses for the cats and I have a doggy woggy opossum. They don’t seem to mind each other but sharing living space may be pushing it too far. This winter seems to be brutal and
he worst of it hasn’t hit yet. I’m hoping to set it up on my front porch since this is where food and heated water dish is at. So happy to see that you care for others disposable pets also. I used a heat lamp last year I was wanting a warm area to draw the cats near hoping to entice them with warmth

Karen says:

January 1, 2018 at 10:44 pm

Hi, I’m new at the cat thing. Never had a cat, ever, just dogs. But, last Feb. I found my “Buddy” as a kitten living in a culvert while walking my dog. After 4 days of feeding him sardines ( I had no cat food), he followed me home. According to the vet he was around 6 mo. old. But, he won’t stay in the house but a few minutes. He gets weary, and frets at the door. So, I got him a cat house and put a K&H heating pad in it, and put in in my garage, and he sleeps in there at night, and stays in the cat house on the porch if it’s cold outside. But, I am worried about the temp in the garage right now, (12 degrees)! He seems OK and is snug in his house, but will this heating pad do the job? Will he be warm enough?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Come See Outdoor Cat Houses All Over Chicago Today

We added another feral cat shelter to our yard yesterday. Now we have three wood shelters for the cat colony to choose from, and all three will have heating pads. The original cat house is to the right with the cat feeding station, and the new one is on the left, made from following Alley Cat Allies’s instructions. There is also a Feral Villa hidden behind plants in the middle. Can you see Dash and Dice checking everything out? If you want to see examples of outdoor cat houses, or learn how to make one, there are two events today, 10/27, to choose from.

In Bridgeport, you can see cat houses made by artists on display for a new project called The Terraformer Advancement Towards Interspecific Communication, curated by Christopher Smith. This project is in a vacant lot south of 3216 S. Morgan, open today, 10/27, from 2-6pm.

In Uptown, if you want to learn how to make outdoor cat shelters, or purchase one, Tree House Humane Society is hosting their annual Winter Preparedness Fest from 1-4pm, at 1212 W. Carmen.

They will have community cat shelters for sale for $15 and $20. Here’s an example of their larger $20 Rubbermaid bin feral cat shelter. There is enough room for 2-3 cats in there.

You might even get lucky and see Al, their resident outdoor colony cat.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Outdoor Cat Houses In My Community

Feral cats know how to find shelter from the cold, just like other wild animals outside. If you provide shelter, they will use it. The James’ Gang Colony cats in my yard have a Feral Villa and another insulated outdoor cat house filled with straw that we built for them. For my neighbor’s feral and stray cat colonies I usually make the standard Rubbermaid bin shelter. A lot of these neighbors also build their own outdoor cat shelter for the cats. Here’s a look at the community cat shelters around my neighborhood.

: My colony purr-furs to catnap together on top of the Feral Villa, instead of going inside.

: Dice’s house party of one.

: Honey suns herself in a chiminea filled with straw.

: Chester checks out the Kat Hotel.

: A cat carrier covered in plastic and stuffed with straw can work.

: A domed litterbox can also be used.

: Purrfect construction.

: Dining and napping station.

: You can double-stack the bins to fit more shelters in a small space.

: Black cat has his choice of everything over here.

: Graffiti Kitty house is elevated off the cold ground to keep it warmer inside.

: Large stones help keep the cat houses stable.

: The cat shelters are under a porch and covered with tarps for even more warmth.

: Tabby cat demonstrates the multiple exits out of this outdoor cat room.

Pingback: Dude, Last Night Was AWESOME - Cats In My Yard - Helping Stray and Feral Cats

Pingback: Another Tip on Building and Cleaning Out Feral Cat Shelters | Cats In My Yard - Helping Stray and Feral Cats

Pingback: Cat Colonies that Cuddle Together - Cats In My Yard

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

We Have the Best Donors and Supporters: Thank You All for All that You Do for the Cats!

We posted about Crystal, a sick TNR’d feral cat from the Luna Colony two weeks ago. After extensive vetting and a week’s hospital stay, Crystal was humanely euthanized because her biopsy showed she had a malignant cancer.

Thanks to all of you who donated towards her care. We couldn’t do this without you! Together we raised more than enough funds to cover Crystal’s care. Thank you: Annamarie F., Barb G., Ben M. and Carolyn T., Cori B., Carla F., Carlin R. and Kathy, Catherine M., Diane D., Elisa G., Heather Z., Joan F., Kristine L., Lindsey P., Lois R., Maryan S. and Oleksandra K., Melody S., Mette P., Mimi M., Paula G., Rita B., Sarah S., Terri V., and Victoria S.!

And we know how much all of you do for the cats in your care as well. Every person I’ve met within this group has done incredible amounts of animal rescue. It is extremely humbling. One of you asked about a cat that was coming to your yard with most of his tail missing. I gave some ideas on where to take the cat, and you were able to get him fully vetted and available for adoption. When I saw the photos, I asked to share the story as well. This amazing donor complied, but wished to remain anonymous. That is how wonderful all of you are.

I like to celebrate the proactive action of people who go out there, see an animal in need, and try to do something about it. I offered a few suggestions to her of resources closer to her that may be able to help. She ran with it, took action on her own, and rescued this cat.

This woman lives in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago and also wanted to remain anonymous because she does not want people to dump their pets on her, or expect the vet she used to always give free vetting. I completely understand the sentiment.

Meet Doc, a cat that started visiting her yard this winter. Most of Doc’s tail was missing and injured.

Despite that, he looked good and had a healthy appetite. He started to visit her yard for food more regularly.

She has a webcam and was able to track his visits to her yard at night.

This is another feral cat that was TNR’d three years ago that she feeds regularly.

A new pregnant female cats has been visiting recently as well that she is currently trying to trap before she has kittens.

And she also gets visits from other wildlife, such as opossums and raccoons.

Doc is friendly, so she tried to put food in a cat carrier but he wouldn’t go in. She also tried a humane trap but that didn’t work either. So she opened the back door to her enclosed porch and he went in to eat. She closed the door and Doc panicked a little, but he was more worried about eating. He settled down when she turned a small heater on and enjoyed the warmth. She got him into a dog crate.

She was able to get him into a vet who also does animal rescue. Doc weighs a healthy fifteen pounds, is pure muscle, and is about 3-4 years old. The vet gave him a full exam and cleaned up his wound. Doc was also then neutered and vaccinated, and then put up for adoption after his tail completely healed. He looks great! We are so happy to hear stories like these! Not only is it a happy ending for an animal in need, it showcases how people can network together and get things done. More animals will be saved with more people being proactive on their own.

sarah e lauzen says:

February 20, 2017 at 12:48 pm

terrific!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Helping Sherbert, a Senior Colony Cat, Get Full Medical Care

Sherbert showed up sick, dirty and disheveled while we were trapping for the Avondale TNR Project. His fur and ears were filthy, and his breathing was congested. He’s the 55th cat we trapped for vetting in Avondale so far, but he is the first one that was already TNR’d by someone else, as you can see by his ear tip.

It was clear something was wrong. But he was trap savvy, and one night Joann used a drop trap.

It worked, but he acted so strangely in it. He would not move, and just laid down in it, almost as if he was playing dead. We didn’t know if he was just exhausted or scared, or both.

Eventually he went into the regular Tru-catch Trap.

I took him the next day to Roscoe Village Animal Hospital. First they determined he was FIV-/FeLV-. Then they went ahead and updated him on his vaccinations and treated him with antibiotics for a URI, cleaned his ears, and gave him Revolution for fleas. They also did bloodwork to determine his overall health status.

In the meantime they traced his microchip to Tree House, who has been attempting to reach the person who TNR’d him in the first place four years ago.

The vet said it was clear that Sherbert is pretty much a senior cat, and his teeth were really, really bad, most likely causing stomatitis. This explained why he might have been so dirty – this condition is painful and cats stop grooming themselves as a result. It is also painful for them to eat. They recommended he get a full dental, but first he needed to recover from his infection.

Kim put Sherbert up in my feral cat recovery lounge in her house so that he could eat and sleep as much as he needed with a little more room for comfort. This lounge is a dog crate and trap attached together so that feral cats can be moved easily from one part to the other. I have used it for several feral cats during their recovery.

He’s doing well in the crate, but he hasn’t shown any signs of friendliness so far. I know this photo is dark, but you can see they really cleaned up his fur.

I am planning on taking him back to a vet for a full dental next week so that he can hopefully eat without pain in the future. We are getting quotes from a few vets because the highest one so far was for $1500.

There are a lot of feeders in this area and people who let their unfixed pet cats outside, which is really why there are so many colony cats. Without comprehensive TNR, the feline population has exploded here. We are doing what we can to help Kim get the population under control. So far we’ve reduced the population in three alleys by almost half in three months because of TNAdoption for friendly cats and kittens along with TNReturn for feral cats.

In the meantime, I’m a firm believer that feral cats deserve full medical care as well. If something is treatable, it will get done, just like with a pet cat. I will post the total cost after the procedure next week. If you would like to donate for his $489 vet bill so far and his upcoming dental, you can do so through PayPal at [email protected] or at the donate link at the top of this page. Thank you!