Oh now the two cooler box really solves the problem of the two entrance thing because most of the cats I see won't go in if there isn't an out. I think I would cover them with a dark green garden refuse bag as camouflage too.
Hmm. This looks great but the kitties I have to deal with live in a cemetery, which is actually within a park (Mount Royal Park, Montreal). We (the person who helps me and I) have to worry about cemetery employees objecting to anything we might create for the kitties-who currently number around 8-so anything we made would have to be heavily camouflaged. Yet that is not my biggest concern. Raccoons! I don't know how raccoons and feral cats interact but I do know that the raccoons definitely know where the food that we leave for the kitties is, and they move in the moment we leave. One solution could be to leave them food that cats won't eat (pasta, for example) but still . . . what might raccoons do with a shelter built for cats? It's a puzzler, and I guess we won't know until we find out!
Thanks for helping the cats. It might be an idea to camouflage the shelter as best as you can and then attach a waterproof label to it in case someone does discover the box and has questions. The label could read something like, "Humane animal shelter. Please do not disturb. Send any questions or concerns to [phone/email]". A person might contact you first before acting on their assumptions and taking or wrecking the box. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation for someone to understand that the cats you are trying to shelter are fixed and are just trying to live out their lives, and they won't be spraying, fighting, making kittens, etc (but might, helpfully, be providing the place with non-toxic rodent control). Sometimes people think feral cats might attack kids, but they just need to understand that feral cats are scared of people and will run from them, and would only get dangerous if they are cornered and being tormented. Other times people worry (in fairness) that copious amounts of food being left around will attract more animals, in which case it helps to explain that the fixed cats are on a feeding schedule and there isn't so much food put down that there will be leftovers temping lots of critters to come over. Fingers crossed that if the employees near your colony contact you, you and they can have a meeting of the minds about the cats and agree about an acceptable appearance for a cat shelter. I haven't had any (or heard of any) problems with raccoons taking over shelters or wrecking them for sport - although there's a first time for everything. To avoid raccoons eating the feral cats' food, I would suggest feeding the cats during daylight hours and on a consistent schedule. The cats will quickly clue into what time is mealtime and usually will be on-time for meals to avoid missing out on the food. Problematically though, sometimes raccoons learn the feeding routine and are undeterred by daylight. This can be annoying (especially if you are trying to drop-trap the last of the unfixed cats and a furry Bandito is gobbling up your bait). At a certain time of year, a raccoon out during the daylight looking for food is doing so because she's got kits to feed, so it's hard for me to begrudge her opportunistically getting in on some cat food when she is just trying to get by. That being said, I understand why it's important not to habituate wild animals to people or to a people-provided food source. I suppose my best advice to deal with a raccoon trying to eat feral cats' food is to tighten up the feeding protocol: feed on time every day, ring a bell or use some other audible clue to get the cats to hustle to the feeding station, have a collection of small dishes for the cats to all eat at the same time (as opposed to one big dish where they have to wait for their turn, which makes the meal drag on and the final cat might not get enough food), and don't put down more food than the cats can eat in 30 minutes (or at most 45 minutes). Good luck!
Maybe try a camouflaged, black or white in snow/ tarp. Using gorilla tape to hold in on. And to keep it from flapping around in strong winds/thunderstorm/blizzard conditions.
Styrofoam is good insulation. For more ideas about insulating cat shelters, you could check out this playlist where I go through the different shelter options :) czcams.com/play/PL7RCHekDBa3GTgHmM9moUXt82mSanUIAf.html
paula rodriguez I would put in straw or shredded newspaper which would need changing and I have also seen those heat pads that reflects body heat back to the cats and they're available from Amazon, I would also put bubble wrap between the Polystyrene and the garbage bag and I would tape the garbage bags down tight like in the picture. I think that as long as the box has a waterproof outer layer, then it's really up to you how many layers of cardboard, bubble wrap, newspaper or whatever else you have that's good insulation and just make sure the bin bags or garden refuse bags are taped firmly down so the wind cant get in. Tape the entrance and exit holes and you can either make a little covered bit to make sure the wind doesn't get in using pipe that is fitted to the entrance holes or like little awning bits which keeps the rain and snow out or even strips of heavy duty clear plastic used like a beaded curtain that falls back into place once the cat goes in...there's lots of ways to keep the elements out and keep the shelters stable and dry and comfortable inside. I also saw a good idea for a covered feeding box which keeps the cats dry whilst eating. I would try to rig up a biscuit dispenser in one of these as well as providing wet food and water because even if all the wet food is eaten the cats can still access dry food and water.
I know you are trying to do something good here, so I want to acknowledge your heart is in the right place.....but this is one of the worst videos on how to make a feral cat shelter. Firstly, there is no insulation on top where most heat escapes. Secondly, using insulation like you are using is not a good idea because some cats will chew it or use it to scratch on. Thirdly your hole is too close to the bottom. You guys should look at some of the other videos on CZcams that use straw on all 4 sides as insulation.
Oh now the two cooler box really solves the problem of the two entrance thing because most of the cats I see won't go in if there isn't an out. I think I would cover them with a dark green garden refuse bag as camouflage too.
This is brilliant, just brilliant
Very creative! Thanks for this.
Hmm. This looks great but the kitties I have to deal with live in a cemetery, which is actually within a park (Mount Royal Park, Montreal). We (the person who helps me and I) have to worry about cemetery employees objecting to anything we might create for the kitties-who currently number around 8-so anything we made would have to be heavily camouflaged.
Yet that is not my biggest concern. Raccoons! I don't know how raccoons and feral cats interact but I do know that the raccoons definitely know where the food that we leave for the kitties is, and they move in the moment we leave. One solution could be to leave them food that cats won't eat (pasta, for example) but still . . . what might raccoons do with a shelter built for cats?
It's a puzzler, and I guess we won't know until we find out!
Thanks for helping the cats. It might be an idea to camouflage the shelter as best as you can and then attach a waterproof label to it in case someone does discover the box and has questions. The label could read something like, "Humane animal shelter. Please do not disturb. Send any questions or concerns to [phone/email]". A person might contact you first before acting on their assumptions and taking or wrecking the box. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation for someone to understand that the cats you are trying to shelter are fixed and are just trying to live out their lives, and they won't be spraying, fighting, making kittens, etc (but might, helpfully, be providing the place with non-toxic rodent control). Sometimes people think feral cats might attack kids, but they just need to understand that feral cats are scared of people and will run from them, and would only get dangerous if they are cornered and being tormented. Other times people worry (in fairness) that copious amounts of food being left around will attract more animals, in which case it helps to explain that the fixed cats are on a feeding schedule and there isn't so much food put down that there will be leftovers temping lots of critters to come over. Fingers crossed that if the employees near your colony contact you, you and they can have a meeting of the minds about the cats and agree about an acceptable appearance for a cat shelter.
I haven't had any (or heard of any) problems with raccoons taking over shelters or wrecking them for sport - although there's a first time for everything.
To avoid raccoons eating the feral cats' food, I would suggest feeding the cats during daylight hours and on a consistent schedule. The cats will quickly clue into what time is mealtime and usually will be on-time for meals to avoid missing out on the food. Problematically though, sometimes raccoons learn the feeding routine and are undeterred by daylight. This can be annoying (especially if you are trying to drop-trap the last of the unfixed cats and a furry Bandito is gobbling up your bait). At a certain time of year, a raccoon out during the daylight looking for food is doing so because she's got kits to feed, so it's hard for me to begrudge her opportunistically getting in on some cat food when she is just trying to get by. That being said, I understand why it's important not to habituate wild animals to people or to a people-provided food source. I suppose my best advice to deal with a raccoon trying to eat feral cats' food is to tighten up the feeding protocol: feed on time every day, ring a bell or use some other audible clue to get the cats to hustle to the feeding station, have a collection of small dishes for the cats to all eat at the same time (as opposed to one big dish where they have to wait for their turn, which makes the meal drag on and the final cat might not get enough food), and don't put down more food than the cats can eat in 30 minutes (or at most 45 minutes). Good luck!
Maybe try a camouflaged, black or white in snow/ tarp. Using gorilla tape to hold in on. And to keep it from flapping around in strong winds/thunderstorm/blizzard conditions.
awesome idea
is the Styrofoam enough insulation? I'm thinking of doing this for my cats.
Styrofoam is good insulation. For more ideas about insulating cat shelters, you could check out this playlist where I go through the different shelter options :)
czcams.com/play/PL7RCHekDBa3GTgHmM9moUXt82mSanUIAf.html
paula rodriguez I would put in straw or shredded newspaper which would need changing and I have also seen those heat pads that reflects body heat back to the cats and they're available from Amazon, I would also put bubble wrap between the Polystyrene and the garbage bag and I would tape the garbage bags down tight like in the picture. I think that as long as the box has a waterproof outer layer, then it's really up to you how many layers of cardboard, bubble wrap, newspaper or whatever else you have that's good insulation and just make sure the bin bags or garden refuse bags are taped firmly down so the wind cant get in. Tape the entrance and exit holes and you can either make a little covered bit to make sure the wind doesn't get in using pipe that is fitted to the entrance holes or like little awning bits which keeps the rain and snow out or even strips of heavy duty clear plastic used like a beaded curtain that falls back into place once the cat goes in...there's lots of ways to keep the elements out and keep the shelters stable and dry and comfortable inside. I also saw a good idea for a covered feeding box which keeps the cats dry whilst eating. I would try to rig up a biscuit dispenser in one of these as well as providing wet food and water because even if all the wet food is eaten the cats can still access dry food and water.
I know you are trying to do something good here, so I want to acknowledge your heart is in the right place.....but this is one of the worst videos on how to make a feral cat shelter. Firstly, there is no insulation on top where most heat escapes. Secondly, using insulation like you are using is not a good idea because some cats will chew it or use it to scratch on. Thirdly your hole is too close to the bottom. You guys should look at some of the other videos on CZcams that use straw on all 4 sides as insulation.