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| TNR - A Humane Solution to the Feral Cat Problem |
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| SHELTERS |
Originally designed by Karin Hancock of Port Washington, NY, the
Feral Cat Winter Shelter shown here has many advantages. The
two inch thick hard Styrofoam is excellent insulation and traps the
cat's body heat, effectively turning the feline into a radiator. Air
space is purposely limited, so there is less volume to be heated.
Typically, 3 to 4 cats can fit comfortably inside, although more
might curl up on a severely cold night.
The shelter is lightweight and should be weighed down. Best is
to place two shelters about a foot apart with the doors facing each
other. Bridge the gap by laying a piece of plywood across both
roofs. Now the shelters are fully protected against the elements.
Feral Cat Winter Shelter shown here has many advantages. The
two inch thick hard Styrofoam is excellent insulation and traps the
cat's body heat, effectively turning the feline into a radiator. Air
space is purposely limited, so there is less volume to be heated.
Typically, 3 to 4 cats can fit comfortably inside, although more
might curl up on a severely cold night.
The shelter is lightweight and should be weighed down. Best is
to place two shelters about a foot apart with the doors facing each
other. Bridge the gap by laying a piece of plywood across both
roofs. Now the shelters are fully protected against the elements.
4. Cut out a doorway in the Styrofoam where it is
lined up with the doorway that has been cut out already
in the storage bin. Trace the outline of the
doorway on the Styrofoam first before cutting.
5. Stuff the bottom of the bin with straw or other
insulating material to
hold the Styrofoam interior wall pieces in place.
6. Cut out a Styrofoam "roof" to rest on top of the
Styrofoam interior wall pieces
7. Cover the bin with its lid.
lined up with the doorway that has been cut out already
in the storage bin. Trace the outline of the
doorway on the Styrofoam first before cutting.
5. Stuff the bottom of the bin with straw or other
insulating material to
hold the Styrofoam interior wall pieces in place.
6. Cut out a Styrofoam "roof" to rest on top of the
Styrofoam interior wall pieces
7. Cover the bin with its lid.
This innovative idea, costing around $15-20, comes to us from a feral cat caregiver in Villa
Park, IL. It is very similar to the CSM Stray Foundation shelter listed above, except it has the
added protection of a second bin inside which will give cats even more protection from the
winter elements in super-cold northern climates.
Finding one plastic bin to fit inside another is the most challenging part of this project. The
larger bin was $6, the smaller was $4. A 4x8 sheet of styrofoam insulation costs about $7,
and is enough for 2 shelters with some left over.
Other Alternatives
An adequate shelter for one cat can be made from a simple Styrofoam cooler available at any
hardware store for about $6. Glue the lid onto the cooler, turn it upside down and cut a hole in
one side (anywhere but in the middle of one of the long sides). The Styrofoam containers
used to ship meat can be turned into shelters in the same way and can, depending on their
size, house 3 to 4 cats. If you want to get fancy, get a large Igloo cooler and, with a jigsaw, cut
a hole towards the left or right of one of the long sides. The attached lid will allow for easy
cleaning.
In a pinch for just a temporary fix, even a cardboard box is better than nothing - tape the top
closed and cut out a hole in one side for a door. Tape a piece of plastic (cut out from a large
trash bag) onto the top. Put newspaper on the bottom and, if possible, place the box under
something to protect it further from rain -a piece of wood leaned against a fence, under a tree,
etc. If possible, raise the box off the ground where it might get wet.
Insulation
The cats' shelter will be warmer and cozier if you put loose insulating material inside. The
material must be dry and loose, so that the cats can burrow into and underneath it. Straw is
the best, while shredded newspaper will also work. The worst are blankets, towels or folded
newspaper. Because the cats can only lie on top of these materials, they actually draw out
body heat and defeat the purpose. But do keep in mind, if you use insulating materials, you
must be able to change them regularly in order to ensure they stay dry. If you can't, it's better
not to use anything except the shelter itself.
Extreme Cold
Claudia Hickling of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, lines the interior walls of her styrofoam
shelters with a Mylar reflective blanket, which can be bought at survival stores as thermal
safety blankets for people (in case your car gets stuck in the cold). The Mylar reflects the cat's
body heat back onto him and can make the difference in extreme temperatures, particularly in
the more northern states and Canada.
Caretakers have reported the Mylar blankets are also effective when laid on the floor of the
shelter. They don't absorb and take away body heat like ordinary blankets when a cat lies on
top because the Mylar reflects the heat back. Mylar blankets can be purchased at a cost of
$1.49 each from Healthy Harvest. Go to http://www.healthyharvest.com and do a search for
"Mylar Blanket."
Another blanket-type product reported to do a good job of warming cats in shelters is the
"Flexi-Mat Mysterious Purr Pad" available at Petco. Made of polyester fibers, it absorbs then
holds body heat. A set of two costs $10.99 and can be found in most PETCO stores. You can
order them online at http://www.petco.com (do a search for Item No. 166626, or for "Flexi-Mat
Mysterious Purr Padd").
~ courtesy of neighborhoodcats.org
Park, IL. It is very similar to the CSM Stray Foundation shelter listed above, except it has the
added protection of a second bin inside which will give cats even more protection from the
winter elements in super-cold northern climates.
Finding one plastic bin to fit inside another is the most challenging part of this project. The
larger bin was $6, the smaller was $4. A 4x8 sheet of styrofoam insulation costs about $7,
and is enough for 2 shelters with some left over.
Other Alternatives
An adequate shelter for one cat can be made from a simple Styrofoam cooler available at any
hardware store for about $6. Glue the lid onto the cooler, turn it upside down and cut a hole in
one side (anywhere but in the middle of one of the long sides). The Styrofoam containers
used to ship meat can be turned into shelters in the same way and can, depending on their
size, house 3 to 4 cats. If you want to get fancy, get a large Igloo cooler and, with a jigsaw, cut
a hole towards the left or right of one of the long sides. The attached lid will allow for easy
cleaning.
In a pinch for just a temporary fix, even a cardboard box is better than nothing - tape the top
closed and cut out a hole in one side for a door. Tape a piece of plastic (cut out from a large
trash bag) onto the top. Put newspaper on the bottom and, if possible, place the box under
something to protect it further from rain -a piece of wood leaned against a fence, under a tree,
etc. If possible, raise the box off the ground where it might get wet.
Insulation
The cats' shelter will be warmer and cozier if you put loose insulating material inside. The
material must be dry and loose, so that the cats can burrow into and underneath it. Straw is
the best, while shredded newspaper will also work. The worst are blankets, towels or folded
newspaper. Because the cats can only lie on top of these materials, they actually draw out
body heat and defeat the purpose. But do keep in mind, if you use insulating materials, you
must be able to change them regularly in order to ensure they stay dry. If you can't, it's better
not to use anything except the shelter itself.
Extreme Cold
Claudia Hickling of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, lines the interior walls of her styrofoam
shelters with a Mylar reflective blanket, which can be bought at survival stores as thermal
safety blankets for people (in case your car gets stuck in the cold). The Mylar reflects the cat's
body heat back onto him and can make the difference in extreme temperatures, particularly in
the more northern states and Canada.
Caretakers have reported the Mylar blankets are also effective when laid on the floor of the
shelter. They don't absorb and take away body heat like ordinary blankets when a cat lies on
top because the Mylar reflects the heat back. Mylar blankets can be purchased at a cost of
$1.49 each from Healthy Harvest. Go to http://www.healthyharvest.com and do a search for
"Mylar Blanket."
Another blanket-type product reported to do a good job of warming cats in shelters is the
"Flexi-Mat Mysterious Purr Pad" available at Petco. Made of polyester fibers, it absorbs then
holds body heat. A set of two costs $10.99 and can be found in most PETCO stores. You can
order them online at http://www.petco.com (do a search for Item No. 166626, or for "Flexi-Mat
Mysterious Purr Padd").
~ courtesy of neighborhoodcats.org
Materials needed are: a large Rubbermaid storage bin, an eight foot by two foot sheet of
one-inch thick hard Styrofoam, a yardstick, a box cutter or utility knife, and straw, shredded
newspaper or other insulating material. Then assemble as follows:
1. Cut a doorway six inches by six inches in one of the long sides of the storage bin towards
the corner. To prevent flooding, cut the opening so that the bottom of the doorway is several
inches above the ground.
2. Line the floor of the bin with a piece of Styrofoam, using the yardstick and box cutter to cut
out the piece.
3. In similar fashion, line each of the four interior walls of the bin with a piece of the
Styrofoam. Perfect cuts are not necessary. Don't make the Styrofoam go all the way up to the
top of the bin, but leave a uniform gap of at least three inches between the top of these
Styrofoam "wall pieces" and the upper lip of the bin. There needs to be room for an interior
Styrofoam "roof" to fit.
one-inch thick hard Styrofoam, a yardstick, a box cutter or utility knife, and straw, shredded
newspaper or other insulating material. Then assemble as follows:
1. Cut a doorway six inches by six inches in one of the long sides of the storage bin towards
the corner. To prevent flooding, cut the opening so that the bottom of the doorway is several
inches above the ground.
2. Line the floor of the bin with a piece of Styrofoam, using the yardstick and box cutter to cut
out the piece.
3. In similar fashion, line each of the four interior walls of the bin with a piece of the
Styrofoam. Perfect cuts are not necessary. Don't make the Styrofoam go all the way up to the
top of the bin, but leave a uniform gap of at least three inches between the top of these
Styrofoam "wall pieces" and the upper lip of the bin. There needs to be room for an interior
Styrofoam "roof" to fit.
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