The care and feeding of Ferals Fall & Winter Edition

Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 11:41 am

Now that the weather is cooling down I thought I’d share a new edition of caring and feeding for feral cats. As I mentioned in the summer post not everyone likes feral or community cats. I get that but it’s a kindness you can do that won’t cost you much.

some simple tips

Not everything you do has to cost a lot. You can provide ferals with a safe place to sleep during cold or inclimate weather.

if you choose to provide them with food and water is your choice. But if you feel that’s something you can do that’s great.

Give them a box

We all know we have boxes at home. They don’t have to be anything fancy just a simple box that gives the cat enough room to turn around and gives them some cover from the elements.

My cats love to lounge in their boxes. We have a storage shelf that they use.

A box is essential, especially for a pregnant feral cat. This can give her a safe place for her and her kittens. Earlier this year Ziggy’s mom Stache (who is feral) gave birth to a litter of 3 female kittens in one of the boxes we had set up.

Boxes are great because we tend to have them from online ordering. So if the box is a bit earn or dirty we can just recycle it or throw it away depending on its condition.

What you’ll need for your box

Line it with old clothes

You don’t need anything fancy to line the box. You can use an old T-shirt, sweatshirt, towel, etc. You can even find some cheap blankets and use those. You should wash everything before setting up the box.

You can also use an old bath mat as well to give them a little extra padding under the old t-shirt or whatever you opt to use.

where to place the box

You can place the box out of the way where the cat may frequent. if you have a patio or covering placing it there may be useful. You can also cover the box with an old sheet or comforter or even a blanket if you like. If you think the box might get wet you can cover it with a light layer of plastic. So basically a plastic bag. Just make sure it doesn’t obstruct the cat’s view.

Also try to place the box away from any wind-prone areas and face it in the direction where it will have the least exposure to the elements but still allows the cat to go in and out.

Have a light source

I’ve noticed that my cats love solar-powered lights. Not all ferals may have the best eyesight in the dark especially if they are older like T.J.

So for us, we found the most inexpensive light source was solar-powered lights. You don’t have to do anything fancy just can have some string lights or a motion light set up. We also have garden lights but that’s optional.

This allows the cats to know their surroundings. It may also help them avoid dangers if their eyesight isn’t so good too.

Here are some product examples:

provide them with a heat source

If you live in an area where it snows or the temps drop into the teens you can provide the ferals with a heat source. There are a few things you can do such as buying a heat lamp and warming their area before turning it off to avoid any fire hazards or overheating the cat. There are also warming pads you can buy and put in the microwave.

You can also use an electric blanket but again you’d have to make sure not to overheat the box.

You may gain their trust

Some ferals are a bit picky when it comes to becoming friends. Ziggy’s mom Stache is one of them. She’s lived in my neighborhood all her life (she’s nearly 3 years old) and she’s still a bit skittish.

She’s slowly getting used to us and brings us her kittens (hence how we ended up with Ziggy, Zorro, the late Bowie, and Shadow.) She’ll eat here and with my neighbor too. But we are slowly gaining her trust.

Stache’s mom was the same way she was a bit wary but she liked having a safe place to be.

don’t forget to spay or neuter

Once you gain a feral cat’s trust you might be able to coax them into a carrier or trap them. That being said if you choose to you can take them to your local vet or humane society or possibly even the local shelter to have them spayed or neutered. Many cities offer discount spaying and neutering programs for community cats.

All of our cats are spayed and neutered except for Stache she’s the next one we are trying to catch.

always be kind to animals

Granted this seems like it might be something silly to do for a feral cat but it’s still a kindness. You may gain a new friend.