Helping Feral Cats this Winter

It's October, and the weather is starting to change. Although my two cats are indoor only kitties, I do know that there are many, many cats that have to survive on their own, or in feral colonies on the fringe of residential, industrial or commercial areas. My friend, Sandy, helps take care of some feral cats behind the restaurant where she works, who otherwise would probably not survive the harsh winters here in Illinois.

I received the following tips from Alley Cat Allies on how to help feral cats during the winter months, and wanted to pass them on to anyone that might want to help cats in their neighborhoods.

The first tip is to provide dry, warm shelters, that will allow the cats to escape the cold but still remain "free" and outdoors. Alley Cat Allies has instructions on how to construct one of these.

Make sure to provide wood chips, straw or hay for bedding to help keep them warm and provide comfort. These materials are much better than blankets, towels, or carpets, which can retain moisture and become cold and damp, which defeats the purpose of the bedding.

If you can, add a flap to the shelter to help keep the wind out. The shelter will stay warmer, but the cats can still come and go easily.

Prevent water from freezing in water dishes by keeping the dishes in sunny spots. Wide and deep dishes take longer to freeze than shallow, narrower ones.

Cats like to curl up in warm engines during cold days. By honking your horn or banging on the car hood before you start the engine, will scare any sleeping cats and give them the chance to leave.

If you are trying the Trap, Neuter, Release system to manage a feral colony, take the female cats to be spayed in the Fall so that their fur has a chance to grow back after the surgery before the coldest days of winter arrive.

Anti-freeze is LETHAL and POISONOUS. Ethylene glycol tastes sweet to cats, so it is a temptation. Even "pet-safe" antifreeze (propylene glycol) is dangerous. The safest product is one with a bittering agent, but this type of anti-freeze is not available in all markets. Support legislation that mandates adding a bittering agent to anti-freeze, making it unappealing to animals.

For information about helping feral cats you can visit the Alley Cat Allies website @ http://www.alleycat.org/.


For inside cats, be sure that if they ever get in your garage, that your car is not leaking anti-freeze. Be sure that your inside cats don't go outside during the coldest days, and that if you use salt to remove ice from your steps or sidewalks, that you wipe your cat's feet off to remove any salt residue that remains when they come back inside, so that they don't ingest the salt when they groom themselves.