How to keep feral cats warm in winter

As the weather gets colder, you may worry about the cats you see around your neighborhood.

They may be pets whose owners let them outside, or they could be community cats, a group that includes ferals (who are afraid of people) and strays (who've been lost or abandoned). No matter how resourceful these outdoor cats are, they need help surviving winter.

If you've got time to help, the kitties will thank you! Follow these tips to help your local outdoor cats during the cold months.

Give outdoor cats shelter from the cold

Yes, their thickened winter coats help feral and stray cats weather winter's chill, but they still need warm, dry, well-insulated and appropriate-sized shelters. It's cheapest to build your own, and there are many plans and instructions that can help you get started. 

How to get help building your outdoor-cat shelter

A shelter-building party can be a fun weekend project! Ask your friends, neighbors and coworkers to join in. Try contacting local youth groups to find out if they will help build shelters as a service project.

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Where to find materials 

You may find inexpensive or free materials by asking building-supply stores or contractors if they have scrap lumber. Ask friends, neighbors and coworkers for used dog houses, which can be modified to make good shelters. You can even use a storage bin from the local hardware store. Creating a lifesaving shelter for outdoor cats can be easy and inexpensive.

Why size matters with cat shelters

A shelter must trap the cats' body heat to warm its interior. If the shelter is too large, it will be difficult for the cats' body heat to keep the space warm.

What to put in your outdoor cat shelter

Straw allows cats to burrow. Pillowcases loosely stuffed with packing peanuts and shredded newspaper also work.

Keep things clean: Replace straw and newspaper if moist or dirty, and wash and re-stuff pillowcases as needed.

However, if it's really cold where you live and you can't check on the shelters regularly, don’t use the above insulation. Instead, "wallpaper" the shelter's inner walls and floor with Mylar. It reflects back body heat, and it's okay for cats to lie on it.

What NOT to put in your outdoor cat shelter

Don't use blankets, towels or folded newspaper; they absorb body heat and chill cats who are lying on them. Forego hay too, which may irritate noses and cause allergic reactions.

Give outdoor cats food and water

Where to place food and water

Protect outdoor cats from hunger and thirst this winter by keeping their food and water from freezing. View tips on how to do this. If you can do so without compromising the privacy and security of the shelter, place food and water near the shelter so the cats won't have to travel far.

One way to protect food and water is to place two shelters—doorways facing each other—two feet apart. Then create a canopy between them by securing a wide board from one roof to the other. Then put the food and water under the canopy.

How to keep outdoor cats' food and water from freezing

What you put food and water in can make a difference. A thick plastic water container that's deep and wide is better-insulated than a thin plastic or ceramic container. A solar-heated water bowl can prevent or delay water and canned food from freezing.

If shelters are well-insulated, you can put bowls of dry or moist food inside them, far from the doorway. Even if the moist food freezes, the cats' body heat will defrost it when they hunker down in their shelter.

Don't put water bowls inside the shelter. Water is easily spilled, and a wet shelter will feel more like a refrigerator than a warm haven. Do your best to keep water from freezing.

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To TNR or not to TNR community cats in winter?

Don't attempt TNR activities in the winter unless you can return the cats to a warm shelter.

People may be concerned about performing trap-neuter-return during winter because they worry about releasing females who have had their stomachs shaved for surgery. But winter trapping has its advantages. There are far fewer pregnant cats, which makes for a less complicated surgery, and you'll prevent the births of many kittens come spring, when the majority are born.

Before you start winter trapping, however, you must ensure that the cats will have adequate shelter when you return them to their territory. If you've followed the directions above, they'll be in good shape.

By Kristi Davis, Pet Wellness Advisor, The Catnip Times

Cats have remarkable survival skills. Over thousands and thousands of years, cats in the wild developed skills that have enabled them to not just survive, but to thrive. From desert plains to wild forests, rural backwoods to urban centers, they seem to find a way. Sometimes, however, they need a little help from their humans, especially in extreme weather, when many have a hard time surviving.

The “wild” cats most of us interact with today are feral cats. Feral cats are cats that have not been socialized to humans and are typically very fearful of humans. Throughout the year, feral cats generally are more active and cover much more territory than pet cats that roam outdoors. A feral cat may roam over a two-square-mile area, while an outdoor pet cat may roam only about four acres.

In the winter, a feral cat spends most of its waking moments just trying to survive—hunting and scavenging for food and water, and finding warm, dry shelter wherever they can. The life of a feral cat is extremely difficult, especially in the harsh winter months, to the point that some organizations such as PETA recommend trapping and euthanasia as the kindest option for feral cats that are not adopted (we disagree). Providing shelter, food and water may be the first steps in getting at least one cat used to your presence, laying the groundwork for eventual trap, neuter, release and in some cases, adoption and taming.

An outdoor pet cat, on the other hand, may have its basic survival needs to be taken care of by its human, but a pet cat may not be physically conditioned to withstand even the briefest periods of extreme cold.

Whether a cat spends most of its time indoors or outdoors, a little extra help from you can ensure the cat stays safe, warm, and healthy during the winter months. Here are a few tips on how to help both feral cats and your pet cat that spends time outdoors:

Provide fresh water frequently. 

Many animals, including cats, become dehydrated in winter when most of the available water supply is frozen. If you can safely provide water in a heated water dish, by all means, do so. Heated dishes are available in most pet supply stores or online. If you need to use an extension cord, make sure it is one that is made for outdoor use. If a heated dish is not a viable option, use a thick plastic container, insulated if possible, and change the water frequently. Some people place a microwavable heating pad under the container to help keep it from freezing a little longer.

For indoor cats, frozen water is usually not an issue, but dehydration due to the dry air indoors may be. Be sure to change the water at least daily, and wash your cat’s water dish. Clean, fresh water will tempt your cat to drink more.  Feed your cat wet food, which has a higher content of water than does dry food and provides some hydration.

Increase the amount of the cat’s food. 

Feral cats will use most of their energy trying to stay warm in the frigid winter months. A regular, ample supply of food will help them conserve the energy they need to stay warm. It will also help their bodies sustain their natural insulation: thick coats and an extra layer of fat. Increase the amount of dry food you are feeding until little remains in the food dish at the time of the next feeding. If you add some wet food to the dish realize it will freeze if the cat does not eat it immediately – making it inedible. Use the best cat food you can afford to ensure the cat meets its wintertime nutritional needs. Consider providing feral cats with dry kitten food as kitten food is high in calories and nutrient-dense.

Provide a warm, clean, dry shelter. 

For feral or stray cats, a safe cozy place to shelter from the harsh weather is heavenly. It does not have to be big. Ideally, it will be small enough to trap the cat’s body heat to self-warm the interior. A small dog house works great.

A favorite homemade shelter of some cat rescue organizations is made using Rubbermaid bins with lids. Rubbermaid bins are preferred because they are a good size and they will not crack in the frozen temperatures.

DIY Outdoor Winter Cat Shelter

• To make an outdoor winter cat shelter, cut an entry hole for the cat in one short side of a large Rubbermaid bin. The hole should be no larger than 6 inches in diameter and located a couple of inches above ground level.
• Be sure to place the shelter on a platform of bricks or a pallet or something that keeps it above the ground. This allows the shelter to better trap and hold the cat’s body heat. Prop one end up slightly higher to allow moisture to run off the roof and also to prevent moisture from pooling on the floor inside.
• Depending on your climate, you may need to insulate it. Use Styrofoam cut into panels to fit on the floor and the walls inside the bin, and one to line the ceiling. Straw (not hay) is another great choice for insulation because it allows moisture to drain through it. Stuff straw in the gaps between the Styrofoam panels and the bin walls. Make a drain hole in the shelter floor using a drill or a nail. Consider using some duct tape to keep the lid from blowing off in windy conditions and to help insulate the shelter further.
• Inside the shelter, you will need to provide bedding. It’s preferable to use straw for this as well. If you can provide a heated mat underneath the bedding, the shelter will stay quite warm and the cat will love it. Do not use blankets, newspapers or towelsas these will absorb heat and moisture. Once they are wet, they will not provide warmth – they will make the shelter colder.
• Check the shelter regularly. Remove the lid and look inside. Is it dry? Is it clean? Replace dirty bedding. Keep the entry area clear of snow; otherwise, a cat can get trapped outside or inside.

If your cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, make sure she has access to a shelter at all times in case she does not come inside some cold winter night. An adequate shelter can consist of a warm bed in your garage, porch, barn, or other places that is protected from moisture and cold winds.

Indoor cats with plenty of warm cozy places available can still get cold. A heated bed or thermal self-heating mat may be a treat for them. Heated beds are perfect for older, arthritic cats that suffer in cold drafts coming through doors and windows.

Protect the paws.

You can help protect your outdoor cat’s paws from ice and harsh de-icing chemicals by using a little petroleum jelly or even chapstick on the paw pads before she goes outside. Chemicals can be more problematic to cat paws than the snow and ice. When your cat comes indoors, gently clean and towel dry its paws, then dab a little more petroleum jelly on the paws. Be sure your cat is not exposed to anti-freeze as it is lethal even when ingested in tiny amounts (such as licking paws).

It may be more difficult to help protect the paws of feral cats, due to their shy nature. But you can avoid using harsh chemicals on your own property. One easy thing to do is use pet-safe salt on driveways and sidewalks.

Moisturize the skin. 

Cats often experience dry itchy skin in the winter. You can help make your pet cat more comfortable by feeding wet food which helps them moisturize from the inside out. You can also try adding a little liquid fish oil to her food. If the cat’s skin is really dry, you should consult your vet to make sure your cat’s dry skin is not a symptom of a more serious problem. Do not use human hair products or skin products on your cat because human products are too harsh for sensitive cat skin. Regularly brushing your cat’s coat will also help distribute the oils down the hair shafts.

We hope you’ll consider implementing a few of these ideas for both feral cats and your own cat if you allow it to go outdoors. Another easy way to help is to simply share information. Many people want to help, but don’t know how to.  Please consider talking to friends and family about the little things they can do to make a big difference. Cats, particularly stray and feral cats, are just trying to survive during the harsh winter months – let’s help them stay warm!