A young handsome man like you with so many other things to spend your time on, you are a role model to others to look up to. You make it obviously a "COOL" thing to be kind and that is a priceless lesson to most of the other young men struggling to be like you. Bless you and yours.
TOTALLY AGREE AND I WISH, SO BADLY, THAT MORE MEN WERE JUST LIKE HIM! I HAVE MANY CATS, BOTH INDOORS AND OUT (& 2 DOGS) & I KNOW MANY MEN DO NOT LIKE CATS..AND ARE EXTREMELY JUDGEMENTAL OF WOMEN WHO HAVE CATS!!! I WISH I COULD MEET A MAN LIKE THIS ONE!!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Lol you sound like me, I'm always helping the stray cats in the cold weather. I always feed the strays. I feel so sad for them when I see them all skinny and malnourished :-( Great ideas.
@brutalriotgirl01 same here I just spotted a small young cat actually two that been sleeping in a water drain ditch but there's no water so far.. I've been praying for the cat and doing what I can and that it doesn't rain for awhile 🙋🙋It breaks my heart 💔😭 I wish I could bring in the cat in with me but I'm at a hotel.... Hopefully if it trusts me I will wanna keep it so I can give the cat a good home full of love
You are an absolute sweetheart for putting this up....I have so many feral cats and urban foxes to tend to that this is amazingly helpful. ..it's not cold tonight but it's on it's way and I am thinking about making a two door (two or three two door shelters preferably easily disguised from disapproving neighbours lol) I have a battalion of urban foxes and the feral cats who invariably have a fox or two in tow. I know that there's a symbiotic relationship between the two species which has to be seen to be believed. ..cats show foxes the houses that give nice food (I treat minor injuries and ailments with herbal remedies which I have run past the various charity veterinary surgeons before giving anything. ..if dogs can be poisoned by chocolate you really have to get advice if you are going to try to help. We are very lucky here in North East London and we have a charity which reimburse vets for neutering and the fox charities have their own ambulances and cage traps for sick animals too. Mostly the foxes return the favour to the cats by being really laid back about cats lodging in their earth....generally the average house cat outweigh foxes considerably and foxes always defer to cats over food...they may wail a bit but that's the extent. Sorry for the huge tome of a comment. But I am literally looking at a lovely cat that I have been feeding and your video popped up in my feed...obv. gonna sub and thumbs up...thanks so much x
Omg I love you❤️You are such a beautiful soul !! Thank You For Loving The kitty’s!! I love how your cat jumped into the box😂❤️I feed over twenty Ferals I’m helping them everyday to survive!! Thank you for the ideas absolutely wonderful!! You’re an Angel ❤️
Thank you so much for this video.I have cats inside but like 20 cats I feed outside(and many keep coming) .(yes I spay and neuter each one),It's currently really cold and where I live it always rains.thank you so much for this video.Now the cats outside love their new homes.
Oh wow that is so awesome! That sure is a heck of a lot of work I know, but so amazing that you do it :) On the Cole & Marmalade channel, he has a good video on how to make more semi-permanent ones as well ua-cam.com/video/lpW69fNzcjc/v-deo.html I dont know, but i may be possible to do something where you have like several stryofoam cooler like ones, and then have them all under something to help protect against the elements Once again, that is super wonderful of you to do all that. I know the spay/neuter costs add up too :( I hope it warms up soon! :)
idkgaby _ we are so lucky here in East London, many of the vets are on the C4 scheme which neuters feral cats for free. If you can get hold of them you just take them to the vet and all you have to do is make your bathroom or any space you have into a temporary accommodation so the cat can recover. Then, depending on the cat in question, you can get help to rehome or if the cat is too set in its ways, release it into the same area you found it (occasionally you have to borrow a cage trap to catch them for veterinary care or neutering but most charities are only too happy to let you have one ) I continue to feed and monitor the ones who aren't rehomed and I have several good herbal remedies that have been checked by the charities vets, to treat minor ailments and injuries. I am always on the lookout for good shelter ideas because cats won't get into a box or shelter unless they can see another way out. I think maybe thick plastic that can be pushed aside to enter and exit the shelter is maybe the best idea. .. they can see through it but wind and rain cant get in...I max try this to see how it goes. .I think basic cardboard on polystyrene (Styrofoam? ) placed on planks a couple of inches off the ground but weighted on the bottom so it won't blow off or be easily overturned. I think a few layers of cardboard and bubble wrap on the polystyrene base with heavy clear plastic covering the doors and with a dark, waterproof exterior cover which wouldn't stand out to people, underneath the benches in the communal gardens. ..I don't think people would notice and the cats shelter under there anyway. I am happy to hear of someone else doing the same thing...I just don't understand people who can ignore the plight of animals in winter especially.
We use wood palettes for various things. Perfect for getting cat shelters off ground. Temporarily or permanently left. Also, turn openings away from colder directions.
I feel so bad for them. Most people get cats just to scare them and bully them. They get outside only when they have the perfect chance, and then run away. If they were raised like this from kitten to adult, all they would ever know is bad twolegs. And because of that they would want to stay away from twolegs. We don’t want them believing in only bad twolegs. We want to help them in any good way we can. If you agree with me, don’t like this comment, but reply this: #catsforever
Great ideas! One thing I did for ferals and strays is to create a type of "lean-to" by using a pallet. I added material, stray or styrofoam etc within the inside pallet grids/boards, then wrap the entire pallet with an inexpensive shower liner, taping it. Then I just leaned it up against my house, under the eaves, add straw against the house, and all the cats chose this for protection from wind and rain. It allowed them an escape route. I also turned a very large flower pot on its side, wrapped it, placed rocks on each side for stability and added straw inside and one cat used that. Another idea: waterproof boxes as you did and place them outside leaving a gap between the boxes, place boards across the top of the boxes, add stray to the space between the boxes, placing these under the eaves too and they use this during warmer months protection from the rain. You gave me some great ideas too as I have about 5 strays that now visit me for their breakfast and dinner. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your great videos. We have a semi feral cat that I feed. I live with family who won't let me bring the cat in so this is the best option. I've got reflective foam insulation and Styrofoam and a rubber tub all I need is straw. But this will have to do for tonight. Its in the 20°f and lots of snow. Please keep making these videos. Thankyou for caring for those lovely cats.
As a temporary, I used a 20x20 box, covered with plastic, taped a sun reflector that you put in your car, put in a clean litter box and filled it with straw. I kept one side open and 1/4 of the other side open (egress). Gradually, I closed off the open side to 1/4 opening and closed the egress opening. It's under a table with 2 tarps covering it (used rope around the table to secure it). By gradually closing it up more and more, the cat (Tommy, as in 'doubting Thomas) adjusted to the smaller opening and the shelter. I've been adding straw each day inside the litter box and around it. Now to make the plastic bin shelter!Question: how often do you add straw (daily?) and clean it out? Also, this guy is pretty big. You used 2 bins. Is the larger bin ok with the reflective insulation on sides, or will that be too big? Also, I tried to find the 'notifcation' on your site and can't find it!!!!Love your videos, you are a loving and kind person.
Well to begin, it sounds like you are doing everything awesome :) Also, just to be clear, I'm not professional when it comes to cat care, I've just been doing some reading and trying to do my best :) As far as size goes, from what I've read,, you usually want as small as possible that will hold the cat comfortably. The smaller it is, the more they can radiate out their own body heat and warm up a space, and kitties can get into pretty small spaces. But for that, you really have to play it by ear and use your best judgement :) As far as cleaning out straw, it definitely does not need to be done dailiy. I've heard some people say monthly or every few months. Once again, I think I would play it by ear. With the one kitty I was watching at work, I would just check it every once in a while, and see if it looked dirty or pressed down. Also, I would definitely check it after it rains. Especially if a kitty gets wet then comes in the shelter, it can get damp in there, so fresh straw after that would be really nice :)
@@99shoebox So interesting to read what I wrote 5 years ago! I'm a pro at cat shelters now!! I make the shelter with plastic storage bins and put in 1.5" foam board insultation (with the metallic/shiny side facing the inside). I start with enough straw for cool weather and keep adding it as the temperatures drop. Eventually putting in enough to push up against the walls. Probably about 3-4 inches on the bottom and 1 inch on the sides (approx.). I clean out the shelter once a year and use the straw from inside to put on the ground under the shelter (I also put two of those rubber tile/mats from Walmart on top of the straw). I don't change it throughout the winter but I do check to make sure it isn't wet (which never seems to happen). If you live in a moderately warmer region, you may not need all the heavy insulation board, but one cat has used one bed/shelter even when it was warmer weather. I lost 'Tommy' but others use them. And for a treat, some cat nip inside the opening to lure them in.
We have so many strays in my neighborhood I’ve taken in 2 but there’s no way I can take them all in and all the shelters are full. Any ideas on making a feral cat area by enclosing under a small front porch?
I used reusable grocery bags, hot glued them on the outside of a big cardboard box, covered it entirely to avoid water destroying the shelter. Worked really well!! Thanks for all your tips! Neighborhood cats now have a place to stay at night in our cold winter (from eastern canada)
I found out Styrofoam is toxic at overtime can cause cancer so you wouldn't want the cat right in the Styrofoam. I made a cat shelter out of 2 plastic bands and I put the Styrofoam between the 2 beans and on top of the lid. I ended up taking that shelter down because I thought that Styrofoam even in between that might cause a problem. The cat was not actually on the Styrofoam. But you can Google that and it says it's extremely toxic. You certainly do not want to use them as ice chest because if it gets in your food it's poison. Some cats are attracted to Styrofoam and like to claw it so they might end up eating little bits of it.
Thats a good idea. Do you toss in straw( not hay) in it too for them to cozy up in? I'd imagine there would be a place around that has it, maybe even that dairy farm :) I bet they cozy up in it there if they have a nice barn :D
That's awesome man! Only thing you gotta worry about is if the sweaters get damp (from rain or something that might blow in), they can draw heat away from a cat's body, or so i've read :)
@@CatsandPats Yrs back I bought a large dog shelter from Menards and didn't know about using straw back then so I taped up a pillow in plastic and put sweaters and fleece things on top for him...but....in the winter it all got wet and froze solid. So it was like him lying on a slab of ice. I need to make a shelter now for a different cat....but how to get her to use it is the major question. I've put others out before and the cats never went inside. They didn't understand that it was for them to use...stepping on the straw must be an odd feeling to a cat. That's my guess why they weren't used. Btw. Lov ur vids!
You have (and give others) some great ideas. Thank you for caring. Many humans can learn from someone like you. I've been caring for feral cats all my life and anything we can do to make their very difficult life a little better is just awesome. Thank you for sharing your great attitude and also your great problem solving skills with others.
There's a kitty outside right now that I've never seen before. It's a black kitty and at first I thought mine had snuck out, as they do sometimes, but mine was inside. I went back out to bring stuff in from the car and it seemed like the kitty was sniffing around for something to eat. I took some food out and it immediately came up to eat. It seemed to respond when I said kitty but it wouldn't let me pet it. Being it's Halloween night and the kitty is black, I'm concerned it might not even be feral but got lost or something. I've heard that people do bad things to black kitties on Halloween. Anyways, I feel bad because it's supposed to get down to 26°F tonight and that's just too cold for kitties. I was looking around for stuff to make a little house out of and thought, hmm, maybe I can find a UA-cam tutorial to help. Sure enough, as with everything else, I found your video. Thanks so much for taking the time to share. Your idea is on point with the idea I was formulating. I have a used shower curtain liner I was gonna use to wrap around a cardboard box and a memory foam mattress topper that got ripped up because my kid likes to tear things so I was gonna line the inside of the box with because it holds heat so well. Hoarding isn't always a bad thing.
The cat we have provided a shelter and food to for a year belongs to our neighbor. They won't let him in their house, ever! They feed him sometimes. We made a cooler type shelter and it's on our car port, heating pad inside too. It's hard to believe they don't care. Michigan winters are very cold.
that's why there are so many strays and ferals, it all starts with owners that don't care they think it's cute and interesting when it's a kitten or when they first adopt, and then discard it like an old toy when it's no longer new
Good video! You can also use the top part of a dog house and stuff it full of straw or get the big waterproof cat food bags ( not the ones that are more like paper) and stuff it full of straw and leave it on its side.
If you can do a box within a box you can put news paper in between the two boxes or any type of fabric and wrap it around. Then put tarp or plastic on top to keep the water away.
Insulation and waterproofing are key and the best bedding that I have come across is shredded newspaper (luckily they dont leave ink all over your hands now..lol) I think off the ground a layer of cardboard (thick) bubble wrap or bin liner to keep the rain off and something that keeps the entry and exit (they don't usually go in if they can't see the way out) so something that they can see light through but keeps it cosy and wind/rain proof. I am so stoked at finding your channel. ..excuse the exuberance. ..I am usually more reserved lol!
You earned a new subscriber!! Ahhh I've watched like 6 of your videos so far and they are so helpful and I love them! Thank you for these amazing videos and keep up the good work!
Bubble wrap cut into strips 2in' wide, and 3in. long is great for insulating. Please keep the strips 3or 4 in. long,so cats can not become tangled in bubble wrap. And they can burrow in. :)
Years ago we made a shelter out of hay bales. I curled a dog bed around inside so the feral kitty could snuggle in. We put it together with the main entrance at the front and a smaller exit at the back on one side. They need an escape route. I hung a small towel over the front opening to keep the wind out. It was on our back deck and the ferals loved it. The bales made really thick, insulated walls, floor and roof. It was amazing.
I have a building out back that i cut holes in the floor so they can get in & out. Then on my work bench i made it into a giant bed. Then i hung heat lamps or even halogen lights, they put off a lot of heat. They're inside and heated, the only downside is i have to trudge out there every night to feed and water them. I'm a little lazy sometimes so in the morning i feed them on the front porch unless it's snowing or raining.
THATS LITERALLY WHAT IM GOING THROUGH AT 11:24 PM IN NYC!!! Caps are indicating ny feelings,the irony of it all!! Shes outside of my door crying bc I feed her lately.
Thk you. We have 13 feral outside and they have sleeping boxes with heat pads and blankets. Those are all on a semi-enclosed carport with roof. We go to animal shelter twice a month and they give us lots of cat food donations. We buy food also. We have spat/neutered some. I subscribed. Ahna
Theres a stray cat thats been sleeping on our porch ontop our bale of straw, but she needed more cover so i got a cardboard box and stuffed it with some straw. Also put a piece of plastic/foam paper stuff (it came in the box with our xbox lol) at the bottom to sorta insulate the bottom a little cuz the floor to our porch is cold. Finally wraped the entire box in a shower curtain to weather proof it.. it rained the next night and it stayed dry! Ended up making a way better shelter yesterday by ripping up our old couch and using the foam and polyfil from the cushions to insulate a container, but ill be bringing her in the house tonight and keeping her in our bathroom!
Set new goal for cat house(s): Solar cat house with constant internal temperature such as well insulated container, an entrance & an escape exit, transparent container letting sunlight in to liquid or cement for heat storage such as sealed mason jars that would release heat at night. Or a transparent storage bin floating inside an outer bin filled with an inch of colored (food coloring) water (solar storage). Cover container in summer months to keep out heat or place bins under tree(s) that shed leaves in winter, shade in summer..
That sounds like some mad good bits of engineering! Haha! I've seen on alley cat alleys people make some pretty good complex shelters. I would like to find the thing that could be the most easily and cheaply produced, but still be effective in keeping a kitty warm :)
Coming in 5 years later with The Ultimate Solution. Emergency mylar "space" ish type blankets. Line boxes with them and Construct the world's easiest self-heating cat pad: Throw them over something soft lol. You're welcome. (And Thanks!)
I've been adopted by a couple of feral kittens and their mother so this video is full of down to earth advice on how to cobble something together that works and what to keep in mind to protect the kitties now that it's winter here in Australia. By the way, my last cat was just like your domestic black smoke cat, calm, curious and easy going and fluffy. The new ones are very dark tabbies and I hope I can help them feel comfy enough to stick around. Thanks for your generous video, really appreciate it.
This was the best advice on how to keep the cats warm but also with the cats hopping into all the containers, it was hilarious. I really enjoyed this video, especially with the cats!
Thank you very much for sharing! It's nice to meet you, friend! I really appreciate your ideas! I was thinking that bricks can help for an underlayer too. It is very wonderful how you teach everyone to think creatively! In my family, we call that being a 'hill billy' and it is VERY worth while! It is wonderful to meet you and your kitties. I wish you continued success and happiness always.
She’s feral. 😬 just be glad she’s decided you are her safe harbor. Some cats never get friendly, some do. Enjoy her visits and you never know. Thanks for looking out for her.
What about using the top cover of a litter box and Styrofoam packing squares for the floor and packing balls inside of an old sweater. Ducttape the lid to the bottom Styrofoam squares. Set the house on bricks under and away from the rain gutters on your roof or any covered area
Hi! Yes, this is a thing. I set up 3 of these last year in my yard as extra shelter for my “infrequent fliers” and will do so again this year. I got camo print buckets w/black lids, cut holes, stuffed with straw. Easy to clean & top up bedding. If placement is exposed - not nestled under brush or deck - you’ll need to stabilize on either side so they don’t tumble with the wind (I used 2 bricks near front & 2 at back). All told, less than $10 per shelter, and way less than an hour to assemble. My regular ferals didn’t “claim” these units as personal digs the way they do larger shelters, but it was easy to see that they did get some use, especially after storms. Good luck! And thank you for taking care of neighborhood cats!!❤
Enjoyed your video!! It can be a challenge to find durable outdoor shelter for our furry friends. I've got some options on my channel, some better than others, but it's a work in progress... Nice to find others caring for them too! 🙌👍👍👍
Why is it that we say polystyrene and you guys say Styrofoam and we say Aluminium and you say Aluminum (doesn't even pop up on the predictive text on my Brit model Samsung Galaxy lol!...I'm getting happier by the minute watching your video because I have all the stuff you've mentioned (we have just had some new furniture delivered and I intend to put the packaging to good use. The cat that's on my radar at the moment isn't a normal feral which would hang out with the local fox community and I am worried that it doesn't find shelter like the ones born on the streets do. We do the capture, neuter and re home or release where caught depending on the individual cat. We also like to hang on to the cats after neutering to watch for complications. ...you generally know after three to five days if the cat wants to be an indoor cat or if it's just not wanting human contact further than food. The current one is a recent stray as it looks up to my window and holds eye contact even when it's hungry. ...there's an elderly gentleman in the block who is pretty fond of it so I hope I can have it safely homed with him before winter proper. He's been giving it kippers and stuff so he's really wanting it to stay..his is a ground floor flat with access to the gardens which are big...my cats have access to a huge roof so they kind of look down on the other cats (my older one did jump down last Xmas to beat up two foxes I was feeding leftover turkey to...he was furious lol! Foxes ran with the turkey lol...it was hilarious. (Btw I don't normally have red eyes and black lips...thats my Halloween thumbnail lol...in case you thought you'd got a scary looking stalker lol!
I would not recommend using a cooler unless you cut a hole in it. You need a SMALL entryway. And the hole should be as high as possible to keep rain and snow from getting in. And it's WAY better to use straw inside your shelter, NOT hay. Remember, 'Straw for strays', 'Hay for horses'! You need a LOT of straw too. Here's a great video ua-cam.com/video/Q_eiuGdXaFg/v-deo.htmlsi=Y7nZezNVoQ3DiHhW.
Yo how long was your cat stuck in that box behind you ?. LOL. Well until you finished the video I guess. LOL. I just kept watching the box in the background to see if the cat was still in it or not so I missed most of what you whear saying I will have to watch it again and not let the cat distract me. That's a typical cat thing getting themselves in to trouble my cat well kitten is mad and she keeps getting stuck quite a lot her favourite is in a gap behind some boxes in the corner of my bedroom after spiders stupid cat. LOL
Do you have any ideas how I can convert a 20x20 carpeted cat caddy into a outdoor shelter for ferals? It has two side entrance. I was thinking of taping double bubble reflective foal insulation to waterproof it on the interior. Then cover and tape the outer service with coroplast, would this work?
Thanks im actually making a shelter for a cat that roams around back of my heb. I just had an old plastic bin but I went ahead and bought a tarp from 99 just to add more insulation and I got an old blanket now i just need to make a hole. Im worried someone might throw the bin away so I'm hiding it under this big bush area and hopefully the cat will find it i think I've seen him lurking around there🤞 I'm just trying to camouflage it as much as possible so it won't get thrown away
I have a lot of feral cats! I have a covered back porch but the winter gets bad! just brought in 2 feral kitten when one got killed! omg the are so lovable
I use a cardboard box and tape it up. then I tape some kind of plastic over it and cover the whole thing with tape especially the top. Then I take Styrofoam boards like you get at dollar tree and tape to the top and cover that with tape too. I cut a small hole but big enough they can get it.
Need more young ones like you to get involved in some projects like you have done. Thank you for helping them with what ever you have. These ideas are better then nothing.
I love how ur cats are just busy getting into all the thing you bought out to show us 😂 they are so cutee
A young handsome man like you with so many other things to spend your time on, you are a role model to others to look up to. You make it obviously a "COOL" thing to be kind and that is a priceless lesson to most of the other young men struggling to be like you. Bless you and yours.
TOTALLY AGREE AND I WISH, SO BADLY, THAT MORE MEN WERE JUST LIKE HIM! I HAVE MANY CATS, BOTH INDOORS AND OUT (& 2 DOGS) & I KNOW MANY MEN DO NOT LIKE CATS..AND ARE EXTREMELY JUDGEMENTAL OF WOMEN WHO HAVE CATS!!! I WISH I COULD MEET A MAN LIKE THIS ONE!!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Yes.... he is handsome. But you did hear him mention his wife in this video, right? I bet he spends time with her also??
Lol you sound like me, I'm always helping the stray cats in the cold weather. I always feed the strays. I feel so sad for them when I see them all skinny and malnourished :-( Great ideas.
Yeah me too :( I'm not around too many where I live but it's always sad!
BrutalRiotGirl01
you are my kind of girl 💛👍💛👍💛👍
Saw my stray cat eating bird seed to survive! That did it for me! Now at least he won’t starve!
@brutalriotgirl01 same here I just spotted a small young cat actually two that been sleeping in a water drain ditch but there's no water so far.. I've been praying for the cat and doing what I can and that it doesn't rain for awhile 🙋🙋It breaks my heart 💔😭 I wish I could bring in the cat in with me but I'm at a hotel.... Hopefully if it trusts me I will wanna keep it so I can give the cat a good home full of love
@@lisbethwestmark2089 😁
You are an absolute sweetheart for putting this up....I have so many feral cats and urban foxes to tend to that this is amazingly helpful. ..it's not cold tonight but it's on it's way and I am thinking about making a two door (two or three two door shelters preferably easily disguised from disapproving neighbours lol) I have a battalion of urban foxes and the feral cats who invariably have a fox or two in tow. I know that there's a symbiotic relationship between the two species which has to be seen to be believed. ..cats show foxes the houses that give nice food (I treat minor injuries and ailments with herbal remedies which I have run past the various charity veterinary surgeons before giving anything. ..if dogs can be poisoned by chocolate you really have to get advice if you are going to try to help. We are very lucky here in North East London and we have a charity which reimburse vets for neutering and the fox charities have their own ambulances and cage traps for sick animals too.
Mostly the foxes return the favour to the cats by being really laid back about cats lodging in their earth....generally the average house cat outweigh foxes considerably and foxes always defer to cats over food...they may wail a bit but that's the extent.
Sorry for the huge tome of a comment. But I am literally looking at a lovely cat that I have been feeding and your video popped up in my feed...obv. gonna sub and thumbs up...thanks so much x
Great video! Nice to see someone so kind to cats. There aren't enough of you.
Hopefully you and I can encourage more! :)
That's right. I didn't know why. These animals are so beautiful so affectionate.
Omg I love you❤️You are such a beautiful soul !! Thank You For Loving The kitty’s!! I love how your cat jumped into the box😂❤️I feed over twenty Ferals I’m helping them everyday to survive!! Thank you for the ideas absolutely wonderful!! You’re an Angel ❤️
Thank you so much for this video.I have cats inside but like 20 cats I feed outside(and many keep coming) .(yes I spay and neuter each one),It's currently really cold and where I live it always rains.thank you so much for this video.Now the cats outside love their new homes.
Oh wow that is so awesome! That sure is a heck of a lot of work I know, but so amazing that you do it :) On the Cole & Marmalade channel, he has a good video on how to make more semi-permanent ones as well ua-cam.com/video/lpW69fNzcjc/v-deo.html
I dont know, but i may be possible to do something where you have like several stryofoam cooler like ones, and then have them all under something to help protect against the elements
Once again, that is super wonderful of you to do all that. I know the spay/neuter costs add up too :(
I hope it warms up soon! :)
Cats and Pats omg you replied! And yes it did cost much. But thanks for the link too and the video.
Of course! I love hearing when people are doing awesome things 👍👍👌
idkgaby _ we are so lucky here in East London, many of the vets are on the C4 scheme which neuters feral cats for free. If you can get hold of them you just take them to the vet and all you have to do is make your bathroom or any space you have into a temporary accommodation so the cat can recover. Then, depending on the cat in question, you can get help to rehome or if the cat is too set in its ways, release it into the same area you found it (occasionally you have to borrow a cage trap to catch them for veterinary care or neutering but most charities are only too happy to let you have one ) I continue to feed and monitor the ones who aren't rehomed and I have several good herbal remedies that have been checked by the charities vets, to treat minor ailments and injuries. I am always on the lookout for good shelter ideas because cats won't get into a box or shelter unless they can see another way out. I think maybe thick plastic that can be pushed aside to enter and exit the shelter is maybe the best idea. .. they can see through it but wind and rain cant get in...I max try this to see how it goes. .I think basic cardboard on polystyrene (Styrofoam? ) placed on planks a couple of inches off the ground but weighted on the bottom so it won't blow off or be easily overturned. I think a few layers of cardboard and bubble wrap on the polystyrene base with heavy clear plastic covering the doors and with a dark, waterproof exterior cover which wouldn't stand out to people, underneath the benches in the communal gardens. ..I don't think people would notice and the cats shelter under there anyway. I am happy to hear of someone else doing the same thing...I just don't understand people who can ignore the plight of animals in winter especially.
You sound like me!
Roll-up EVA camping mats or yoga mats are good bedding bases.
They're full of closed air bubbles and don't absorb water.
lol I bet chicks love this guy! A good looking chap who saves kitties! Every woman's dream. Good vid bro
Haha thanks man!
Yep! He has a lucky wife
We use wood palettes for various things. Perfect for getting cat shelters off ground. Temporarily or permanently left. Also, turn openings away from colder directions.
U are amazing, kind, heart of gold. God bless u
Thank you! :)
I feel so bad for them. Most people get cats just to scare them and bully them. They get outside only when they have the perfect chance, and then run away. If they were raised like this from kitten to adult, all they would ever know is bad twolegs. And because of that they would want to stay away from twolegs. We don’t want them believing in only bad twolegs. We want to help them in any good way we can. If you agree with me, don’t like this comment, but reply this: #catsforever
Great ideas! One thing I did for ferals and strays is to create a type of "lean-to" by using a pallet. I added material, stray or styrofoam etc within the inside pallet grids/boards, then wrap the entire pallet with an inexpensive shower liner, taping it. Then I just leaned it up against my house, under the eaves, add straw against the house, and all the cats chose this for protection from wind and rain. It allowed them an escape route. I also turned a very large flower pot on its side, wrapped it, placed rocks on each side for stability and added straw inside and one cat used that. Another idea: waterproof boxes as you did and place them outside leaving a gap between the boxes, place boards across the top of the boxes, add stray to the space between the boxes, placing these under the eaves too and they use this during warmer months protection from the rain. You gave me some great ideas too as I have about 5 strays that now visit me for their breakfast and dinner. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your great videos. We have a semi feral cat that I feed. I live with family who won't let me bring the cat in so this is the best option. I've got reflective foam insulation and Styrofoam and a rubber tub all I need is straw. But this will have to do for tonight. Its in the 20°f and lots of snow. Please keep making these videos. Thankyou for caring for those lovely cats.
As a temporary, I used a 20x20 box, covered with plastic, taped a sun reflector that you put in your car, put in a clean litter box and filled it with straw. I kept one side open and 1/4 of the other side open (egress). Gradually, I closed off the open side to 1/4 opening and closed the egress opening. It's under a table with 2 tarps covering it (used rope around the table to secure it). By gradually closing it up more and more, the cat (Tommy, as in 'doubting Thomas) adjusted to the smaller opening and the shelter. I've been adding straw each day inside the litter box and around it. Now to make the plastic bin shelter!Question: how often do you add straw (daily?) and clean it out? Also, this guy is pretty big. You used 2 bins. Is the larger bin ok with the reflective insulation on sides, or will that be too big? Also, I tried to find the 'notifcation' on your site and can't find it!!!!Love your videos, you are a loving and kind person.
Well to begin, it sounds like you are doing everything awesome :)
Also, just to be clear, I'm not professional when it comes to cat care, I've just been doing some reading and trying to do my best :) As far as size goes, from what I've read,, you usually want as small as possible that will hold the cat comfortably. The smaller it is, the more they can radiate out their own body heat and warm up a space, and kitties can get into pretty small spaces. But for that, you really have to play it by ear and use your best judgement :)
As far as cleaning out straw, it definitely does not need to be done dailiy. I've heard some people say monthly or every few months. Once again, I think I would play it by ear. With the one kitty I was watching at work, I would just check it every once in a while, and see if it looked dirty or pressed down. Also, I would definitely check it after it rains. Especially if a kitty gets wet then comes in the shelter, it can get damp in there, so fresh straw after that would be really nice :)
I saw one video which said they only change the straw twice a year, but can do once a mont if preferred.
@@99shoebox So interesting to read what I wrote 5 years ago! I'm a pro at cat shelters now!! I make the shelter with plastic storage bins and put in 1.5" foam board insultation (with the metallic/shiny side facing the inside).
I start with enough straw for cool weather and keep adding it as the temperatures drop. Eventually putting in enough to push up against the walls. Probably about 3-4 inches on the bottom and 1 inch on the sides (approx.).
I clean out the shelter once a year and use the straw from inside to put on the ground under the shelter (I also put two of those rubber tile/mats from Walmart on top of the straw).
I don't change it throughout the winter but I do check to make sure it isn't wet (which never seems to happen).
If you live in a moderately warmer region, you may not need all the heavy insulation board, but one cat has used one bed/shelter even when it was warmer weather.
I lost 'Tommy' but others use them.
And for a treat, some cat nip inside the opening to lure them in.
Listening to this I thought of putting cardboard box into trashbag instead of wrapping it around. Less likely to have leaks
Dry leaves are a great natural insulator especially if you have made the box water proof by placing inside a garbage bag.
The cat laying on the tarp was like,"This is my tarp now... this is my new bed, leave human."
Haha, she thinks she owns everything in the house...
Thank you man I don't have any heat in my home and I have two cats your expertise will only help my little ones God bless you
Pushing this for this year!!!! HELP THOSE OUTDOOR BABIES!!!! God bless you kind hearted people.
Thanks for the idea of stuffing a pillowcase with styrofoam peanuts! Great tip.
We have so many strays in my neighborhood I’ve taken in 2 but there’s no way I can take them all in and all the shelters are full. Any ideas on making a feral cat area by enclosing under a small front porch?
I used reusable grocery bags, hot glued them on the outside of a big cardboard box, covered it entirely to avoid water destroying the shelter. Worked really well!! Thanks for all your tips! Neighborhood cats now have a place to stay at night in our cold winter (from eastern canada)
I found out Styrofoam is toxic at overtime can cause cancer so you wouldn't want the cat right in the Styrofoam. I made a cat shelter out of 2 plastic bands and I put the Styrofoam between the 2 beans and on top of the lid. I ended up taking that shelter down because I thought that Styrofoam even in between that might cause a problem. The cat was not actually on the Styrofoam. But you can Google that and it says it's extremely toxic. You certainly do not want to use them as ice chest because if it gets in your food it's poison. Some cats are attracted to Styrofoam and like to claw it so they might end up eating little bits of it.
Something so sexy about guys showing soft spot for cats. My future husband better be like him.
i wrapped a box up in shrink wrap and cut a hole in it. keeps the wind and water out.
Thats a good idea. Do you toss in straw( not hay) in it too for them to cozy up in? I'd imagine there would be a place around that has it, maybe even that dairy farm :) I bet they cozy up in it there if they have a nice barn :D
Cats and Pats i put some old sweaters in it. have three made now. they have been popular.
That's awesome man! Only thing you gotta worry about is if the sweaters get damp (from rain or something that might blow in), they can draw heat away from a cat's body, or so i've read :)
@@CatsandPats Yrs back I bought a large dog shelter from Menards and didn't know about using straw back then so I taped up a pillow in plastic and put sweaters and fleece things on top for him...but....in the winter it all got wet and froze solid. So it was like him lying on a slab of ice.
I need to make a shelter now for a different cat....but how to get her to use it is the major question. I've put others out before and the cats never went inside. They didn't understand that it was for them to use...stepping on the straw must be an odd feeling to a cat. That's my guess why they weren't used.
Btw. Lov ur vids!
Thank you for making your tutorials they are helpful and appreciated.
You have (and give others) some great ideas. Thank you for caring. Many humans can learn from someone like you. I've been caring for feral cats all my life and anything we can do to make their very difficult life a little better is just awesome. Thank you for sharing your great attitude and also your great problem solving skills with others.
There's a kitty outside right now that I've never seen before. It's a black kitty and at first I thought mine had snuck out, as they do sometimes, but mine was inside. I went back out to bring stuff in from the car and it seemed like the kitty was sniffing around for something to eat. I took some food out and it immediately came up to eat. It seemed to respond when I said kitty but it wouldn't let me pet it. Being it's Halloween night and the kitty is black, I'm concerned it might not even be feral but got lost or something. I've heard that people do bad things to black kitties on Halloween. Anyways, I feel bad because it's supposed to get down to 26°F tonight and that's just too cold for kitties. I was looking around for stuff to make a little house out of and thought, hmm, maybe I can find a UA-cam tutorial to help. Sure enough, as with everything else, I found your video. Thanks so much for taking the time to share. Your idea is on point with the idea I was formulating. I have a used shower curtain liner I was gonna use to wrap around a cardboard box and a memory foam mattress topper that got ripped up because my kid likes to tear things so I was gonna line the inside of the box with because it holds heat so well. Hoarding isn't always a bad thing.
The cat we have provided a shelter and food to for a year belongs to our neighbor. They won't let him in their house, ever! They feed him sometimes. We made a cooler type shelter and it's on our car port, heating pad inside too.
It's hard to believe they don't care. Michigan winters are very cold.
I don't understand why people want animals and then throw them outside. They are a pet. I just don't get it.
that's why there are so many strays and ferals, it all starts with owners that don't care
they think it's cute and interesting when it's a kitten or when they first adopt, and then discard it like an old toy when it's no longer new
Super! Thank you for helping the animals 👍
Wow. Just found your channel. You are helping me so much already.
Good video! You can also use the top part of a dog house and stuff it full of straw or get the big waterproof cat food bags ( not the ones that are more like paper) and stuff it full of straw and leave it on its side.
If you can do a box within a box you can put news paper in between the two boxes or any type of fabric and wrap it around. Then put tarp or plastic on top to keep the water away.
great out of the box ideas !!! Thanks.
Thanks! I hope they are/were useful to you!
Insulation and waterproofing are key and the best bedding that I have come across is shredded newspaper (luckily they dont leave ink all over your hands now..lol) I think off the ground a layer of cardboard (thick) bubble wrap or bin liner to keep the rain off and something that keeps the entry and exit (they don't usually go in if they can't see the way out) so something that they can see light through but keeps it cosy and wind/rain proof. I am so stoked at finding your channel. ..excuse the exuberance. ..I am usually more reserved lol!
Great job thank you so much and GOD BLESS You!!!!
You earned a new subscriber!! Ahhh I've watched like 6 of your videos so far and they are so helpful and I love them! Thank you for these amazing videos and keep up the good work!
Haha I love it! I'm glad you like them all! It's pretty fun - I mean who doesnt love kitties?
i live near a dairy farm. lots of cats around.
That would makes sense. They probably surround your place like Night of the Living Dead! Lol.
It’s good to set up a separate feeding station box also, so they can eat in the rain and cold
Bubble wrap cut into strips 2in' wide, and 3in. long is great for insulating. Please keep the strips 3or 4 in. long,so cats can not become tangled in bubble wrap. And they can burrow in. :)
What a cutie with gorgeous eyes! Your kitties love you! Very handsome man. 😉
This guy is great. Love his cats.
Haha, thanks! I love my kitties too! :D
Years ago we made a shelter out of hay bales. I curled a dog bed around inside so the feral kitty could snuggle in. We put it together with the main entrance at the front and a smaller exit at the back on one side. They need an escape route. I hung a small towel over the front opening to keep the wind out. It was on our back deck and the ferals loved it. The bales made really thick, insulated walls, floor and roof. It was amazing.
I have a building out back that i cut holes in the floor so they can get in & out. Then on my work bench i made it into a giant bed. Then i hung heat lamps or even halogen lights, they put off a lot of heat.
They're inside and heated, the only downside is i have to trudge out there every night to feed and water them. I'm a little lazy sometimes so in the morning i feed them on the front porch unless it's snowing or raining.
Your cats are so adorable btw my cat looks at me that way too I love it 😍❤️
Great ideas! Thank you so much!
THATS LITERALLY WHAT IM GOING THROUGH AT 11:24 PM IN NYC!!! Caps are indicating ny feelings,the irony of it all!! Shes outside of my door crying bc I feed her lately.
Thk you. We have 13 feral outside and they have sleeping boxes with heat pads and blankets. Those are all on a semi-enclosed carport with roof. We go to animal shelter twice a month and they give us lots of cat food donations. We buy food also. We have spat/neutered some. I subscribed. Ahna
autumn leaves loose or bagged in plastic grocery bags with some air could act as a insulator
Theres a stray cat thats been sleeping on our porch ontop our bale of straw, but she needed more cover so i got a cardboard box and stuffed it with some straw. Also put a piece of plastic/foam paper stuff (it came in the box with our xbox lol) at the bottom to sorta insulate the bottom a little cuz the floor to our porch is cold. Finally wraped the entire box in a shower curtain to weather proof it.. it rained the next night and it stayed dry! Ended up making a way better shelter yesterday by ripping up our old couch and using the foam and polyfil from the cushions to insulate a container, but ill be bringing her in the house tonight and keeping her in our bathroom!
People who love animals always kinder people,,,,,
You are an art cinema aficionado! Loved the old music with the simple text! And of course...your great ideas and good heart.
Set new goal for cat house(s): Solar cat house with constant internal temperature such as well insulated container, an entrance & an escape exit, transparent container letting sunlight in to liquid or cement for heat storage such as sealed mason jars that would release heat at night. Or a transparent storage bin floating inside an outer bin filled with an inch of colored (food coloring) water (solar storage). Cover container in summer months to keep out heat or place bins under tree(s) that shed leaves in winter, shade in summer..
That sounds like some mad good bits of engineering! Haha! I've seen on alley cat alleys people make some pretty good complex shelters. I would like to find the thing that could be the most easily and cheaply produced, but still be effective in keeping a kitty warm :)
Coming in 5 years later with The Ultimate Solution. Emergency mylar "space" ish type blankets. Line boxes with them and Construct the world's easiest self-heating cat pad: Throw them over something soft lol. You're welcome. (And Thanks!)
@Misslayer Rhank you for the idea, and just so you know... It's Never too late to help someone with ideas 💡 😊
I've been adopted by a couple of feral kittens and their mother so this video is full of down to earth advice on how to cobble something together that works and what to keep in mind to protect the kitties now that it's winter here in Australia. By the way, my last cat was just like your domestic black smoke cat, calm, curious and easy going and fluffy. The new ones are very dark tabbies and I hope I can help them feel comfy enough to stick around. Thanks for your generous video, really appreciate it.
Thanks so much for sharing I worried all night about my outdoor cats.... You're inside can't be bothered 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This was the best advice on how to keep the cats warm but also with the cats hopping into all the containers, it was hilarious. I really enjoyed this video, especially with the cats!
Thank you very much for sharing! It's nice to meet you, friend! I really appreciate your ideas! I was thinking that bricks can help for an underlayer too. It is very wonderful how you teach everyone to think creatively! In my family, we call that being a 'hill billy' and it is VERY worth while! It is wonderful to meet you and your kitties. I wish you continued success and happiness always.
This is a wonderful video and you are a wonderful person! I love your lil helpers! 😻
Thank you very much! You are so kind and wonderful person!
I bought everything for my feral cat but after 3 months, she is again afraid of me.😢
She’s feral. 😬 just be glad she’s decided you are her safe harbor. Some cats never get friendly, some do. Enjoy her visits and you never know. Thanks for looking out for her.
Thank you so much for all these great ideas
Spray the outside of the plastic bowl with Great Stuff to keep the food from freezing...Warm water if you do not have a heater
Thanks for the ideas Diane!
What about using the top cover of a litter box and Styrofoam packing squares for the floor and packing balls inside of an old sweater. Ducttape the lid to the bottom Styrofoam squares. Set the house on bricks under and away from the rain gutters on your roof or any covered area
Was thinking about a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. It can lay on its side and you can cut a hole in the lid. Would that work?
Hi! Yes, this is a thing. I set up 3 of these last year in my yard as extra shelter for my “infrequent fliers” and will do so again this year.
I got camo print buckets w/black lids, cut holes, stuffed with straw. Easy to clean & top up bedding. If placement is exposed - not nestled under brush or deck - you’ll need to stabilize on either side so they don’t tumble with the wind (I used 2 bricks near front & 2 at back). All told, less than $10 per shelter, and way less than an hour to assemble.
My regular ferals didn’t “claim” these units as personal digs the way they do larger shelters, but it was easy to see that they did get some use, especially after storms.
Good luck! And thank you for taking care of neighborhood cats!!❤
This video was perfect for me right now. Thanks so much for helping!
Enjoyed your video!! It can be a challenge to find durable outdoor shelter for our furry friends. I've got some options on my channel, some better than others, but it's a work in progress... Nice to find others caring for them too! 🙌👍👍👍
Why is it that we say polystyrene and you guys say Styrofoam and we say Aluminium and you say Aluminum (doesn't even pop up on the predictive text on my Brit model Samsung Galaxy lol!...I'm getting happier by the minute watching your video because I have all the stuff you've mentioned (we have just had some new furniture delivered and I intend to put the packaging to good use. The cat that's on my radar at the moment isn't a normal feral which would hang out with the local fox community and I am worried that it doesn't find shelter like the ones born on the streets do. We do the capture, neuter and re home or release where caught depending on the individual cat. We also like to hang on to the cats after neutering to watch for complications. ...you generally know after three to five days if the cat wants to be an indoor cat or if it's just not wanting human contact further than food. The current one is a recent stray as it looks up to my window and holds eye contact even when it's hungry. ...there's an elderly gentleman in the block who is pretty fond of it so I hope I can have it safely homed with him before winter proper. He's been giving it kippers and stuff so he's really wanting it to stay..his is a ground floor flat with access to the gardens which are big...my cats have access to a huge roof so they kind of look down on the other cats (my older one did jump down last Xmas to beat up two foxes I was feeding leftover turkey to...he was furious lol! Foxes ran with the turkey lol...it was hilarious. (Btw I don't normally have red eyes and black lips...thats my Halloween thumbnail lol...in case you thought you'd got a scary looking stalker lol!
binging your videos! you and the kitties are very entertaining!!!
Haha they carry the show :)
This was super helpful! Thank you
I would not recommend using a cooler unless you cut a hole in it. You need a SMALL entryway. And the hole should be as high as possible to keep rain and snow from getting in. And it's WAY better to use straw inside your shelter, NOT hay. Remember, 'Straw for strays', 'Hay for horses'! You need a LOT of straw too. Here's a great video ua-cam.com/video/Q_eiuGdXaFg/v-deo.htmlsi=Y7nZezNVoQ3DiHhW.
you are cute along with a kind heart 😍😍 ..your new subscriber now
Thanks for subscribing! The kitties are the cute things! :)
Thank you for the ideas. I found this video to be helpful.
Holy crap dude I didn’t think there would be a video showing exactly what I needed
This is fantastic & u have a very creative mind!
U also win the award for fast talking. I had to slow down the speed!
@Cats and Pats Awesome Ideas... Thanks. :)... blessings.
Yo how long was your cat stuck in that box behind you ?. LOL.
Well until you finished the video I guess. LOL.
I just kept watching the box in the background to see if the cat was still in it or not so I missed most of what you whear saying I will have to watch it again and not let the cat distract me.
That's a typical cat thing getting themselves in to trouble my cat well kitten is mad and she keeps getting stuck quite a lot her favourite is in a gap behind some boxes in the corner of my bedroom after spiders stupid cat. LOL
Do you have any ideas how I can convert a 20x20 carpeted cat caddy into a outdoor shelter for ferals? It has two side entrance. I was thinking of taping double bubble reflective foal insulation to waterproof it on the interior. Then cover and tape the outer service with coroplast, would this work?
Thanks im actually making a shelter for a cat that roams around back of my heb. I just had an old plastic bin but I went ahead and bought a tarp from 99 just to add more insulation and I got an old blanket now i just need to make a hole. Im worried someone might throw the bin away so I'm hiding it under this big bush area and hopefully the cat will find it i think I've seen him lurking around there🤞 I'm just trying to camouflage it as much as possible so it won't get thrown away
Thank you I'm trying to find something for the nieghbor/apartment cat and it's freezing
Great video.thanks.I did something similar for my cat with stuff from the garage.
Aww I'm happy to hear it Ann! And thank you!
lol your cats are helping you demonstrate.
Can you please check out World of Cats on UA-cam. They need your assistance.
I'm worried about my feral cat,it likes open space outside in this cold.l made a house like that but I don't know, she stays in it or not.
I'm a big cat and dog lover.have had both all my life and currently I have a kitten black one named salem.and I just came across your videos.
I have a lot of feral cats! I have a covered back porch but the winter gets bad! just brought in 2 feral kitten when one got killed! omg the are so lovable
Great ideas. But real feral cats, like the one I have been feeding for the last 13 years would never go inside these. They feel trapped.
Great video! You hit all the important points. I liked your assistant too!
Wish I could have seen the project, all the camera focused on was your face
I use a cardboard box and tape it up. then I tape some kind of plastic over it and cover the whole thing with tape especially the top. Then I take Styrofoam boards like you get at dollar tree and tape to the top and cover that with tape too. I cut a small hole but big enough they can get it.
i have one cat that seems to like us stray i making one for kitty
Awesome!
white with brown. he. or she love my food in trash now i get cat food out and cat eats it.
Wife??? You look like your 14…😂😂😂😂😂😂
Thank you so much
Great ideas
You made remember many things like a plastic bag to cover the box
Your cats are fearless with you. 😘. Did you rescue them?
Need more young ones like you to get involved in some projects like you have done. Thank you for helping them with what ever you have. These ideas are better then nothing.
I think the cool lid could be blown shut by wind easily. Not safe for kids not safe for cats
I’ve done like all these these at some point lol great video! Glad to see others helping out of friendly ferals and other felines 🥰
I’m in the city without straw. Paper with work
you're the best
I love black cats. Just lost mine 5 mths ago. 😢
Literally I am watching it at 11 pm