Cats Living Outside In The Cold

Cats Living outside in the cold, Is there anything special that needs to be done for these cats?

This is a good question and one I'm sure many of us have thought about at one time or another. As cat lovers we can't bare the thought of feral or stray cats having to live outside during the cold winter months without shelter or sufficent food.

This page will highlight some tips on how we can all help outside cats from suffering and surviving the Winter.

How To Help

• Neuter - Yes I know stray cats and feral cats are not really your responsibility but if you can catch and take these cats to be neutered and then released again, you really are helping them in the long run. you are also preventing unnecessary suffering of perhaps thousands of unwanted kittens.
  
  Contact your local animal shelter and see if they have a service for neutering stray cats. they should be able to help you cats the cats too. More Information about Cat Neutering
  
  
• Shelter - If you are able to, construct a place outside where the cats can shelter from the weather. Line with something warm if possible. Hay of course is the best, but you may not have access to this, so torn up newspaper is the next best thing.
  
  You will have to clean out the shelter from time to time to keep the material inside free from pests etc. But this need not be too hard to do, perhaps once a fortnight is all that will be needed. Information about available outside cat kennels.

• Food - The problem with feeding stray and feral cats is that they may come to rely on you for this food. So I would only recommend this if you are prepared to keep this up. But if you are reading this and worrying enough to try and help outside cats, then I dare say this is something you will want to do anyway.
  
  Contact your local animal shelter for advice on this. Some may be able to help with food.information about homemade cat food here.

• Water - Although cats do not need much water as they get it from their food mainly. they do still need access to drinking water, as it helps to prevent urinary illnesses.
  
  In cold weather water may be frozen, so you will need to check daily that there is a bowl of water available for drinking.
  
  
• Well being - One of the most important things you can do to help feral or stray cats is to keep an eye on their general well being. Making sure that they are not insured or showing signs of distress could be the difference between life and death for these outside cats.
  
  if you do think that a cat is ill or suffering then either try to catch them yourself (always take precautions, these cats are not domesticated),or contact your local animal charity or shelter and ask them for help.
  

National Organisations To Contact For Advice

Although there are many local animal charities and shelters, you may not always have their details to hand. for general advice and help you can always contact a national animal charity.

In the UK - RSPCA (Royal Society of the Protection of Animals)

In the USA - ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

In Australia - Animals Australia

Comments for Cats living outside in the cold

submitted by: tracy 

I feed the outdoor stray and feral cats and have for a few years now. If you can make a little house for them and put hay in it. I cannot as I live in a apt. building , I do not own my own home otherwise I would do it.

You can call animal rescues and shelters and they may have some things you can use, but Hay keeps them warm. Hay is the nest to put inside rather than a blanket if possible. Luckiy my neighbor has a garage that has no door on it so cats go in there for shelter and I put food in there for them.

I just had some volunteers come out and they trapped 13 cats and had them all fixed and got their shots. I wish they could all have homes. It makes me sad, but I do what I can.

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