Caring for Feral and Stray Cats in the Winter

Published October 27, 2009 @ 06:51AM PT

Winter is on its way in the Northern Hemisphere -- in some places, it has already descended. And the frigid season creates dangerous circumstances for feral and homeless cats and dogs (and other domesticated animals) just as it creates dangerous circumstances for homeless humans. We'll chat about dogs soon too, but first, let's talk feral cats:

Alley Cat Allies has just put out a press release offering "Winter Safety Tips for Feral And Stray Cats" that's well worth checking out if you have feral cats living near your home or workplace because although "most feral cats are skilled at finding their own food and place to sleep, providing specially-built shelters and dedicated feeding sites guarantee the cats a warm spot to escape the harsh winter weather and deter them from places they aren’t wanted."

Alley Cat Allies offers detailed suggestions and guides about how best to provide this help -- for example, tips on how to build a shelter or modify a dog house, what best to use as insulation (e.g., straw: good, blankets: bad), which kinds of food are best for their bodies in wintertime, and why it's important to maintain regular feeding times.

The group also points out that "cats have a 63-day gestation period and usually mate in winter," so now is the time to get moving on your trap-neuter-return efforts too (TNR).

Read more from Alley Cat Allies at both the press release and at the org's Winter Weather Tips page directly on its Web site. And this would also be a good time to review Mary Martin's series of guest posts on implementing TNR in your community (part 1, part 2, and part 3).

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Photo by Jacob Rush retrieved from Wikimedia Commons

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Comments (9)

I have adopted six rescue cats (four years ago)- two of whom were feral and had to be live trapped. It's expensive and a lot like living with six two-year olds but I wouldn't get rid of them for the world now. Believe it or not, none of them were litter mates and they all get along well- or atleast as well as six children in any family feline or human can! Pictures available on request :)

Posted by Cathy Kifer on 10/27/2009 @ 09:56AM PT
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I cannot for the life of me understand how TNR advocates can abide the slaughter of literally milions of NATIVE songbirds and other animals by feral cats (a nonnative species). As a longtime cat-lover and companion of many (INDOOR ONLY) cats over the years, I cannot allow sentimentality to rule over science fact. If ferals cannot be brought inside and properly domesticated by caring humans, they must be captured and humanely euthanized. North America's native wildlife MUST count for more than cats.

Posted by Hugh Carola on 10/28/2009 @ 02:15PM PT
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You are dead on Mr. Carola. You beat me to the punch with your comment. TNR doesn't work. The problems is also with people who allow their domestic cats to roam. Totally irresponsible.

Posted by Thomas Berg on 10/28/2009 @ 06:00PM PT
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i think men just do not like cats, because they can not control them, TNR works fine here. we trapped five one day and brought them back the next day, there is a bluebird that hangs out and eats the cat food, the cat does not care, i would never let my own cats out to roam, most cats eat birds, they call it the food chain. what do you eat mr carola??? live and let live, we all breath the same air, all have rights, i love animals, only my opinion.

Posted by joan yielding on 10/28/2009 @ 10:17PM PT
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It really should be called Trap-Spay-Return. I may be a little biased, but in my experience (and I've worked animal rescue for 10 years now) spaying is more important for population control then neutering. Granted it's more expensive, but when I have to chose between where to invest, it's always in spaying versus neutering. And before I come under line of fire, I do neuter as well.

I don't think it's a sexist thing against cats, Joan, it's just that maybe in his area the killing of birds by cats is a problem. But bravo for expressing your opinion. It's so hard to talk about subjects like these without someone harping on some one else for their opinion. That's why they are called controversial issues. K, done ranting as it were.

Posted by Deadra Unthank on 10/29/2009 @ 11:11AM PT
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Sexist or not, spaying is more effective than nuetering. Esp, if the person/persons who are paying for it, are on a limited budget. At one time I was trying to spay & nueter the feral cats that came with our farm. (we went from 6 to 30+ in the blink of an eye) My vet finally summed it up... It makes little difference whether you have one or a dozen intact males but, just one intact female will add to both male and female populations. I concentrated on the females and within a year, the population was stabilized and over the years has dropped due to age, illness etc. And for the record, the cats did a lot more rodent control than bird killing.

Posted by Penny Stimpert on 10/31/2009 @ 06:12PM PT
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http://www.alleycat.org has the truth about community cats and bird populations, based upon numerous studies worldwide; and contrary to the two anti-cat posters' opinions, it's HUMAN despoilation rather than any action by cats which is responsible for the reduction in bird populations. Rather than blame cats and harbor prejudice against them, please get the FACTS before adding to the prejudice, and then, if you really want to help birds, advocate for a less human-invasive environment for them. It is a crime in all fifty states to harm a cat, also, remember!!!

Posted by Jamaka Petzak on 10/29/2009 @ 05:07PM PT
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I have always fed stray cats because I know they have been eating out of the neighbor's trashcans!! My husband hates them even when they cross the porch steps. He gets mad at me but I don't want them to starve!! II just have a big heart and love animals!

Posted by Laura Hudson on 11/02/2009 @ 09:26AM PT
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I've been doing cat rescue for years, helping cats that have been dumped and discarded by humans, left behind when people move or abused and left to die. I know from experience that these cats are not the real threat to wildlife, birds, but humans are and their rush to destroy and build. The tall building with mirrored windows are a real killer to song birds, their bodies litter the sidewalks every morning. The cutting down of trees and poisons used on our properties to make them look pretty also contribute. Humans are the main contributor and factor in the destruction of our animals and environment. By destroying feral cats is not accomplishing anything, they will just be replaced by more cats in that territory. With a spay and neuter program they will live out their lives in that same location and just die out naturally. Humans created this problem and no quick fix is the answer. We take responsibility and do this the right way.

Posted by Tobie Mangione on 11/02/2009 @ 12:39PM PT
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Stephanie is an independent animal rights advocate, a vegan, a tree-hugging environmentalist, and a freelance editor and writer. She lives in St. Louis with an aging corgi-lab and an adolescent rescued pit bull.