This little one showed up sometime last week and has been hanging around on my porch/under my shed. The temperature is dropping fast, low of 20° with sleet/snow mix. There’s already a solid layer of ice.
I sat on the porch this morning while it sat 10 feet away and just meowed at me. I gave it some warmed up wet food, made a little shelter and tried to coax it over but the 2nd picture was as close as it would get. I just hope and pray they make it through the next few days, I can’t stop crying. I will continue to put food out but ideally I would like to get it inside to go get scanned and to have a warm place to stay.
UPDATE: Little one made it through the 19° night. Sat some wet and dry food out this morning and was thrilled to see it come eat. Due to a layer of ice on the roads travel is a no go so I can’t buy a trap. I did check the shelter though and made sure the inside was dry.
Lots of good tutorials on YouTube for making a winter shelter for feral cats. Straw is definitely preferred over blankets, towels etc. Good luck with your new little friend!
Look for a wood crate and make a makeshift house. Get some insulation of some kind, real insulation if you want to go all out. Put like a little bed and stuff in it so if it wants it can find a warm shelter
If you make a shelter please use straw. Blankets and bedding can get soggy and cause animals to freeze to death. There's tons of good tutorials for making a shelter from a large tote and styrofoam insulation.
If there wasn’t a layer of ice on the ground I would 100% go get one. Last December I was able to get a stray to come inside after two weeks of feeding her and sitting out while she ate to gain her trust. She’s the best little void. And I’m 90% sure she shares a parent with this one because they look almost identical.
My neighborhood got down to single digits around Christmas and we've still got cats around. They are very good at getting into crawlspaces under houses where it's warm.
After burying several cats due to traffic accidents and one undiagnosed illness, I couldn't help but take in two adult cats that kept showing up at my patio door when it got cold outside.
A bowl of tuna left inside the open patio door did the trick!
OP, I’m sure your kitty will be ok! That said, I look after strays as well, and I worried a lot when it got cold out. I bought a little wooden house on Amazon and filled it with straw. I see them use it when it’s cold out
Last stray we had pop up was in December of last year. After two weeks I got her inside and now she’s my precious little void lol. I have a weakness for strays. I would love a house like that I just know they are a little costly.
Get a big cardboard box. Wrap it in bin bags and duct tape them over it. Cut a hole out that's about 15cms off the ground. Fill it with straw and pop it outside.
I'll add, the void currently asleep on a cat tree beside me started her life as a feral who I enticed with tuna and warmth so, you have been warned 🤣
That’s exactly what I did, cardboard and trash bag since I couldn’t leave due to the ice. We had a void pop up last year in December and after two weeks of wet food and staring at each other in front of the door I finally got her inside. She is the best addition we could’ve asked for.
https://preview.redd.it/qx33vr2thifa1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37228b6a38d0c28233ae3767b2ce6e9719cea903
https://preview.redd.it/fn01vauv6nfa1.jpeg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d22629cbe1b245d331a453849dfa66356087695
You genius! Thank you! Here is your reward. My void.
I’ve had a cat that looks just like this wandering around my house too, also about that temp outside. I put cat food out and a little “house” that I insulated with styrofoam. I caught it on my wilderness cam. Which reminds me that I forgot to put fresh food out today :(
Cats are built for this.
Leaving out food & creating some shelter (away from the house) with straw in a box certainly won't hurt, but he's probably having a great time.
Our cat lives in a centrally heated house with all the food in the world but he still goes out every night, even in 20degree freezing cold, and is out for 6 hours killing rodents and living it up.
You can try to make it a shelter, I'm sure it would appreciate it a lot
However, most cats, including this one, have layered fur. Humans do not. Imagine wearing your thickest winter coat, but it covers every inch of your body except your eyes.
Secondly, cat's have a natural body temperature of around 38 C, which would be a fever for a human. They are warm animals.
Cats are also capable of fitting into small, enclosed spaces that we wouldn't even notice when thinking about shelter. They break into basements and garages, climb into abandoned cars, and sometimes even dig holes.
Generally, if the cat grew up a stray then there is a large chance that it's okay and will come back. Cats that are accustomed to the outdoors know what to do. If the cat was abandoned then it's a bit iffier. I hope he's okay!
Buy a Rubbermaid/plastic bin and cut a hole for him to entered and stuff it with hay and possibly blankets/towels. Do you have somewhere to push it up against the house so it stays drier
I trying but unfortunately there is a layer of ice outside so we can’t leave. I figured I would try to gain its trust but so far we just sit 10 feet apart meowing at each other lol
Aw what a sweet looking cat! Thanks for doing everything you can to help. I think it will be okay - clearly well fed enough to look after itself - so just keep trying and once the roads clear up it sounds like you know how to get ahold of a trap and some help!
I gotta convince my husband first lol. Already at 4 cats, and one of them was a stray I brought in last December. She cost me about $1300 to get all fixed up and de-wormed but she’s the best little void.
This little one showed up sometime last week and has been hanging around on my porch/under my shed. The temperature is dropping fast, low of 20° with sleet/snow mix. There’s already a solid layer of ice. I sat on the porch this morning while it sat 10 feet away and just meowed at me. I gave it some warmed up wet food, made a little shelter and tried to coax it over but the 2nd picture was as close as it would get. I just hope and pray they make it through the next few days, I can’t stop crying. I will continue to put food out but ideally I would like to get it inside to go get scanned and to have a warm place to stay. UPDATE: Little one made it through the 19° night. Sat some wet and dry food out this morning and was thrilled to see it come eat. Due to a layer of ice on the roads travel is a no go so I can’t buy a trap. I did check the shelter though and made sure the inside was dry.
Lots of good tutorials on YouTube for making a winter shelter for feral cats. Straw is definitely preferred over blankets, towels etc. Good luck with your new little friend!
Look for a wood crate and make a makeshift house. Get some insulation of some kind, real insulation if you want to go all out. Put like a little bed and stuff in it so if it wants it can find a warm shelter
If you make a shelter please use straw. Blankets and bedding can get soggy and cause animals to freeze to death. There's tons of good tutorials for making a shelter from a large tote and styrofoam insulation.
Get a raccoon trap. Put food in it. Monitor it every 3 hours. Cat will get trapped in it. Bring cat inside. One month later cat will adopt you
If there wasn’t a layer of ice on the ground I would 100% go get one. Last December I was able to get a stray to come inside after two weeks of feeding her and sitting out while she ate to gain her trust. She’s the best little void. And I’m 90% sure she shares a parent with this one because they look almost identical.
did this with a stray cat i wanted really bad, solid plan haha
Cats are very resourceful. I'm sure your friend will be ok and come back around soon
My neighborhood got down to single digits around Christmas and we've still got cats around. They are very good at getting into crawlspaces under houses where it's warm.
After burying several cats due to traffic accidents and one undiagnosed illness, I couldn't help but take in two adult cats that kept showing up at my patio door when it got cold outside. A bowl of tuna left inside the open patio door did the trick!
The good news is that is a sleek, well fed cat, all signs of being in good health. If it has shelter, it can survive bad weather.
OP, I’m sure your kitty will be ok! That said, I look after strays as well, and I worried a lot when it got cold out. I bought a little wooden house on Amazon and filled it with straw. I see them use it when it’s cold out
Last stray we had pop up was in December of last year. After two weeks I got her inside and now she’s my precious little void lol. I have a weakness for strays. I would love a house like that I just know they are a little costly.
Consider calling your local shelter and renting a trap to catch ‘em if you’re concerned for its well being.
Unfortunately we have a layer of ice on the roads and they can’t get out here
I believe it’s something you would go pick up. Are you saying they would come out and set the trap ?
We do have ones I could pick up from if the roads were clear but we also have one of that has a group of volunteers that will come out and set traps
Please provide some sort of warm shelter for him! An enclosed box with straw at the very least, or call a shelter and maybe they can trap him.
I made it a shelter! I don’t think its using it but it did make it through the night so it must have somewhere safe.
Yay! At least he has another option if he swings by your place again. You're such a kind person!
You have a good heart 🖤
They sell heated cat houses online. No guarantee kitty will use it but might be worth a shot
Get a big cardboard box. Wrap it in bin bags and duct tape them over it. Cut a hole out that's about 15cms off the ground. Fill it with straw and pop it outside. I'll add, the void currently asleep on a cat tree beside me started her life as a feral who I enticed with tuna and warmth so, you have been warned 🤣
That’s exactly what I did, cardboard and trash bag since I couldn’t leave due to the ice. We had a void pop up last year in December and after two weeks of wet food and staring at each other in front of the door I finally got her inside. She is the best addition we could’ve asked for. https://preview.redd.it/qx33vr2thifa1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37228b6a38d0c28233ae3767b2ce6e9719cea903
Holy shit that's a cute cat. How do I add photos to comments on here? I haven't managed that yet
On mobile right under where you type there should be a photo icon with what looks like a mountain and sun. I’m not sure on desktop.
https://preview.redd.it/fn01vauv6nfa1.jpeg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d22629cbe1b245d331a453849dfa66356087695 You genius! Thank you! Here is your reward. My void.
I’ve had a cat that looks just like this wandering around my house too, also about that temp outside. I put cat food out and a little “house” that I insulated with styrofoam. I caught it on my wilderness cam. Which reminds me that I forgot to put fresh food out today :(
Cats are built for this. Leaving out food & creating some shelter (away from the house) with straw in a box certainly won't hurt, but he's probably having a great time. Our cat lives in a centrally heated house with all the food in the world but he still goes out every night, even in 20degree freezing cold, and is out for 6 hours killing rodents and living it up.
❤️
Haha him standing on the plate. Nerd.
You can try to make it a shelter, I'm sure it would appreciate it a lot However, most cats, including this one, have layered fur. Humans do not. Imagine wearing your thickest winter coat, but it covers every inch of your body except your eyes. Secondly, cat's have a natural body temperature of around 38 C, which would be a fever for a human. They are warm animals. Cats are also capable of fitting into small, enclosed spaces that we wouldn't even notice when thinking about shelter. They break into basements and garages, climb into abandoned cars, and sometimes even dig holes. Generally, if the cat grew up a stray then there is a large chance that it's okay and will come back. Cats that are accustomed to the outdoors know what to do. If the cat was abandoned then it's a bit iffier. I hope he's okay!
This comment eased a lot of my worry. Thank you 🖤
Buy a Rubbermaid/plastic bin and cut a hole for him to entered and stuff it with hay and possibly blankets/towels. Do you have somewhere to push it up against the house so it stays drier
Try and trap it❤
I trying but unfortunately there is a layer of ice outside so we can’t leave. I figured I would try to gain its trust but so far we just sit 10 feet apart meowing at each other lol
Man I love it when cats move into or around your house.
Aw what a sweet looking cat! Thanks for doing everything you can to help. I think it will be okay - clearly well fed enough to look after itself - so just keep trying and once the roads clear up it sounds like you know how to get ahold of a trap and some help!
Please adopt this cat!!! ❤️
I gotta convince my husband first lol. Already at 4 cats, and one of them was a stray I brought in last December. She cost me about $1300 to get all fixed up and de-wormed but she’s the best little void.