In advance of the coming storm, I extended and reinforced the feral shelter

[Siwsan]

by putting old shutters on top of old metal chairs and then added more straw. I want to find something to give it more protection in the front but I don't want to make them nervous to use it. I'll cogitate on this.

[Quakerfriend]

1. Ah, you're so good!

Maybe a tarp draped over the chairs & held down with bricks or rocks, but still open in the front

Prayers for all the critters with this storm!

[Siwsan]

6. I came up with this. I'll improve on it later

It's thick plastic that is well tucked beneath the heavy chairs and under the shutter. I also used a bit of duct tape.

Meanwhile I'll brain storm on something sturdier but at least the plastic will help limit the amount of snow that might blow in. I'll be sure to shovel off the deck, tomorrow, too.

[DarthDem]

11. Bless You - This Looks Fantastic

I was thinking the same thing about having something to keep the snow out. Maybe car floormats with wide slits cut in them? They could probably be anchored well to the chairs with some sort of fasteners and would serve as pretty good weather barriers.

[zuul]

2. Wonderful! If you have any catnip spray, use some around your shelter.

Whenever I'm doing something different with the feral shelters on my property, I spray catnip around just before I go back in the house. It brings them running and makes them more at ease.

[Emile]

3. +1

[SheltieLover]

4. Excellent! 👏👏👏👏

Rescue is loaning me a cozy cold weather shelter for the brother of trapped kitty.

[Karadeniz]

5. Can you buy a small bale of hay? It breaks down easily into smaller squares. The cats would like

to have the ground floor totally boxed in except for an entrance. My cats are especially fond of the large heating pad... the hard one.
Do you have a heated water bowl? Make sure the back of the hay box protects them from the north wind!!!

[Siwsan]

7. This faces west

I did put a lot of straw in the bed and on the garden pad they like to use.

Maybe we will have a brain storming session over Christmas dinner.

[wnylib]

10. Do you get west winds? Is there something

sturdy and heavy that you could put in front of the entrance but back about a foot so that it doesn't block the entrance? It could act as a windbreaker.

[Ocelot II]

8. I'm sure they'll appreciate it!

Mr. Cat, whose base of operations is my front porch, has been spending most of his time on his chair, which has a heating pad, though he goes out for awhile every night after the sun sets, no matter how bad the weather. Maybe he has a job. There is also a little heated hut on the porch but he doesn't go into it as far as I know - I think he likes the chair because he can better survey his domain from it. He also has a heated food bowl and water dish. The other day I hung up patio curtains to keep the snow from blowing onto his throne, not that he's spoiled or anything. I'd love to be able to take him in but he isn't having it, and I'm sure there would be nuclear hissy fits from my indoor cat. So I do what I can to keep him warm and fed - and right now he looks fat and fluffy.

[Siwsan]

9. I keep a close eye on the ferals

Scooter, in particular, looks absolutely magnificent. She's the color of a Russian Blue and fluffy as can be. Spooky's fur is now full black instead of looking rust stained. Skittish remains a very spicy feline but she's healthy.

I'll feed them a little early to try to beat the rain/snow mix. Then I'm bringing their bowls inside so that I don't have to dig for them.

[republianmushroom]

12. like it

[Warpy]

13. Maybe either army surplus or thrift shop blankets or bedspreads

could be tacked across the front in winter, anything to break the chilly wind. Disadvantage: you won't be able to see who's in there without a trip out into your cold yard with a flashlight. You can flip the covering up and out of the way when the weather is a bit milder.

And if they turn into little furry fusspots who won't use a more enclosed space, the capital outlay was low and it's easy to take it off. My guess is that they'll appreciate any sort of a wind break.

[eppur_se_muova]

14. I used a flannel blanket, folded in quarters, and bound in place with a bungee cord ...

... to give my feral kitties a place to shelter from the wind. They could see past the edge of the curtain to see if other cats were inside, but were still mostly protected from the wind as the curtain fell back in place after they squeezed through.

I had a round little hutch with a large, round opening, but the same would work with a cardboard box w/ a door cut in the side.

And they will lie in hay to keep warm, even w/blankets available!

[Warpy]

16. Cats aren't stupid, hay is a great insulator

We prefer blankets because we're not wearing fur coats.

[marti]

15. feral huts

my neighbor used a foam cooler inside a plastic container- cut a hole through both and puts in towels- she says their body heat really keeps them warm

[SlimJimmy]

17. We're not expecting horrible weather (about 30 degrees on Sunday)

But have put a large bed (thick fluffy pad) in the back of the garage with several blankies. The garage door is left up about four inches to allow the semi-ferals access during the day and night.

[rlegro]

18. My mom's stray-cat winter shelter

That's a cool shelter. Compare to my mom's, which was an imposing fortress: A huge cardboard shipping box weather-protected with plastic film and tarps. She cut a square out of one side to create an entry. A deck table served as a weather roof for the entry and for feedings when conditions allowed. After the cats got used to the set-up, which was quickly, she added a piece of thick towel secured inside the shelter's entrance from the top, which they could push aside when coming and going. Inside there were many piles of straw and a few old blankets. No food, water, or litter box. The box was on her deck under an eave and further insulatted and wind-protected by hay bales along the sides and top. The cats shared this shelter all winter long. And they survived -20 and -30 F nights. When spring arrived, mom just packed up the whole unit and put it out for the trash truck, and made another one the following winter. She figured correctly that a.) cats are smart, b.) they like boxes, c.) and they like small entryways, which they apparently perceive as cat-like and safe. She considered adding an escape hatch on the other side, but never did.