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  1. Crackerboo

    Heating pad or straw for feral shelter

    DeesCats, I wanted to follow up and let you know that the new heating pad, the one you recommended, is a huge hit with the outdoor kitties. They took to it almost immediately and have since been using it a lot; in fact on the really cold days it seems they spend all day in there and only come...
  2. Crackerboo

    Heating pad or straw for feral shelter

    Thanks Dees, I noticed that detail regarding the pad I linked. I went ahead and ordered the K&H model, but the 14x18 inch size. I'll keep both shelters up for now, one with the heating pad, and one with the straw, and see which one is preferred. Thank you too for taking care of the outdoor...
  3. Crackerboo

    Heating pad or straw for feral shelter

    Hi All, I've been taking care of a couple ferals in my back yard for a few years now and I'm thinking of upgrading the shelter and wanted some advice from you professionals first. Currently I've been simply using straw which I would freshen up/replace as necessary through the year. However I...
  4. Crackerboo

    Indoor cats shouldn't mingle with local colony, right?

    Thanks di and bob, great advice. :)
  5. Crackerboo

    Indoor cats shouldn't mingle with local colony, right?

    Thanks for the reply, di and bob. That's excellent that your kitties are doing so well! Your comment about how HIV and FeLV are transmitted makes me feel better. Our indoor cats and the outdoor ferals have always been curious about each other, and even play together (sort of) through the...
  6. Crackerboo

    Indoor cats shouldn't mingle with local colony, right?

    Thanks for the reply, Rubysmama; I'm not worried about fleas or anything, we keep our indoor kitties treated with flea meds, and they're up to date with their shots. My main concern is if the outdoor kitties have the feline HIV and if they could spread it to my indoor kitties.
  7. Crackerboo

    Indoor cats shouldn't mingle with local colony, right?

    Hi All, My wife and I have, after much anxiety and painfully learned lessons, successfully TNR'ed three kitten siblings that showed up to our back deck early last spring. We've had in place for a while now two cooler-type shelters and an outdoor feeder and waterer. Now a year old, they are...
  8. Crackerboo

    Question about trapping Momma Cat & Babies

    Hi Di and Bob, Last night I was actually thinking about those same difficulties you mentioned regarding releasing momma in a big bedroom, so we're re-thinking that. We'll see if we can come up with a plan to get momma into an appropriately sized dog kennel, like you suggested. Thanks so much.
  9. Crackerboo

    Question about trapping Momma Cat & Babies

    I don't think any of the cats will be able to get out of the trap before we get to it; the lid is a bit weighty and I would be surprised if one of the kittens can push his/her way out. Maybe momma could, but I hope we can prevent her if she tries. Once we spring the trap, we'll be out there...
  10. Crackerboo

    Question about trapping Momma Cat & Babies

    Thanks Fionasmom, your comment gives me more confidence/hope that we'll be able to save all the kittens. This is a picture of my trap, next to my auto-feeder. My plan, when I have a cat and/or kitten in the trap, is to wheel it into the house, then releasing them into an unused bedroom. My...
  11. Crackerboo

    Question about trapping Momma Cat & Babies

    Thanks Cats&Plants and Fionasmom; I'm actually using a trap of my own devising which would allow me to trap mom and five kitties at the same time if they're all at the feeder. I have seen all five of them at the feeder at once, but usually at least two kittens are playing on the deck while the...
  12. Crackerboo

    Question about trapping Momma Cat & Babies

    Hi folks, I'm going to attempt to TNR a female cat who has kittens that are probably 3-4 months old, and I intend to catch the kittens too, and take them to our local rescue. If the rescue will take the mom too, great, but I wonder if she'll be too feral. Anyway, there are four kittens, and...
  13. Crackerboo

    Feeding strays while on vacation

    Thanks folks, I'm going to try to modify an auto feeder so that it will work outside while being (hopefully) protected enough from the elements. I'm going to try what this person did. The feeder should arrive Wednesday, so I'll have almost two weeks to test it out. This feeder can be...
  14. Crackerboo

    Feeding strays while on vacation

    hi folks, Question first, in case you don't want to read the reasoning; I'm looking for an outdoor automatic feeder that can go for at least 7 days. Any ideas? The wife and I noticed a stray cat on our deck a few months ago, so when the weather started to get really cold we put food and water...
  15. Crackerboo

    New "cat" person

    Thanks so much, everyone. Update...I wasn't planning on moving so quickly, but after discussing with my wife the recommendations I've been receiving on this site, she got a bit enthusiastic (which was contagious), and we started looking around at the local shelters. We found an adorable 4...
  16. Crackerboo

    New "cat" person

    Thanks so much, everyone. It looks like my wife and I are leaning towards a kitten, based on the comments on here and our own ideas on acclimating a kitten to our lifestyles. With that in mind, how old should a kitten be when being adopted?
  17. Crackerboo

    New "cat" person

    Thanks all for the nice words of sympathy and for the wonderful welcome. Tik Cat's Mum, I'm not worried about a kitten bothering my dog; Fizzy wouldn't mind really, and would likely still play. He's old, but still pretty active for a dog of such advanced years. Willow's Mom, you're right...
  18. Crackerboo

    New "cat" person

    Hi folks, sad news, my cat Lucky went to kitty heaven recently after a fight against chronic kidney disease. He wasn't even really my cat, but I sort of inherited him from my sister in law after she moved closer to my wife and me. Lucky basically just took to me, and that was how he came to be...
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