Where do "outside" cats sleep?

[almostthere]

OK! I am both new to this forum and a new "cat person". All my life I've had dogs but until recently, never a cat, but that has changed.

To begin, I started feeding an adult pregnant cat last year. She had 2 babies of which one lived. In the perusing months two more wandered into my life and now I fine myself feeding a total of four. My small home is a rental and my landlord does not want any cats inside the house so I feed and water they outside. In the course of 6 months or so I have managed to catch each of them individually and had them neutered/spayed.

I have built a small structure (I call my cat condo) for them that has a litter box on the ground level and a feeding platform above the litter box. Then it has a roof to protect the food and litter areas from rain. I also feed two of them on the top roof area.

What I'm wondering is where do outside cats sleep at night? During daytime they sometimes are in my yard and sometimes I see them in a neighbors yard so they wander around as I suspect cats are inclined to do, but I have no idea where they sleep at night.

I would like to provide a place that they would use but have no idea what they would like.(especially during inclement weather.)

I am very concerned that they have a safe place to keep dry & warm. Should note that my home is in a mild, warm climate so I'm mostly concerned with rain.

Any ideas  what I could provide them with?

Thanks!

 

[StefanZ]

In a warm climate they perhaps sleeps in the bushes. Or in some hole. Very often under a house, or similiar. Cellars in apartament flat houses are quite common...

Yes, you can surely provide them some sort of sleeping  house too if you wish (and they want to use)..  Many of our forumists do so.  for you it will be much easier, as you dont need to think about extra thick isolation

I see you are doing this according to the best of manuals, not "just" giving the hungry food, but also spaying/neutering with time.  If you can find adoption home for some of the friendliest it could also be sweet.

Welcome!

Good luck!    *vibes*

ps do you have dogs? does the landlord accept this?

If yes, why dogs allowed but not cats?

 

[jennyr]

Well done you for providing such good facilities for your outside cats. They are usually very good at finding safe, comfortable places to sleep, but of course we can try and give them better spots, not least so we can monitor them for injuries or absences. But whatever you provide, there is no guarantee that the cats will use it, and that goes for cat beds inside hte house as well as out. A big dog kennel is a good shelter, or a plastic box with a hole cut int he side. You can put straw, or old blankets/carpets inside, checking regularly that they are not wet. Put the shelter anywhere the cats frequent, so they will find it, and then if they start to use it, you can move it gradually to somewhere safer, likeunder a porch or a shed if you are able to leave a door open. Otherwise anywhere quiet and easy to access. Good luck.

 

[almostthere]

My landlord accepts my one dog but believes that cats will urinate inside the house on the carpet and doesn't want that to happen.

 

[feralvr]

Welcome to the site !!! You sound like a very caring cat person....NOW :lol3: Dog person's make the best cat person's too :nod: Wonderful news that you were able to get them all spayed/neutered . Saving lives :heart3:.... Honestly, since you live in a warmer climate, I doubt the feral cats will actually sleep in any shelter you make. The one you built for the food sounds just perfect! As long as the food bowls are protected from the rain and there is a little shelter offered during mealtime then I am sure the cat's will appreciate that. I have a FeralVilla for the winter months and stuff it with straw. The cat's do sleep in it on the really cold, brutal nights. Other than that, they do not sleep in the shelters provided by me. I think the cat's have places they find to burrow into for protection. Many of the feral cat's sleep during the day and hunt at night. During the day, they bed down just about anywhere they can find to burrow and be out of sight and protected. If they are being managed by a feral caretaker, they will come for food in the early morning hours before they bed down for the day and then come back around dusk. I have always wondered where they go and sleep and hide out. I have woods in the back of my house with many, many places for burrowing under ground, bushes, shrubs, old fallen trees to sleep. Thank you for caring for the strays/ferals

 

[StefanZ]

My landlord accepts my one dog but believes that cats will urinate inside the house on the carpet and doesn't want that to happen.

Ah, with unneutered cats it may be very true.

If you WANT to have an inside kitty, tell him about; the kitty will be neutered well before.

Will be litter trained in the bathroom, before you let it in the other parts of the flat.

Will have at least two different litters...

I dont say the risks are nil, but you cant guard against everything!  Even an adult person can pee on herself if unluck is there.  Not even being drunk nor sick.

With a little luck he may perhaps be talked over?  

ps.  How is it with the momma cat and her surviving kitten?  Is it something going on, or "just an old story" you happened to mention to give us a better picture?

If it is something going on you can also ask in the Pregnant and kitten care forum.  You will get answers here too, but...

 

[almostthere]

Ah, with unneutered cats it may be very true.

If you WANT to have an inside kitty, tell him about; the kitty will be neutered well before.

Will be litter trained in the bathroom, before you let it in the other parts of the flat.

Will have at least two different litters...

I dont say the risks are nil, but you cant guard against everything!  Even an adult person can pee on herself if unluck is there.  Not even being drunk nor sick.

With a little luck he may perhaps be talked over?  

ps.  How is it with the momma cat and her surviving kitten?  Is it something going on, or "just an old story" you happened to mention to give us a better picture?

If it is something going on you can also ask in the Pregnant and kitten care forum.  You will get answers here too, but...

If it was just one cat I might have tried to convince my landlord to allow it to come in the house (now that it is spayed), but with four of them, I don't think so.

What do you mean by this: " Is it something going on, or "just an old story" you happened to mention to give us a better picture?" I don't understand.

 

[catmom5]

I live in Michigan so the winters here can get very snowy and cold. Last fall I purchased an extra-small wooden dog house and put straw into it for the cats to burrow. I also piled straw bales around the house so they were protected from the weather and the neighbors. I have recently ordered a feral villa, which will replace the dog house. You can use a lot of different things to provide shelter, but be sure to give them some protection and an escape route if another animal goes after them. If you google "outdoor cat shelter" you will probably find more than you imagined.

Thank you for taking such good care of these kitties.

catmom5

 

[almostthere]

I have received some excellent and most wanted advice, so thank you all!

 

[feralvr]

I have received some excellent and most wanted advice, so thank you all!

Your so welcome!!!! Please keep us posted!!!!!!

 

[uncommonsensesc]

To "almostthere" about the cat urinating on the carpet but landlord accepts dogs - dog people always try to convince themselves that dogs are clean and cats are dirty. My experience is that the cats are the clean ones - mine always uses the litter box. However, I wash rugs, mop up pee and am constantly cleaning where the dog pees and craps in the house!!!  My cat looks at him like he's the most backwards thing she's ever seen!

 

[pusspuss]

hi all,

I hope you can help me re outdoor cat shelter. I have a semi-feral cat, 8 years old. she used to sleep in a big dog kennel in my previous home. I moved and brought the kennel with me. However we have found that she no longer uses it at night. Im pretty sure its because of the neighbours cat who had already established walking rights on the property. I have heard them fighting and we have seen him come out of the kennel frequently. We moved it to another part of the yard to see if it would help and my cat is terrified to go near it. I tried to put her in it and she hissed and spat in terror. I assume he has left his mark all over the kennel. Also Im sure she probably feels trapped in there if he follows her in or disturbs her during the night. Any suggestions for how I can provide a night shelter for her that the neigbours cat wont terrorise her in again?

 

[ondine]

You might consider putting a "roof" made of wire, over the kennel and securing all the corners with wire as well.  Then spray the entire thing with an exzyme spray to kill the neighbor's cat's smell.  When provided with a shelter and feeding station, your cat will be able to feel safe inside, where the neighbor's cat can't get to her.  We have two cats in an enclosure and once they got used to it, they decided it was ideal.  Even if the gate is left open, they won't go out of it now.

Of course, the neighbor's cat will be able to tease her from outside the kennel, so maybe you can talk to the neighbor about keeping him "home" (and having him fixed if needed).  You could also put deterents around the outside (bent chicken wire sticking out of the ground will keep him from getting too close to the kennel's side).

It is a shame she can't even enjoy her own home now.  The only other suggestion I have is to let her come inside the house or garage to sleep.

ps - you might also want to start a new thread about this, so people will recognize its a new question being posed.

 

[pusspuss]

Hi Ondine, do you mean i shud contain my cat within an enclosure? I was hoping she cud have free access in and out like before.

 

[ondine]

Yes - from your description, it sounds like she needs to be protected from the neighbor's cat, so I thought her having the enclosure/kennel all to herself might help her feel more comfortable.  I built the enclosure for my two outside cats because a) we didn't have room for them inside and b) I didn't want them running the neighborhood.  We live near a pretty busy road and I couldn't bear the thought of them being hit.

They are very content in their enclosure - as I said, they feel secure and safe.  Since they've become established in there, I have not had other cats come into my yard and I used to have a new one every few months (the result of an irresponsible neighbor).

Although it is bigger than a kennel, she should be good in there.  If you can attach it to the house somehow, maybe she can be an inside/outside cat with her own little domain, safe in the secured kennel.

 

[harrys mom 02]

We had a little kitty neutered last week Gave him his first series of shots,checked for worms etc.. Boarded him for a week afterwards and brought him home yesterday. I have three others who are spayed/neutered,but who will not accept another cat.They barely tolerate one another.My husband and I put together a shelter over the weekend(large storage container,foam insulation ,smaller container ,straw in it ,lid on etc..) Put it on the patio,where he is at most of the time.He will not use it. So I put straw in the large dog crate,that we took him in to the vet. Will not use it.It was in the 50's last night and he looked so cold this morning ,on the patio,when I fed him. Will take the straw out today and put those inexpensive fluffy fleece blankets in. Hopefully he will use them. If he hadn't been spraying everything in sight,I possibly could have brought him inside. My other cats would not have liked that very much. They do not like other cats. Go figure!How long do they spray after neutering?

 

[ondine]

HI, Harry'sMom.

The spraying gets less and less as the months go on.  Sometimes, a cat will continue to spray, or try.  We have one who was neutered several years ago and he still tries.  Nothing comes of his efforts but he still likes to try to tell everyone where he's been.  We have seven cats inside, so I suspect that may be the reason.

You may want to start a new thread with your question.  This thread is pretty old and people who have some advice may not see your post.  You are certainly doing a lot for this kitty.  I suspect that he will come to appreciate it once his testosterone levels go down some.

 

[harrys mom 02]

Thanks so much for rapid reply. I had a feeling it might take a while.He is an adorable little ,Mackerel Tabby.

Feel badly that he can't come in. My husband has a shop and he sprayed in there. Was quite a hassle getting the odor out.I used enzyme cleaner etc and I can still smell it a little. Inside our home with him spraying,the other male,(who after all these years still thinks he can) would not be good.. I actually spent more than I could afford on this little fellow. But thought that as long as he was there,I might as well have him checked go Feline Leuk etc,since he comes up to the windows to visit with my inside cats and also with the one who is in and out.