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If you notice stray cats hanging around the yard, you may worry about their safety this winter and wonder if you should take them to an animal clinic. By building a cat shelter, however, there’s less cause for concern. The structure isn’t difficult to put together and provides plenty of benefits for feral cats.

How Does a Shelter Help Feral Cats in the Winter? 

Cats have less protection on the thin skin of their ears, paws, and noses, making them vulnerable to frostbite. Whatever fur they have on the rest of their bodies won’t keep them warm if it snows, so they’re also at risk of hypothermia. These issues would require treatment at an animal clinic. With adequate shelter, however, feral cats are more likely to do well in the winter. They will enjoy a warm place to eat, sleep, and rest.  

How Do You Build a Shelter? 

animal clinicTake a plastic bin and cut a six-by-six-inch opening into one of the sides, which is usually large enough to accommodate a cat and small enough to keep out predators and excess cold. Ensure it’s also several inches above the bottom of the bin, so rain or snow can’t enter.

Use Styrofoam® to line the floor and walls of the bin. Cut another six-by-six-inch hole that lines up with the original. Insert a slightly smaller bin that will fit tightly and create another small opening to match the first two. 

Add insulation and a soft place to sleep by covering the floor with straw, which is excellent at absorbing moisture without growing mold. Place another piece of Styrofoam and the lid of the exterior bin across the top. Keep the bin anchored to the ground by placing a barbell, brick, or flat rocks beneath the floor and/or on top of the lid. 

To avoid contact with the cold ground, set the shelter on a small pallet. Hide it from predators by putting it behind a fence, and have the hole face a wall so that only a cat can fit through the space. If the cat gets hurt or comes down with hypothermia, despite all these precautions, head to an animal clinic right away. 

 
If you need the help of an animal clinic, go to Troy & Wentzville Veterinary Clinic in Missouri. Treating animals for more than 60 years, they’re experienced in providing all the care that a feral cat needs, including pet vaccinations, dental care, and flea and tick control. To learn all the ways that they can help the cats you love thrive in any season, call them today at (636) 528-4534 or check out their website

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