So a cat shows up in our yard. No tags, appears to be abandoned. We’ve been feeding it and letting it spend the night in our house for a week now. It likes us and is quasi-affectionate, in that cat way.
Full-on adoption as a housecat isn’t really an option though, since 1) I have allergies and I’m starting to get snotty, and 2) she doesn’t really seem to like staying inside. She leaves first thing in the morning and comes back 5 pm. Sometimes even spends the evenings out before coming in late. Sending it to a shelter would break my wife’s heart. We’ve looked for a home for her, but no dice so far.
I’m wondering if I could make/buy some kind of outdoor shelter on the back porch and let her live/eat there, only coming inside on special occasions (e.g. snow). But how do I get her to use it?
Any thoughts or experiences? And before someone says it, yes we’re getting it spayed.
Cats aren’t stupid. If you provide a place that’s safe and warm, they will use it. If you google “feral cat shelters” you should be able to find various plans. The simplest kind is a rubbermade tub with a hole, filled with insulation like old towels or blankets laid over straw or styrofoam.
Edit to add: based on my experience of creating a porch shelter for an outside cat. It was just a plush tube stuffed inside a hard-sided cat carrier. Pretty basic. He used it, although he had other nooks he also liked.
huh? what’s the problem?
If you can’t keep a house cat, keep a porch cat!
Feed her regulary on the porch, and she’ll figure it out pretty quick.
I used to leave food out all day for my 2 outdoor cats, but that caused problems…they invited their friends over to eat, too. So now, I feed them twice a day, taking food from the trunk of my car when I leave for work and when I come home.And I have to stand guard for a few minutes to make sure that other neighborhood strays dont try to steal their food
They’ve learned to recognize my car from a distance, and run to meet me on the driveway as I pull in every evening. Cute!
When the weather gets colder, put a simple plastic shelter on the porch, next to the the food dish.
Get one of the smallest shelters that are usually sold in pet stores labelled as dog houses—(but if you haven’t taught the cat to read, she won’t be too insulted. )
Feline domesticus has been with us for about 8000 years. You have been selected. Respect for you.
Cats are outdoor creatures and very clever at fending for themselves but in truth, they are safer when cared for by people. Talk to the cat as if to a friend in quiet soft words and you will be rewarded.
Going deeper, look at the cat and do several slow blinks. That signifies no threat and friendship in cat idiom. Very simple and effective.
Best of luck, cats are awesome even when we have allergies.
If you really like the cat, see if you can get her to a vet for spaying. Otherwise, she will be producing a litter of kittens for you several times a year.
It would also be kind to get her FIV and Feline Leukemia vaccinations. These diseases are not uncommon in feral cats and lead to a miserable death.
This thread has come at a perfect time as Ive been pondering this myself. We are working towards moving to a farm area and we already have dogs. I know my dear daughter would love nothing more than to have a cat, but nope, not INSIDE the house. So this post pretty much settles that the kitty can manage to make it outdoors.
We did the same for a cat that showed up on our doorstep. It’s been over ten years now, and she brings us birds and other little animals as treats. I think the shelter we have for her has helped her survive the cold winters.
Unfortunately, we have to move, and I’m worried sick about what will happen to her. We can’t take her, and I don’t know if the new owners of the house are interested in feeding and sheltering her, plus she won’t go near strangers.
If you feed a cat, are kind to her…
She could bugger off, and never be seen again.
But you, one of the chosen, put a shelter on your porch, feed her regularly,(and don’t leave food out, unless you want more cats), give her a name.
Warning, I too was one of the chosen, I had a stray become my outdoor cat.
He’s sleeping on my bed right now, you may have to stock up on anti-allergy meds eventually.
Cats don’t generally want to be imprisoned in our homes anyway, so she will be much happier outside than in anyway. Do get her vaccinated though, especially for feline leukemia.
A thing to consider when thinking about outdoor cats is that they are far more deadly to all small wildlife, including songbirds, than anyone previously suspected. They are one of the largest anthropogenic causes of wildlife death on the planet, apparently.
I used to have a yard customer who was a cat lover same as I. She not only had a cat or two of her own, but set food out for neighborhood cats, who would appear from time to time, though they would hide when I came around because of the noise I made with the power mower.
We ourselves had a typical cat who led a double life. At night he was The Boss of Seventh Place, beating up all the other tomcat around, romancing his lady friends, and putting dogs in their place; by day he reverted to house - cat status, staring aloofly at those silly humans in his house.
They can’t “keep coming back inside” unless you keep letting them out, so in that case, they are not imprisoned. I didn’t say they never wanted to come in.
Has anyone else had the problems chappachula did with the cat brigade showing up? That’s kind of the main thing I don’t want. One cat is a manageable hassle; I don’t want a colony. Honestly, I don’t want this one, but the wife is smitten.
Sorry, no. My unhindered respiration is more important than the cat’s comfort. Outside is fine. Ulfreida, that’s a actually a plus. Birds eat the hell out of the wife’s garden. She can earn her keep.
The other thing I have to think about with an outdoor cat is how to feed it when we’re out of town for awhile (maybe 2 weeks). If I’m feeding her regularly, is she going to get dependant? I’d rather not make the neighbor come over every day, and I’m assuming I can’t just set a big mound of Meow Mix out there without attracting raccoons and the like.
For times away -
there are automatic feeders you load with dry kibble - it opens at a pre-set time.
I have never looked into them, so don’t know their capacity. If too small, can the top be removed and a large funnel installed, with bag of kibble atop the funnel?
Maybe use multiple units - if each can handle 3-4 days, the cost shouldn’t be too outrageous.
And yes, when spay, inoculate.
I’m trying to think of a way to rig a feeder so it recognizes only one cat/ is located where only one cat can access - not coming up with anything…
Six or seven trays, about a cup and a half each. The lid is what covers the food that isn’t being served to the cat, but one could easily figure a way to cut a hole in the top and use a funnel system.
They also make automatic feeders that are a hopper, and at set times food is dispensed.
Put an RFID chip in the cat’s collar. And use an RFID reader that activates a servo to lift a lid off the cat bowl. If your cat is chipped, then you might even be able to use that one, and skip having a chipped collar.
It’s a fairly simple project if you can plunk down $500 for a reader. I found one for $50 once, and used it in a similar project to keep other animals from using a cat door.
Get the book “The Natural Cat” by Anitra Frazier.
she goes into overcoming “allergies” it may just be the quality of the food .
Good Luck.
Catz are great!