Winter Weather Tips for Outside Cat Care

Credit: Alley Cat Allies

When temperatures get this cold, outside cats can use extra help to stay warm and healthy. If you are seeing or feeding ferals or strays, be sure to provide food, water, and shelter during severe and cold weather.

Food
Feed larger portions than usual in colder weather. The cats can use the extra calories.

• Feed the cats on a regular schedule. The cats will know when to come around, and both the food and the cats will spend less time exposed to the elements.
• If you can keep it from freezing, feed wet food—it’s easier to digest, so cats save more energy for keeping warm. Consider warming canned food before putting it out.
• Since wet food is quick to freeze, put out dry food too.

Water
Outdoor cats need clean water daily. Here are tips to keep the water from freezing as quickly throughout the winter months:

• Refill the bowls twice daily with hot or warm water.
• Use heated water bowls if near an electrical outlet.
• Use wider and deeper bowls.
• Keep the water in the sun and use dark colored bowls that will absorb the sun’s heat.
• Insulate the bowls. Use double-layered bowls that have an insulated air layer between the surface the water touches and the surface against the ground. Shield the water dish from wind by placing it inside a small styrofoam cooler or surround the top and sides of the feeding area with plexiglass to create a greenhouse environment for the water.
• Use a microwaveable disk like a Snuggle Safe under the water bowl.

Shelter
Even a box covered with plastic to stay dry and insulated with straw can help keep cats safe and warm. Use straw instead of blankets, because blankets absorb water and don't stay dry. Place shelters in discreet locations away from foot traffic so the cats are more likely to use them. Cats living in colonies will huddle together for warmth, so provide colonies with multiple shelters that fit three to five cats each. If you are caring for fewer cats, use smaller shelters so it takes less body heat to warm them up. Here is a gallery of shelter ideas to make or purchase: http://www.alleycat.org/ShelterGallery.

Catnip's Christmas

Catnip was a stray and might have been spending Christmas outside if Sarah hadn't volunteered to take him in to foster.

Resident cat George has been welcoming as well.

Remember to help provide for those less fortunate cats still living outside. They need food, shelter, and fresh water on these cold days.  Here are some tips from Alley Cat Allies: http://www.alleycat.org/winterweather.

Ryder, Home for the Holidays

Ryder (now Finnegan) who was recently adopted through Feline Rescue's foster program is helping bring more joy to his family this holiday.

My husband and I have come to the conclusion that you gave us the best pet for our family we could imagine. This is because Finnegan has many attributes of a dog as well as a cat. He follows us all over, is there the minute we get home wanting to love on us and get love from us, cuddles up in our laps the minute we sit down, plays pouncing games with me and Norah in bed in the morning, and HE PLAYS FETCH with his favorite 2 toys (Norah's crafting "puff-balls" and his white mouse). Seriously, he is the most unique and best cat my husband and I have ever had or seen. He's brought so much love and joy to our family.  :)

Oliver!

Rescued by Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and fostered by Feline Rescue, Oliver is thankful at Christmas and every day for his new home.

Frankie and Shirley safe, warm, and available for adoption

These fluffballs are two of Momma Oakley's family that were rescued from living out in the cold. Scared at first, Frankie and Shirley are making progress slowly but surely. Despite their big fluffy coats, they prefer to be warm inside their foster home.

Shirley just loves to be rubbed and petted and even likes to be held. Little Frankie is starting to enjoy petting too. Frankie mostly stays tucked inside her cozy bed, but she watches how Shirley purrs with excitement when their foster mom pets her. Frankie talks to them from inside her hideaway.  "Someday," she says, "I will be brave and come out to purr for you too."

These little girls couldn't be cuter. Just a few months old, they love to play. Frankie and Shirley are ready to go home with someone who promises to continue helping them feel safe and loved. They would like to stay together. If you are patient enough to earn the trust of Frankie and Shirley, contact outreach@felinerescue.org or call Molly at 651-295-3758

East side mom and her kittens need your help

Adam and Lisa have been following Feline Rescue on Facebook and were inspired to get involved helping cats. They volunteered to help control the population and improve the lives of cats in a colony living outside near a friend's house on St. Paul's east side.

Some of the cats will be spayed/neutered and returned to the colony, where they receive food, water, and shelter. This will help stop the cycle of homeless cats in the area. Some cats, like Big Mac, have found homes. Last night, Adam and Lisa were lucky enough to catch up with this mom and babies. We hope these kitties can have a good indoor life too.

If you can help by taking in this mom and babies so they can become more social and find good homes, please contact outreach@felinerescue.org.

The girls from Echo Ridge

Beans and Buttons were born in the spring at Echo Ridge. Their mom was an abandoned pet, left behind to fend for herself and raise kittens. Luckily, someone came along to rescue the whole family before Beans and Buttons had to worry about any such thing. These girls have adjusted beautifully to living in a home.

Although they are still shy, Beans and Buttons are sweet and just love to play. Beans is more outgoing when it comes to play, and Buttons is more affectionate with her foster people. She loves to purr. The sisters get along great with other cats and are especially bonded with each other.

The girls are ready to find a stable home so they can finally bond with the people who will love them forever. If you are ready to be loved by a beautiful pair of black cats, call Molly at 651-295-3758 or email outreach@felinerescue.org for more information.

Finding Homes Two by Two

Graycie, Clyde, Yoda, and Bruce were rescued after being brought to an animal control facility at just 4 weeks of age.  They were an emergency rescue because they were not yet eating well on their own.

They have already all found loving, wonderful homes and were adopted in pairs just days apart the end of November.

Graycie and Clyde (now Daphne and Joe) were adopted first when Clyde expertly ingratiated himself during the adoption visit by curling up in a lap with Graycie.  Their family had planned to just take Graycie home to be a companion for their current kitties but Clyde showed them how well he would fit in too.

We've received a couple updates for Daphne and Joe and some photos from the adoption visit showing just how irresistible these kittens are.

Here are some pictures of “Graycie & Clyde”. They are settling in nicely, and are very anxious to meet the rest of the family. We’ll wait a few more days for that. Robert and friends have done a wonderful job socializing them. They want to make friends with everyone.
We loved their birth names, but we decided to rename them.  I named Daphne and my husband named Joe, but I call him Little Joe. When Joe gets older, we’ll call him Big Joe. He’ll fit right in with Buster and Sonny.

Daphne and Little Joe cozied up to Buster yesterday. All is quite friendly. Daphne & Joe are very loving toward us, which is purrrfect!

A few days later Yoda and Bruce (BruceLee) entranced their new family and they found a home together too.  And we've received a couple updates for this cute pair too.

I know it has been only about 14 hours but I had to write to tell you how fantastic the kittens are!!! Yoda is the feisty one of the two and BruceLee hangs back a tiny bit more than his brother. After they just calmly walking into the cat carrier to go to their new home, they were totally quiet until about 5 minutes from home and then I could hear a little whining noise. Turns out Yoda was chewing on BruceLee's neck and he came out of the carrier with very wet fur!! No worse for the wear though! They are presently residing in the guest room and I spent part of the night with them (more for me than them) they entertain themselves wonderfully. I put a large low square basket on the bed with fleece in it and they immediately climbed in it and curled up for a nap. Yoda is fascinated with the 'cat' in the mirror and they are both so playful and sweet, We are just thrilled to have them. Our cat Buddy is a little timid about them but I am sure they will win him over. Thank you for all of your help. And thank Rob and Alli for doing such a great job of socializing these kittens.

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving... We are having a Black Cat Friday as the 'boys' are zipping around and playing!
Hard for me to take pictures of them as they zip around. They are very good and respectful of the elder cat who is warming up to them. They love all the toys we have and they are doing very well. I was amazed at how they just have gone from room to room and even down the basement so bravely. They are very well adjusted and interested in every thing. At night we close them into "their" bedroom and they happily curl up together in their basket and are good all night. What a delight they are, we love them.

Thanks again for all your help and thanks to Robert and Alli for raising up such great kittens!

Thank you to their families (and all the families that adopt from us) for opening up their homes to these Feline Rescue kittens!

Cambridge Cats Still Seeking Forever Homes

Many of the 67 cats rescued in the spring from a foreclosed property have found permanent homes. But a few are still waiting. These are all sweet cats that just require a little extra time and patience while they come out of their shells.

Petunia and Posey: Petunia was in rough shape after being rescued. Frighteningly thin and with a damaged eye, she was one that I didn't think would make it. But today she is robust and playful. Petunia would love to be adopted with her pal Posey. They get along great with other cats too.

Ebony and Tucker: These beautiful cats like to hang out with their foster family. They do like petting and attention but just aren't ready to ask for it on their own. They are looking for someone who is willing to work on that. Tucker and Ebony both like to play. Look how cute they are!

Marlin and Luca: During the rescue efforts, Marlin was the comfort cat that all the girls liked to snuggle with when they were scared and unsure about what was going on. Marlin often has a big hiss for you when he's feeling scared. But he doesn't mean anything by it and is really just a big baby. Once he gets to know you, Marlin loves to purr and will head-butt your hand for more and more pets. His girlfriends Turnip, Trix, and Pele have all found homes. He would love to find a home with Luca. Or they each get along well with other cats too. At the adoption center, they are still quite shy. But in their foster homes, they were both friendly and playful. They prefer a quieter environment.

Tigerlily's devoted foster family helped her transition from a shy mother raising kittens in a barn to a cherished indoor pet who delights in petting and attention.

Libby was the last cat on the property to be caught. She lived outside on her own and resisted our traps for almost 2 months before she finally agreed to come along. Libby still has a lot of progress to make. She loves other cats and she loves food and can be petted while she's eating. It's heartwarming to watch Libby as she chases a toy mouse around the house or lounges in the sun with the other cats. I'm so grateful that we didn't have to leave her behind!

 For information on fostering or adopting these cats, call Molly at 651-295-3758 or email outreach@felinerescue.org.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

From Feline Rescue volunteer Deb:

This Thanksgiving I'm especially thankful for the 3 young cats I'm fostering. Chipmunk, Sassyfrass, and Laurel all have feline leukemia, and although lots of cats with feline leukemia lead long, healthy lives just like other cats, each day with them seems like a gift. 

Despite being positive for FeLV, two of them (Chipmunk and Sassyfrass) have no health problems at all. Laurel has cataracts in both eyes and a persistent mouth infection, so she gets a daily antibiotic, but these problems don't slow her down at all. She's just as spunky and energetic as her sisters (maybe more!).

Chipmunk

The girls are about a year old and small for their age due to poor nutrition before they were rescued. They're not likely to grow anymore, but they've gained weight in the time they've been with me. In fact, they're rather "plump."  I tell myself, as I dish out the food, that this might be a good thing - in case their immune systems can't fight off some bug, they'll have a pound or two in reserve until they recover. 

Sassyfrass

Their fur is fluffy and thick and they're playful, mischievous, cuddly, funny and beautiful. Sassyfrass trills while she stalks toys or guards the house from the windows. Chipmunk adores being brushed. Laurel plays fetch by some convoluted, ever-changing rules only she understands. 

My foster kitties have taught me a lot about perseverance, enjoying one's "catness" and reveling in life as it comes. That's a lot to be thankful for!

Out of the Woods: Tiger and Oscura

The Echo Ridge kittens were born in the woods but they were meant to live in a home. Tiger and Oscura are the last of the babies still looking for a home. Shy at first, these little cuties have warmed up nicely. As you can see, they love to hang out with the people and the adult cats in their foster home.

Oscura and Tiger both love to play, so it would be great if they could be adopted together. This pair would be a great addition to a family that already has an adult cat. 

To meet Tiger and his sister Oscura in their foster home, call Molly at 651-295-3758 or email outreach@felinerescue.org.

New Kitten Cam!

Freyja and her 9 kittens are being pampered in their new foster home! Freyja came into rescue last week when her kittens were just days old and right before our temps went into single digits.

A very generous new foster volunteer stepped forward to care for this large family and he has set up a kitten cam so that we can all enjoy watching this family grow.

Matilda: A lap cat two years in the making

Matilda didn’t always have an easy life. Two years ago she was a stray, living outside and raising kittens until a nice person came along and got them inside to safety.  Matilda’s shy but sweet kittens Duchess and O’Malley went to our Adoption Center and easily found a home together. Matilda was too shy and scared and needed more time.

Matilda started out as one of the more combative cats we’ve had to socialize. That’s why we first saw her potential.  A cat that had never been around people wouldn't hold her ground like Matilda did. As much as she tried to act vicious, we could see through the facade. She just needed time to learn to trust people again. She was protective and afraid.

Once Matilda was inside and didn’t have to worry about protecting babies, marauding raccoons, freezing temperatures, or unexpected snowstorms, she could start the process of relaxing. Matilda loves other cats, so it helped to socialize her with other cats and kittens. She could watch them trust us and then learn to trust us herself. Matilda has had many good friends come and go since she joined us.

Today Matilda is a lap cat and total sweetheart. She can’t get enough love. Matilda also loves to play and has a great sense of humor. She is welcoming to all cats but especially loves her current pals Buddy and Maggie. Matilda is ready to find her forever home, and it would be great if she could find it with one or two of her buddies.  

For more information about Matilda call Molly at 651-295-3758 or email outreach@felinerescue.org.