Tips & Suggestions for Caring for your Feral Cats Year-Round!
*IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR CAREGIVERS*
YOUR SAFETY FIRST! As with any other part of your life, when you are feeding feral cats, please be aware of your surroundings. Carry your cell phone at all times and make sure someone knows when you are feeding. If there is danger, leave the colony immediately and report the incident from a safe location. Remember those cats are smart and they can run a lot faster than you. (And they will!) Report suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities, like the police or the business owner. You may also want to keep a detailed log if you have threatening neighbors, suspicious activity, uncooperative business owners, etc.
CLEAN TRAPS: It is very important that you wash and sterilize your traps BEFORE & AFTER EACH CAT TRAP, even if it's cats within the same colony. It's simple to do: Just take a Clorox wipe to the inside of the trap after the cat is returned. Be sure to wipe the inside metal door flap. After about 15 minutes, take a designated scrub brush or waded up newspaper and hose off the trap.
SHOES: You may want to change your shoes when going from the outside feral cats to your inside cats at home. Some caregivers use Crocks or a designated pair of shoes for feeding.
LOANED TRAPS: If you are using traps on loan from the Animal Birth Control Clinic or HOTFF, we ask that you thouroughly clean the trap before you use it, and then as a courtesy to us and the next trapper, thouroughly clean the trap before you turn it back in. Thank you.
Heart of Texas Feral Friends: ***CAREGIVER EVENT***
BUILDING YOUR FERAL CAT WINTER SHELTER!
We are having a winter shelter workshop this Saturday at 9 a.m. at the ABC Clinic Parking Lot. Heart of Texas Feral Friends volunteers will be helping local caregivers build inexpensive but sturdy feral cat winter shelters.
SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED TO BRING TO BUILD A WINTER SHELTER:
1. A large New or Gently-Used Rubbermaid-type plastic storage tubs WITH LID. A larger tub can house 2-3 cats, encouraging more body heat.
2. Insulated Stryofoam Sheet (Not Foam Board) - 4x8 sheet, 1/2" thick. (Home Depot, $8.50) This is large, so you will need a pick-up or box cutter to cut it down to size.
3. Optional: Catnip!
4. Optional: Hartz Flea/lice powder
PRICES WE'VE FOUND:
Target: SOLD OUT
Walmart-Bellmead: (On Sale thru Sat. 11/22) Silver-colored 30-gallon tub with lid, $9 each.
Dollar General: Blue 30-gallon tub with lid, $10
Home Depot: Insulated Styrofoam Sheet, 1/2" thick, $8.50
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DONATE MATERIALS ? Donations of tubs or financial contributions to the "ABC/HOTFF Winter Shelter Project" can be dropped off by 5 p.m. on Friday, 11/21 at the Animal Birth Control Clinic at 1531 Wooded Acres, across from Target. Or you may contact us to arrange a pick up.
Donations needed for this project:
*Rubbermaid-type storage tubs WITH LIDS: 18-gal, 30-gal, or larger!
*Stryofoam igloo coolers with lids
*Insulation board (Home Depot, $8.50)
*Spray Paint - Dark Green or Earth Brown
*Large tarp
CAN YOU VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME THIS SATURDAY? If you would like to donate your time and/or materials to build a winter shelter for one of our designated caregivers (like large colony caregivers or Senior Citizen caregivers), please arrive at 9 a.m. at the ABC Clinic's parking lot and say you're a volunteer! Thank you in advance.
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Heart of Texas Feral Friends: CAREGIVER MIXERS!
Feral Cat Caregivers involved in our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program are eligible for a "By Invitation Only" Caregiver Mixer, usually held once or twice a month.
Caregivers Mixers include roundtable discussion of the month's topic(s), plus an opportunity to socialize and mingle with others who feed feral cats and support TNR. Plus, it's a LOT of fun!
Our NOVEMBER CAREGIVER MIXER had a great turn out!
Thanks to Rosati's Pizza in Hewitt!!!
Feral Cat Caregivers involved in our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program are eligible for a , usually held once or twice a month. Caregivers Mixers include roundtable discussion of the month's topic(s), plus an opportunity to socialize and mingle with others who feed feral cats and support TNR. Plus, it's a LOT of fun!Our first NOVEMBER CAREGIVER MIXER had a great turn out.
November Topic: Preparing Winter Shelter for Your Colony
We discussed building Winter Shelters and many caregivers welcomed the idea of a Winter Shelter workshop. If urgent shelter was needed, a cardboard box (protected from rain) with a hole cut on one side, and lined with hay or shreaded newspaper, would work until more permanent shelter could be found or made. You could even drape a large tarp over the cardboard box for added protection from the elements until more permanent shelter could be made/bought.
November Topic: Trapping Tricky Female Feral Cats
This was a little harder to find answers. One suggestion was to put a pad lock on the door of a trap to keep it from tripping, then feed the cats in the trap for a few days. Then one day, take off the pad lock and trap!
If you are a feral cat caregiver and would like to be included in these Mixers, please CONTACT US NOW. We will send you a TNR Assessment and how you can get your feral cats involved with TNR.
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PAST TOPICS - Caregiver Mixers
* How to keep dogs, raccoons, etc, out of your feral cat feeding station?
-Make sure that you are not overfeeding!
-Make sure you have a safe place to feed, like having a designated feeding station. Not only is it safer for the cats, it's better for the community to have a contained, clean feeding area. Unless you are feeding on your own property, please do not dump large amounts of food on the curb or in the street. It's dangerous for the cats, plus it attracts fireants, wildlife and is a public safety hazard.
-Keep fireants out of your feral cats' food bowl by using a "double bowl" method. Place the food bowl in an aluminum pie pan or other larger container that has been filled with water. The ants will not be able to get past the water barrier!
* Building a Feral Cat Feeding Station.
-There are some great instructions for building simple feeding stations.
-We recommend that if the feeding station is on private or business property, that you:
1. Get permission
2. Paint the feeding station green (or other color to camoflauge it)
3. Place it in a very hidden or inconspicuous location, away from human traffic.
4. Do not overfeed as this can attract more cats or wildlife/fireants.
5. Keep the feeding station clean!
6. We encourage our caregivers to bring a trashbag and while they're feeding, be a good neighbor and pick up any trash that has accumulated near the feeding station.
7. Keep plenty of fresh water near the feeding station, too. Out of sight from human traffic is best.
Future topics:
* Basic Cat Health Tips to keep your feral cat colony healthy.
* What to do with an injured feral cat?
* How do I know if I'm overfeeding?
* How do I know if she's a feral or stray?
* Solutions for rehoming the rare friendly feral or stray cats?
* Why Relocation doesn't work/Why Trap-And-Kill doesn't work.
* How much money would taxpayers save to switch to TNR instead of current policy?
GREAT WEBSITES FOR CAREGIVERS!
Indy Feral - Feral Cat Shelter Ideas
Neighborhood Cats Winter Shelter
Urban Cat League Winter Shelter
Feral Cat Caretakers' Coalition
Alley Cat Allies Colony Care Guide
Solano Feral Cat TNR Task Force - Colony Care Guidelines
**COLONY CAREGIVERS NEEDED**
Would you be able to feed feral cats one day a week at one of our established TNR Colonies? We need a few caregivers on various days at colonies. There may be a colony near where you live or work.
Not sure if you can commit? Ask for a "Caregiver Trail Time" to see if it will fit in your schedule.
Caregivers provide their own cat food for the colony, but we do get frequent donated cat food to help out with these costs.
We can help you plan the amount of food to feed so you are not overfeeding or underfeeding. You will also be assigned a Caregiver Mentor to help you with questions you may have about feeding feral cats.
Caregivers must attend our Volunteer Orientation & Training Workshop (approx. 45 min) and must be at least 18 years or older.
Just go to the CONTACT US webpage (link above) and let us know that you are interested in being a Colony Caregiver!
Are you already feeding feral cats but not involved with Trap-Neuter-Return? CONTACT US and we can send you a TNR Assessment Packet in the mail. We are here to help and have a very successful program to guide you through the steps!
