A Cozy Home for a Stray Animal
Today I dedicated some time to help a stray animal stay warm this winter.
I love animals. Especially cats. And when it gets really cold, I can't help but feel sorry for the ones I see roaming about outside without a warm home. This is why I heat my old garage behind the house and leave a small opening in the wall. Numerous neighborhood cats come in from the cold to soak up the heat from the gigantic wood stove.
I used some scrap materials in my shop today to build a cat house. This unit is solid -- 1" thick particle board walls with 2" of foam board insulation throughout.
It is not the prettiest creation, but it will undoubtedly keep a small creature toasty on cold nights.
And to top it off, I added a welcoming message to any creatures approaching this structure who might be literate!
If you also love animals, please don't hesitate to help them out. A little love can drastically improve their quality of life!
This made my day. Kindness.
I'm happy for that. Just remember any time you hear a story of cruelty, there is someone, somewhere, doing a kind act.
You know what? I have never thought of that....it's a good habit to develop. There are really good people in the world doing kind things for others - animal or human. It's easy to let the world's awful things take centre place in my head. Seriously, I will remember "someone, somewhere, is doing a kind act.
People who are kind to animals are people with good hearts.
I believe that, too. My dad and mom are both gentle and kind to all animals. So it's no surprise their offspring are also.
Nice work in helping out the feral cats. They can't help their situation. We have spayed or neutered 27 cats in our neighborhood over the years. That's a nice style of house, too, even when there's wind. You are friend to the animals, that's for sure!
Thank you. It's just a simple design, but very effective. I took in a mother cat and her litter of kittens last year. I gave them bedding in my garage where she nursed them. Most of them turned feral, but I was able to get all but one elusive fella in for vaccinations and spay/neutering.
Good for you! The feral cats need all the help they can get. Getting them fixed really reduces the fights and disease, too. I wonder if they would like a little catnip in their house, lol.
I have a lot of catnip growing wild here...or at least I did before it got so cold.
And then they would like pillows and a little TV with a video showing fish swimming back and forth, lol! Cats like their comfort! If you can find even the dried stalk of the catnip, it should still be pretty good. Maybe you will have some pictures of the cats that use your shelter sometime. : )
As of right now the shelter is in my back garage not far from my huge wood stove. I have had several stray cats coming and going from the garage. I haven't witnessed any of them using it, yet. I suppose it is too new and they need to get used to it being there.
Bravo! And if you'd like to take a step further for the coldest days, a pillowcase with shredded paper inside makes an awesome nest to burrow into. (Had to improvise a couple years ago during a stretch of 30 below temps. Kitties did great - and so did you!! ;-p
Thank you! I need to add some bedding material to the floor yet. I hadn't thought about shredded paper.
I'm sure they'll appreciate it. It's a bonus that it works so well & is so easy to do. Good on you for thinking of the critters!
What a great idea!!! I'll have to remember that one....my cat gets cold and sleeps on the registers....maybe I'll make him a little, well in his case, a large nest with a pillowcase and shredded paper. He'd enjoy that.
I'd love to hear what he thinks of it. They're easy to re-fluff, so hopefully he can get it just right for a good snooze.
Oh, he'd figure it out....probably rebuild it after complaining for an hour about how tough life is. lol
Bwahaahahaahhhaaa!!! I know the exact tone you're describing...
Good thing I swallowed my sip of pop before I read this.
Saved my monitor!
hehe.....always keep a cloth handy just in case....
This is awesome, what a great way to help them out.
It's the least I could do, since I have the materials and construction skills. Thanks for replying!
That's a kind thing to do, being sensitive to the needs of other living creatures cancels maybe some insensitivity occurring someplace else. You inspire us, thanks.
That is how I feel. There is so much greed and cruelty in the world. I hope my acts of kindness can compensate for some.
That's a really nice thing you did!
Thank you!
What a lovely thing to do, I hate to see a animal suffer, I would love to take in strays but haven't got the room :(
Same here. We have enough cats in the house already. At least our community has a no-kill shelter where dogs and cats can stay safe and warm.
That's good. Wish we could give them all a happy home
I wish that, too. I would like to keep building these and distributing them around town.
You should ask around maybe some people would buy them
Truthfully, I would rather just donate them. If I was wealthy and didn't have to work, I would just build these and try to give them away free.
If I lived closer I would buy some :)
If I was going to sell these, I would add more visual appeal, like shingles, siding, etc.
I think what you have done is amazing :)
Thank you!
You're a good man @countryinspired :))
I appreciate you saying that. I don't feel like a good man, but I try to do my part to help those less fortunate when I am able.
And I appreciate people like you.., who take the time to look after the animals (cats) that become much more vulnerable to the elements this time of year. Im sure all those kitties keeping warm in your garage and their new toasty new cat house, think you're a good man, too. Wishing you all the best :))
Thank you very much!
You good. You cool :)) Loved your story again. See you again!
Thank you!