Cat Houses/Enclosures for Cheddar and Ivory

[grammywms]

Yes, Michelle, I am glad you told me about the window.  There wasn't room in the little house, though.  But I think it's ok.  Cheddar is right there at the doorway in his cozy bed, facing the house, out of the wind.

[animalangel1]

Well, even though the little house doesn't have a window - the fact that Cheddar is protected from the wind is a good thing. 

[grammywms]

Here is a pic of Cheddar lounging ontop of his little house in the sun today

[animalangel1]

Aww..... I guess it's a pretty good bet that he likes his new digs!!!! 

[grammywms]

I added another "room" to Cheddar's house with the doorway facing in a different direction in hopes of keeping cold wind out.  He now has a bi-level house. He can go in and there is a bed for him, and if he turns left and steps up, there is another one. So far, he has only slept in the newest part since the addition...not sure why,  because it's been pretty cold these past few days.  I'd have thought that he would want to climb up into the original space to be more protected and cozy.  Oh well, who knows the mind of a cat?

However, yesterday, Ivory decided to explore Cheddar's new abode, and decided she liked the cozy little "upstairs" space (out of sight)...so guess who slept in Cheddar's house last night??  We dont't know where Cheddar slept.  He wasn't in Ivory's house this morning when we got up this morning and neither cat came to greet us for their morning feeding!!  That was a first!!  Later, we saw Ivory come out of her cozy little space in Cheddar's house to eat.  We still haven't seen Cheddar!!!  This is so unusual.  He is always at the back door in the mornings for his food.   Wonder where he is, where he slept, and if he's ok??
    Tux has been looking for him, meowing, going from window to window and door to door.  He misses Cheddar too.

[grammywms]

Well, Cheddar came back and ate.  He hung out around the back door by Tux for awhile, meowed at me a couple of times when I spoke to him, then when I checked later, he was not in his house (upper level currently occupied by miss Ivory), nor was he in Ivory's big house (which had been his initially, until Ivory took it over).  Do you suppose he's not hanging out because he doesn't feel free to go into either house??  I hate to think of him out in the cold and the snow, when he has warm and dry shelter.

[animalangel1]

Wow..... I would be worried about Cheddar too not knowing where he is.....   You didn't see where he came from when he came to eat?  Maybe someone else had the same idea you did and built a shelter for him as well?  I don't know.......

I like the addition you put on his house.  I guess Ivory likes it too, huh?    If Ivory stays in Cheddars house and it gets cold enough - he will probably start going into her bigger house at some point.

We also have a new "accidental" cat shelter on our property.  My husband picked up his canoe from his brothers house and has it laying down just inside the tree line of our property (in the woods) and I threw a bunch of straw under it.  It's tipped at an angle where the wind will hit the bottom side of the canoe and the cats will not get the wind in their faces under there.  I need to put more straw under there though - I currently only have a bunch like "in the middle" of the somewhat overturned canoe - I need to put it the full length of the canoe.  My stepdaughter who works on a horse farm brought me 4 full bales to use free of charge!!!  I do know my black kitty has been going under there.... that one has been hanging around our house quite a bit.  I'm getting into the mindset of trapping him or her.

Last night "she" came to eat and I was watching her out the window and she just looked at me and went into the house to eat.  Normally she runs.  I am trying to "train her" to know that when I call her it's time to eat wet food so it doesn't freeze on her before she can get to it.  Hopefully, when I trap her, I'll be allowed to keep her.  I do not think she's a true feral.....I won't know for sure until I get her inside though.  Last night it was 10 degrees out and tonight it's no better.  It's too cold to snow and the ground is really really frozen on their poor little toes.

[grammywms]

Michelle--Cheddar came from under the settea (sp?), but had not been there for the hours preceeding.  He is back again.  I put on a coat, went out and pet him for awhile.  I tried putting him in the big house, since Ivory was in the little house.  But he just turned around and came back out.  I warmed up the down comforter, just in case he changes his mind.

He has been meowing at the door.  Tux is right there too.  Ivory just got up, came out and stretched; being white, I can't see where she is right now with snow on the ground.

Wish the two of them would make up their minds which house they want and stick to it.  I can't imagine them switching back and forth.

The canoe sounds like a great shelter!!  If the stack the hay high enough, the cold air will be blocked if they lay behind it.  Let me know how it goes.

[animalangel1]

Well, I actually have the bales of straw inside my pole barn so it won't get wet in the snow.  I've only taken out chunks of it to spread under the canoe.  I'll fill in under the rest of the canoe tomorrow.  I have to put windshield washer in my van while I'm out there too.  I think it's supposed to do snow flurries so that would mean it's going to warm up some.  Today was just brutal but if we had winds it would have been much worse.

In my pole barn, I also have a cardboard box laying on the ground half open with straw in that too because the black kitty likes to go in the pole barn alot.  It's not warm in there but at least there won't be any snow to battle in there. 

I still need to get a few more boxes from work to put under my porch and fill them with straw also.  I'm not sure if the kitty goes under there but it won't hurt to have a few extra boxes around for protection should she or Wild Al need it. 

I am *thinking* of trapping my black kitty in the next week or two.  No definate plans yet.... have to work this in slowly so hubby doesn't think it's a last minute decision.  After I trap him or her, I'll make an appointment for the neuter/spay.  That way I can keep the kitty for a few days beforehand and see if he or she is really feral or a drop off so I can figure out the next step of my plan.

The kitty looks bigger by the way.  I don't know if it's due to regular feedings at my house or excess fur in view of the season (winter coat wise) but she looks to have grown longer too.  I think she was more of a kitten when we first saw her back in May.  Now she appears to be about a year to two years old size.  Hard to tell with all that long fur......now, I have to think of a name.....

So, Vicki......what do you think would happen if you let Cheddar in the house?  I mean, if say Tux was in a bedroom with the door closed for instance.  Just to "visit" so to speak.  Do you think he'd come in????

[kb2zct]

Hi Vicki:

Following up on Michelle's questions....

How did Cheddar react when you took him to the vet for his (aborted) neutering?  That might give you some idea of how he would react in a house with people.

There are some websites that discuss "gentling" a feral or hard stray.  However, Mr Cheddar is an abandoned pet (from the neutering).  He might be very easy to convert into an indoor only cat.

Mark