Build a Feral Cat House

Building a feral cat house is a great way to keep community cats safe from the elements during the cold winter months ahead. To get started with your feral cat house, you'll need to gather a few materials first.

Materials needed:

• Large Styrofoam cooler (or sheets of 1-inch thick hard Styrofoam)
• Large cardboard box or plastic storage bin
• Box cutter or utility knife
• Black plastic sheeting
• Gorilla tape
• Straw

To build your feral cat shelter, follow these steps:

Place the Styrofoam cooler in a box that is about the same size and tape it closed or line the box with sheets of Styrofoam cut to fit.

Cut a round doorway about six inches in diameter in one of the long sides of the box, cutting through both the box and Styrofoam. Do not cut the hole in the center – the wind will blow straight in.

Be sure to cut the circle toward the side and high enough so the bottom of the doorway is several inches above the ground.

Cut a piece of the plastic sheeting to completely cover the box.

Wrap the box as tightly as possible and secure all loose ends with Gorilla tape.

Be sure to cover all openings with tape to make the house as waterproof as possible.

Cut the plastic sheeting that is covering the opening as if you're cutting a pie.

Use small pieces of tape to secure the plastic and make a nice smooth opening.

Stuff straw into the bottom of the box.

When placing the shelter, be sure the opening faces the opposite direction of where the wind will be coming from. Keep in mind that the shelter is lightweight and may need to be anchored.

Catnip can be sprinkled inside to attract cats.