Not a whole lot today except that we are getting another storm system coming into Rochester. Not fun. I am trying to secure spots that snow can get into if it gets windy, or if we get a blizzard. The openings to some shelters have gaps in them. You have to leave a small opening for the cats to know how to get in for shelter, and sometimes the opening is just a tarp hanging. Boards are so important.
Speaking of boards, the jerk on Niagara has continuously taken the boards we are using to cover the food for these seven cats that reside there. Sorry Jen, the heavy one you dropped off, he took. This guy is such a piece of work. We have a cam on this spot, but we don't know have the gadget you need to place the small disc in to plug into the computer to view it. Or we don't know if the battery lasted long enough to record him taking the board. Or even if the angle was correct to be able to see him. If I could just hire someone for a day to sit there and watch. This morning, we put our last cardboard 'board' there, and I am praying he doesn't take it. We are getting snow now.
Needless to say, I need MORE boards. I could also use someone with the ability to spray paint some large white Styrofoam containers with brown spray paint (which I have) and cover the lids, and bottom of the containers, with plastic. (I have the boxes - but nowhere warm to spray the boxes) The poor kitty had been using the container on Second Street, and last week I checked the container just to see, and sure enough, it was soaking. I placed a plastic tote this morning in place of it (thank you Carol Peath for building it). Styrofoam must soak up water, unless it's off the ground, and covered with a tarp. I am fearful that the other foam shelters I have out there that are not covered or off the ground are soaked. The ones on Parsells #1 are under bushes and hard to get at. People live at this house so I must be very quiet, and sneaky.
There is so much involved in helping these cats every day. It's so sad and depressing. I thank you for your encouragement. Thank you also to the feral colony that is getting together and buying a card, putting a stamp on it, and mailing it out to me. You are quite the smarty cats!
Have a great day.
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
Hey J -
ReplyDeleteThe reason the Styrofoam shelters get wet inside is because they dont BREATHE.
What that means is when an animal goes inside and hangs out the water vapor from their breath cannot escape the shelter. It condenses inside. It gets slowly wetter. Just like fogging up car windows. It would be difficult to fix. What the shelter needs is a hole cut in the top with a piece of screen glued over the hole to keep bugs and mice out. The screen hole allows the water vapor to escape.
The hole should not be too big so as not to let the animals body heat get out. Maybe the size of a toilet paper tube.
If each shelter has a small, screened hole like that, they will stay DRY inside.
Joel (the scientist - HA)
:)
Wouldn't a hole in the top allow rain/melted snow inside the shelter?
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could drill, or poke, a half-inch hole, or two, in the bottom so water doesn't accumulate.
Yes that is true. My bad.
ReplyDeletePut the whole in the SIDE, near the top. The water vapor must be allowed to escape. About a one inch diameter hole with screen cover hot glued would do it.