Gimme Shelter



Pumpkin and Magic Cuddling

 Rolling Stones tune and probably the second thing a homeless cat would say if it could talk, the first being 'gimme food'. 

Many people believe that as long as feral and homeless cats have access to adequate food and water, they can survive perfectly well in cold weather because they develop thick coats. However, in bad weather, shelter is actually more important than food, even for the most seasoned and resourceful kitties. Without shelter, feral and homeless cats face many dangers, including frostbitten ears and paws, respiratory infections, and hypothermia, particularly in rain and snow when their fur gets wet and doesn't insulate as well. These problems can quickly prove fatal.  I remember one horrific time two winters ago on Third Street where I found a completely frozen dead cat just under the porch where I had laid some straw.

A lot of disappointment this morning regarding my shelters.  To remind you, I have full permission to feed cats on their property from only three and a half of my 16 locations.  The other properties belong to the city, or are houses that are boarded up and belong to errant landlords or a bank.   At my third spot on Garson, where Big Red, Talkie, Lucille and the kitty with the recurring neck wound from Hayward hang, the owner of the gutted house must have been by yesterday because the paper plates and plastic water bowl were shoved into the little carrier I had on the porch and was moved to the corner, and the nice large heavy piece of wood that I used as a lean to over the carrier was gone.  At least he didn't throw out the carrier and plates, and who knows what I will find tomorrow, but c'mon, the piece of wood was a good one.  And what harm is it doing feeding these three or four hungry cats on this porch that hasn't been used in years.  Some people are just mean.

At the next location, the man there is renovating the house, but has not disturbed my nice wooden hut that on the porch.  I had left him a pass it on card, with a note thanking him one day, and he hasn't thrown out anything since.  I am not sure what day it will be when he says the house will be for rent, and I have to move my stuff out of there.

At my next two stops, I got to Webster/Ferndale, where the house was torn down last week, and which, by the way, Orangie has been missing since.  Such a sweet sweet kitty and I am sick over this.  Anyways, I had a large board moved over to the city owned lot, and when I pulled up this morning, the heavy board was on the ground, and the plastic styrofoam straw filled tote was gone.  I nearly wanted to cry.  Its bad enough they've had their first shelter removed due to the house being renovated on the corner, and then the house just down a ways torn down, where they used the porch for protection from the elements, and now I can't trust this lot where I've wanted to build up with more shelter.  Not to mention how bad I feel when someone goes out of their way to make these little shelters for me.  But what can I do?  I can't monitor these locations 24 hours a day.  As I trudged off to the next spot at 7th, I realized that I hadn't moved the large board from the garage where the woman Maria was renting the house at, and who was supposed to move today.  She told me I could have the nice large board that would be perfect for across the street, but is too heavy for me to move myself.   Of course this board would be the fifth or so replacement board because someone keeps stealing that from me.

At my next spot, where Bob had built a shelter for me and met me there to place in the open field, someone had moved the lean-to board that was covering the food just outside the little hut and place it over the opening.  At least someone was thinking of sheltering the food for the cats.  I couldn't figure out the reasoning of the person who placed the plates and water dish inside the hut, because its not large enough to hold more than two cats inside to begin with, and there are four cats I am feeding there daily, so I need to get more shelter built up there also.

Shelters are getting easier for me to set up, despite the vandalism of them, due to some great people in my life.  One being Jessica, the sweet girl I met this year from my blog, and her dad, who both delivered some plastic tote shelters they had made and a couple of styrofoam shelters to my house last evening.  Bless them, because without extra surplus like that, I wouldn't have anything to replace the missing ones with.  And Jessica's mom Sharyn and her grandmother both sent along some cat food, which I am so grateful for.  The cats will be the ones that are grateful, for sure.  They love their wet food especially.  And I don't mind giving it to them because they have no other pleasure in their sad lives.

So keep the shelters coming because eventually, the bad guys will stop taking them, and the cats will start using them.  Thats the only good thing about the bad weather for the cats is that the bad guys don't want to bother doing bad in it!

Butters