Stranger & Company, minus 1

Feeding time: Stranger (black cat), Jehzar (orange), and Torrini (black and white). These are three of our five feral cats behind the hospital. All neutered, ear-tipped, vaccinated. Fed every day at noon. They will run up to greet us, but no touching is allowed. = )

Busy in the bowls. I was noticing today that Jehzar's coat looks quite beautiful. Very silky and clean. He does a good job grooming himself. = )

Jehzar and his mutilated ear. Someone got a little chop happy...

This is Snuggle. I haven't seen his brother Pickle in a couple days. Pickle wanders more than the other four. Pickle and Snuggle were neutered a while ago as well. I hope Pickle is okay! I always worry that he will get into trouble when he leaves.

Two of their houses. The little one is a Feral Villa. I believe the cats use it when it is super cold, as the house is insulated. Otherwise, they tend to use the larger shelters. The big white one was made by a Boy Scout. They seem to like it. I looked in the houses today and all have been "nested." We have three more that he made in the back yard that should be taken to colonies that need them. Such as the bar/photo studio colony. The cats at Wendy's have a large dog house surrounded by straw. I'll try to get some pictures of that, tonight.

And here are the two igloos. Covered by a tarp and stuffed with straw (which wants to escape, obviously). Rocks on the sides keep the tarps down. All the houses have loads of straw in them as well.

And a picture of all the houses. I will admit, four houses for five cats is a bit much. But I really don't know which ones they prefer. I should have spaced them out, maybe? But, though they may not be perfect, they help the cats get through the winters. And come on, it's NY. It's cold here in the winter. = )

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If you need houses, look on your local Craigslist (or something similar) for igloos or doghouses you can modify. I bought the little igloo for $20 and the big igloo for $25. The Feral Villa was $80 - it's a great house, but small. When you have a lot of cats to house, it may not be the best option. However, for one or two small cats, it's wonderful. The big white bird-looking houses were made by a local Boy Scout, and the cats seem to like them. I think that's another great way to get houses - have them donated or made by a young man/woman who enjoys building. Who needs to do some charity work. = ) Or just likes being nice.

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Straw is pretty cheap, and the cats like it. So far, I have not seen the straw in the houses get damp, moldy, or smelly. I changed it a couple months ago - besides being dusty and getting bitten by some hungry mosquitoes, there were no issues. Straw is good as an insulator and *very* good for making nests to keep warm. You can't really do that with blankets.

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So there's our colony of kitties. Hope you're all having a pleasant day! It's been beautiful here so far!