Julia K Cole

The Polar Vortex is making it's way across the nation.   During this time, the neighborhood cats seek a warm place.  Meaning under the hood of parked vehicles. So Please remember to TAP the hood of your vehicle before getting in.   DO NOT BLOW YOUR HORNS! Cats have very sensitive ears.   So PLEASE do not blow your horns.   Just TAP real hard on the hood of your car once or twice.  That will be enough to wake the kitty up and send him/her on their furry way.   *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Please pass this information on to everyone you know!  

Extreme Cold Weather Regions... PLEASE REMEMBER  TO TAP THE HOOD OF YOUR VEHICLES BEFORE GETTING IN! Cats often take shelter under the hoods of cars where it's warm.  So PLEASE...Remember to Tap the hood of your vehicle before getting in.  Or at the very least make enough noise where it will scare the cat out.  DO NOT BLOW YOUR HORNS! Blowing your horns can cause damage to the cat's hearing and/or cause it to harm itself while trying to hurry out.   Remember To  Leave Food and Water.  And to check on the water supply.  In these freezing temps the water will freeze up rather quickly.  So check often throughout the day. Use Straw to line shelters or to put where strays and ferals take shelter like under your house or porch.   Learn more about what you can to do by visiting The Humane Society's website.   Just click HERE

While winter weather poses many threats to animals, perhaps one of the most serious dangers occurs when cats and other small animals seek warmth from the engines of parked cars. One such unlucky cat was Flapjack, a tiny kitten found on the side of the road in New York City last December. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan spotted Flapjack and brought him to the ASPCA Animal Hospital. It was clear that Flapjack had been caught in a car’s engine. He was suffering from multiple serious injuries, including a fractured lower jaw, a severe tongue laceration and other wounds. ASPCA Veterinarian Dr. Maren Krafchik says the hospital staff performed the first of three surgeries on Flapjack that same day, including using wire to repair his jaw and inserting a feeding tube to help him eat. This brave little kitten is now happy and healthy with his foster parent, an ASPCA veterinary technician. He had his feeding tube removed and can now eat normally, and the swelling he experienced as a resu...

Some of the coldest weather in years will move over much of the eastern half of the nation into the first part of the week. Please take these steps to protect your community cats. * Cold weather can increase a cat's energy and nutritional needs. Don't forget extra water to prevent dehydration. Check it often and place in an area protected from the wind to minimize freezing. * Wet food in insulated containers is ideal for cold-weather feeding-because it takes less energy to digest, that's more energy for keeping warm. Cats need more food for energy in the winter. * Use two storage bins (like Rubbermaid). Line the bins with Styrofoam and cut out a doorway to create an instant shelter. Visit http://alleycatadvocates.org/resources/creating-winter-shelters/ for other ideas. * In a Pinch, a cardboard shelter is better than no shelter. To keep it from getting wet, elevate off the ground, line with newspapers and cover the lid with plastic (a garbage bag will...

Design Basics There are many ways to build adequate shelter will all good designs sharing two qualities: strong insulation and minimal air space. The insulation is needed to trap the cats’ body heat, effectively turning the cats into little radiators. Empty air space needs to be eliminated in order to keep the amount of space that needs to be heated to a minimum. A well insulated large dog house will not work because there will be too much air space for the cats to warm. Likewise, a tight fitting space with thin, uninsulated walls won’t work either because the cat’s body heat will pass right through. Smaller Shelters Provide Warmth – Build More, Smaller Shelters With these design factors in mind, it is better to build two smaller shelters which will each hold three or four cats than one large shelter to house six to eight felines. With smaller shelters, even if only one or two cats go in, enough heat will be generated. But with the larger shelter, if only a small number of the c...