Julia K Cole

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...

A stray ginger and white cat visits his unlikely friend, a cow, every day on a dairy farm in Isreal. Sometimes when he comes over, the cow welcomes him with a slobbering kiss. “We live on a kibbutz and have a cowshed with a designated area for the young calves. There are also three stray cats in the area,” said Yochi Aranov Zwilling. They come to the farm everyday for food. “One of them usually wanders off to see the calves once it has had its breakfast, looking for love and affection. I spotted this interaction between the cow and cat one morning on my daily walk and now make a point of looking for them each day,” he added. The kitty often walks into the farm as a dry kitty but walks away with dripping wet fur. Clearly they adore each other as they are often seen giving each other love and affection. Ever since the cat met the cow, he hasn’t missed a single day of visiting his best pal. “The cat has found his own way of getting the love and affection he is yearnin...