East Side Gang

The whole gang in one photo

The weather is getting colder and now I begin to worry about the kitties living outside while I am cozy and warm inside.  I hate that they don't have a shelter with a heat source to sleep in.  They have sleeping shelters that are nestled in bales of straw plus the leaves I raked from our yard are piled on top but I really wish I could provide a heat source. 

Jag (black kitty) and Doodle just outside the pine bough
covered entrance to the sleeping shelter.

The shelters I made last year from Rubbermaid containers lined with insulating styrofoam survived beautifully so no repair work was required. I added a few more bales of straw and made a sort of foyer before the cats walk down a "hallway" to the individual containers.  This is so the wind and snow doesn't blow too far inside.  As well the pine boughs help stop the weather from getting inside while still making it possible for the kitties to get in and out easily. 

My post on October 10th shows a bit more of the interior to the shelters, plus the hallway. The Cat's Meow: Inspector Doodle


Jag on top of the sleeping shelters.

As the cats age, I worry about them more and more when it gets cold.  I hope the prediction I heard for a cold snowy winter this year is wrong.  If we have to have winter, I would love another one like we had last year with almost no snow and warmer than normal temperatures.

This year the cats should get a bit more sun shining on the shelters and feeding area during the late morning because the wooden structure that was blocking the sun is gone.  In the photo above there is a red bin where once there was a structure.

When I leave the cats after feeding each day I say, "be safe, be warm and be here".  And I tell them they are very loved little cats.