Garden Shelter For A Cat

[dunnitall]

Difficult one this. Cat near us isn't really wanted we feel, though I think they feed him and sometimes leave a window open for him to jump into. He's 3 - 4 yrs old, they are out every day but they hardly ever let him in when they are there so he is out in all weathers and over night. Last winter we had some snow and the owners left the child's playhouse out for cat to go into (house windows closed) but that's long gone now.

We have felt sorry for the poor cat and now feed him once a day and obviously he's there waiting for it and for us to stroke him. With the bad weather eventually coming in I would like to try to provide a shelter where the cat can go but what and how would I do it? We have a very small garden and I know cats are notoriously picky with what they do and where they go so I'm unsure how we can do this for him to want to use.

We have spoken to the owners to say if they don't want the cat PLEASE find a new home for it - we cannot have it here unfortunately but the owner just listens and leaves things as they are. They don't know we feed it as we don't want them to abandon it altogether. I just want to know it's fed and watered and has somewhere dry and warm to go, any ideas would be most welcome. Thank you.

[ludwig]

You can get various types of outdoor shelter which you could stick in your back yard. They're not that cheap but they're available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v9wZfUFvlk

[Jennykenny]

See if you can get a large carrying box for a cat - maybe free from Freecycle or Gumtree?, or reasonably priced at one of the cat charities.
Take the front grill off and line it with old pillows, cushions, even cardboard would do at a push. Have the door face away from the direction of the wind or rain and as sheltered as possible.
If you really feel charitable, put a hot water bottle (or old whiskey / gin bottles filled with hot water), wrapped in an old jersey inside. A handful of dried food with help the cat locate it. Good luck.

[ludwig]

Put it next to one of your outside walls so it gets heat from the house overnight.

[boxtops]

a small kennel, facing away from the wind, would do. If it's used to being uut, it won't mind being out, but protection from the cold and rain is helpful.

[viv38]

I had this problem once with a very elderly cat who the owners never let in and obviously no longer wanted. I bought a leather enclosed cat bed, fur lined from Pets at Home (not cheap) and covered it in black plastic to make it weatherproof and placed it on top of the rabbit hutch. The cat slept in there during the day and at night I let him in. I only had him for a short time as he was very old and incontinent, poor little thing, but I tried my very best to make his last few months as warm and comfortable as possible. I keep an eye on the people who neglected him and thankfully they never got another cat.

[paddyk]

I fed a feral cat outside my house for several years. I made a shelter that was like a rabbit hutch - around 60 cm wide,a gap about 12-15 cm in the front for her to get through, put bedding in it and she used to sleep in it. She wouldn't come in the house but would let me feed her everyday !
If you're not handy at joinery I'm sure you could pick up a secondhand hutch fairly cheap and adapt it a bit. Even new ones are not too dear if you shop around. I think they're less than those plastic cat shelters or as Jenny says a cat carrier would work if you put something around it to keep the rain out

[black_cat51]

you are being manipulated by a cat, who is obviously perfectly happy with the arrangement of getting feb by two households

[dunnitall]

Thanks so much for all your help, will definitely look into what you've given me to work on. The poor cat looks so depressed because he doesn't have much contact with humans and other cats don't like him, yet he's not aggressive just wants some love and comfort. I will do my best for him, I see the window is closed today so he can't get in good job the weather is okay.

@ black cat, not so much manipulated just asked for some kindness I guess, I don't know he's always fed by his owner anyway so I guess it's pot luck for the cat, that's why we buy the food and feed him once a day at least.

[viv38]

Good for you for looking out for the poor thing dunnitall - keep up the good work.

[mrs.chappie]

We had an unused coal bunker in our garden, we turned it into a shelter for a stray puss who regularly visited our garden.

OH lined it with a piece of leather to make it waterproof, it became puss's home for several years.