Safe Haven 4 Cats SC

11/12/2025

🐈‍⬛🥶 TIPS to get cats to use winter shelters 🥶🐈‍⬛

In most cases, cats will figure out how to use shelters on their own. Here are a few things you can do to attract them if it doesn't seem like your cats are using the shelter:

▪️Be patient. Some cats need a lot of time to get comfortable with a new shelter.

▪️Loosely fill the shelter ½ to ¾ full of straw, NOT HAY. Replace the straw as needed if it gets wet, as it will become moldy. STRAW ONLY! No blankets or fabric of any sort as they hold the moisture and can lead to hypothermia. 

▪️Remove any door flaps on the shelter until they get comfortable with the shelter. While doorway flaps help keep cold air out and warm air in, they should not be added until after your cats are used to going in and out of the shelter.

▪️Some cats prefer a shelter with two doors on it, so they have an exit door if a predator or another cat were to show up trying to enter the shelter. 

▪️Do not place food in or near the shelter. Cats instinctively avoid sleeping near food as it attracts other cats and wildlife (predators).

▪️Location is important. Place the shelter where your cats are already hanging out. More feral/less social cats typically want to shelter farther away from humans. The more secluded the shelter, the more likely cats are to use it.

▪️Place the shelter near natural cover, as opposed to out in the open where your cats may not feel safe. Cats prefer to move along walls, hedges or other natural barriers and boundaries. Place the shelter under or up against a building, fence, tree, porch, bush or some type of overhang.

▪️Place the shelter with the entrance facing away from the wind, rain and snow.

▪️Make sure the shelter is on a flat surface. A wobbly shelter could discourage cats from entering.

▪️Raise the shelter up off the ground if possible, on boards or even a pallet.

▪️Try adding some catnip inside the shelter to attract them to check it out.

▪️When all else fails, try a new location, but only after giving your cats plenty of time to explore and get used to the current location.

▪️ If the cats will absolutey NOT use the shelter, it is possible they may already have a shed, crawlspace or some other shelter they sleep in where they feel safe.

THANK YOU to the caregivers who have taken the time to build a feral cat shelter. Protection from the elements is critical, especially during the cold months, and your thoughtfulness will no doubt save many lives this winter. 💙

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11/11/2025

11/01/2025

Meet Ginger (formerly known as Cheddar)!🐾. This beautiful 5½-month-old orange tabby girl prefers the name Ginger, she’s far too classy for a “cheesy” name! Ginger is an affectionate, easygoing kitten with a heart full of love. She adores human companionship and is happiest when she’s close to someone she trusts. At the store, she gets lonely in her kennel and will loudly cry to be noticed, but the moment she’s out and in your arms, her personality shines. Ginger absolutely loves being carried like a baby and will gently insist on cuddles until you give in. While she has been fostered with both cats and dogs, she may hiss or growl at first until she feels safe, but once she does, she becomes a playful, loyal companion who enjoys chasing and wrestling with her feline friends. Because of her deeply affectionate nature and love for closeness, Ginger would make wonderful emotional support cat. She offers warmth, comfort, and the kind of unconditional love that soothes the soul. Ginger has already been spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, deflead, and tested NEGATIVE for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS, so she’s all ready to go home. Ginger would love for you to come and meet her at Petsmart in North Myrtle Beach Could you be the one to give Ginger the safe, loving home she’s been waiting for? “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” ~Corinthians 13:7

10/31/2025

10/31/2025

Thank you all for your support.

10/22/2025

Please do not declaw. It is cruel and inhumane.

Protect Cats from Declawing Declawing has been treated as a routine veterinary procedure for decades. But declawing is becoming recognized more and more as unnecessary and inhumane. It has already been banned in many countries across the globe, where the practice is considered horrific from a cultur...

10/21/2025

These three adorable siblings Remy, Ryder, and Rhonda are patiently waiting Petsense Conway for their forever homes! 🐾 About five months old, this loving trio is as sweet as they are beautiful. Remy is the playful orange boy, Ryder is the sleek and handsome black kitten, and Rhonda is the lovely tabby girl with a gentle heart. All three have been spayed or neutered, microchipped, tested negative for Feline Leukemia and FelineAids, and are up to date on age appropriate vaccines. They’re affectionate, fun, and full of purrs, ready to bring warmth and happiness to their new families. Stop by Petsense in Conway to meet them today and see if one (or more!) of these cuddle bugs steals your heart. 💕

10/18/2025

Rhonda the beautiful tabby and Ryder the handsome black boy are napping and dreaming of a forever home at Petsense in Conway. Stop by and meet them.

10/18/2025

Join us at Petsense Conway’s Adopt-A-Thon! Come meet your future furry friend, shop a little, or grab a bite to eat while you’re here!