Bideawee's Feral Cat Initiative

01/07/2026

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐱 Take your cat shelters to the next level by raising them off the ground!

Some folks are surprised by the idea that raising shelters makes them warmer. If all sides are exposed to the freezing air, doesn't that make a shelter colder than one on the ground? The answer is NO!

As Canadian architect Lloyd Alter explains in his blog, a house on stilts does have more surface area exposed to cold air, but that's actually an advantage. Alter writes, "…anyone who has gone on a camping trip and forgot their foam pad (as I did on a trip to Iceland) learns pretty quickly that the thermal mass of the cold ground sucks the heat out of you far faster than the air does. You need a lot of insulation under your floor, or it's going to be uncomfortably cold."

In other words, a house sitting on the heat-sucking ground needs a lot of extra insulation under the bottom floor in order to stay just as warm as a stilt house that's otherwise identical. Similarly, raising a cat shelter with bricks, lumber, a shipping pallet, or another platform makes it more heat-efficient, in addition to providing other benefits:

• It's easier to keep shelters warm when they're off the ground.
• It prevents rain from splashing up into the doorway.
• It reduces the chance of snow piling up in front of the doorway.
• And in summer, the shelter provides a shady resting spot underneath if raised high enough (8–12 inches).

So give your shelters a boost!

For more cat shelter info, check out our recorded webinar, "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats":
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSH

Or to get started quickly with our Super Simple Foam Box Shelter, watch our all-ages step-by-step video: https://bit.ly/KidsCatShelter

01/06/2026

It's ! 📝🐈 What's the best water source for colony cats in below-freezing weather? If your colony has electricity for a heated water bowl, great! No electricity? Don't despair! You can still help your kitties stay hydrated in deep winter.

• Refill the water bowl with warm water at feeding time. The cats should be on a feeding schedule so they'll show up while the water and food are still warm. For extra hydration, mix 1–2 tablespoons of hot water in each serving of warmed-up wet food.

• Use black rubber or plastic water bowls, placed in a sunny spot to absorb the sun's heat and melt the ice during the day. Black rubber bowls are best at holding in heat — just ask the farmers who use them! Plastic is the next best, and easier to find. Raise the bowls off the frozen ground to maximize heat retention.

• Put a portable heat source under a metal water bowl. A microwaveable heat disc or 8-hour hand warmers may delay freezing for a few hours. Metal bowls are best for this use because they conduct heat easily from the heat source to the water.

• Make the most of your portable heat source by placing it and the water bowl inside a small insulated foam box to slow heat loss. Cut a hole in one side, large enough for cats to comfortably lean in and take a drink. It's a good use for foam boxes that are too small to be made into cat shelters.

• Finally, Nature may help! Cats and other animals will eat fresh snow to quench their thirst.

01/02/2026

Want to learn how to decrease the number of kittens being born on the streets and improve the lives of feral and stray community cats in your area? Register now for the online Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) certification workshop from Neighborhood Cats and Community Cats Podcast Community Cats Podcast, coming up on Saturday, January 3, 2026! This online workshop will also be offered on February 7 and March 7. Learn more & register: https://bit.ly/LearnTNRNC

🐈‍⬛ From trap setup to post-return colony care, our TNR Certification Workshop on January 3rd will walk you through the full TNR process - clearly, practically, and with real-world insight. Register now and join us! - https://mailchi.mp/communitycatspodcast/news-from-the-community-cats-podcast-6679590

12/31/2025

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐱 Lining cat shelters with shiny silver Mylar bubble wrap is a fun New Year's Eve decorating idea — sort of an inside-out disco ball 🪩🕺! But is it good insulation for cat shelters? The answer is NO, but a partial Mylar lining in a shelter can help kitties stay warm, so don't give up on the Mylar disco ball idea!

We have to get a little nerdy to explain. "Insulation" is material that slows down heat loss through walls, floors, and roofs. Mylar bubble wrap provides hardly any insulation — about the same as plywood. But Mylar does something that most insulation doesn't do. It really "shines" as a "radiant barrier" — a shiny surface that reflects heat back toward its source when exposed to air. If you line the inside of your cat shelters with Mylar bubble wrap, it will reflect the cats' body heat back on them, complementing the insulation without making the walls much thicker.

Remember, a radiant barrier won't work unless it's exposed to air. So you only need to line the ceiling and upper walls of a cat shelter with it, since the straw bedding covers the floor and lower part of the walls. Also, while Mylar bubble wrap is cheap and plentiful, the shiny coating that may wear away after a few years inside a busy cat shelter. For a more durable radiant barrier, choose foil tape or foil stick-on sheets made for human homes. For an all-in-one solution, use foam insulation board coated with reflective foil on one side, with the shiny side facing inward from the walls and ceiling.

To learn how to build 4 different DIY cat shelter designs, view the on-demand recording of our "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSH
Construction Videos: https://bit.ly/BFCIYT

Or to get started quickly with our Super Simple Foam Box Shelter, watch our all-ages step-by-step video: https://bit.ly/KidsCatShelter

12/24/2025

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐱 No winter cat shelter lasts forever, but exposed foam insulation on interior walls will wear out fast if they become scratching posts. This holiday season, "deck the walls" of your shelters with protective plastic covering so they'll last for many more seasons!

Walls inside shelters are most often damaged when cats stretch their paws and make "wall biscuits" as they wake up. But don't forget to protect the floor and ceiling, too!

If your shelter is made of a foam box, foam board, or a plastic bin lined with foam board, we recommend lining the interior with self-stick vinyl floor tiles and vinyl wallpaper. The tiles are easy to cut to size with a box cutter or sturdy scissors.

Pro-tip: The adhesive on self-stick flooring and wallpaper isn't made to withstand temperature extremes or stretching cat paws. To guard against peeling wallpaper and shifting floor tiles, use plastic-safe all-weather adhesive to glue the pieces in place. This is the same adhesive that's used in building cat shelters to secure the roof, add an awning, etc.

To learn how to build 4 different DIY cat shelter designs, view the on-demand recording of our "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSH
Construction Videos: https://bit.ly/BFCIYT

Or to get started quickly with our Super Simple Foam Box Shelter, watch our all-ages step-by-step video: https://bit.ly/KidsCatShelter

12/17/2025

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐱 Here's a shelter idea for large cat colonies in urban areas that are exposed to the elements. Try the space-saving Kitty Shelter Mix 'n' Match Club Sandwich 🥪! Created for a waterfront colony in Brooklyn, this concept gives cats separate "apartments," but they can also hang out together — all under one roof.

To transform existing insulated, waterproof cat shelters into a high-rise apartment complex, first create a stable first floor by placing cinder blocks or large rocks under the corners of a plywood sheet. Place shelters on top, leaving landing space between them for cats to jump up from the ground.

Next, create a second floor by placing a slightly narrower plywood sheet on top of the first floor shelters. Arrange more shelters on this floor, and repeat these steps as necessary. Make sure all the floors are level and don't wobble, and that cats have a safe route to jump between floors. The sky's the limit! Top the structure off with a heavy plywood roof weighted with bricks or rocks.

Another option is to add plywood walls on three sides for extra protection from the wind and to help disguise the high-rise. This flexible design allows you to replace worn-out shelters with new ones, or downsize the high-rise by removing shelters as your colony's population shrinks.

To learn how to build 4 different DIY cat shelter designs, view the on-demand recording of our "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSH
Construction Videos: https://bit.ly/BFCIYT

Or to get started quickly with our Super Simple Foam Box Shelter, watch our all-ages step-by-step video: https://bit.ly/KidsCatShelter

12/10/2025

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐱 Cheap, easy to insulate, and durable, plastic storage bins make great winter cat shelters. But DON'T ⚠️🚫 be tempted to flip the bin upside down 🙃 — this solves one problem but creates a worse one!

The wide, flat lid may make a more stable floor than the actual bin bottom, but its lip acts like a rain gutter around the whole base of the shelter, inviting water to seep inside. These bins aren't designed to be waterproof when turned upside-down. Even if you seal the lid with caulk or duct tape, the tiniest hole in the seal will let water in. The sealant in this setup will also deteriorate relatively quickly due to excessive exposure to moisture, leading to leaks.

We recommend keeping the bin right-side-up and using the lid as the shelter's roof. A bin lid makes a great roof, with the lip hanging down to keep moisture out. Just make sure the insulation under the lid has enough clearance to let the lid snap securely in place. To stabilize your bin shelter, strategically placing weights like bricks or rocks on the top and around the sides to prevent it from wobbling. Problem solved, extra problem avoided!

To learn how to build 4 different DIY cat shelter designs, view the on-demand recording of our "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSH
Construction Videos: https://bit.ly/BFCIYT

Or to get started quickly with our Super Simple Foam Box Shelter, watch our all-ages step-by-step video: https://bit.ly/KidsCatShelter

12/05/2025

Did you miss our "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar on 12/3, but still want to learn how to protect feral and stray community cats from harsh winter weather? The recording is available on-demand here:

Video: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSH
Construction Videos: https://bit.ly/BFCIYT

12/03/2025

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐱 Join us TODAY, Wednesday, December 3, at 5:00 ET for our FREE "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar. Learn the materials, tools, and skills needed to build 4 kinds of warm, waterproof shelters to protect feral and stray community cats from harsh winter weather. Building cat shelters is a purr-fect project for adults, teens, and kids who want to help animals!

Can't attend live today? No problem! Everyone who registers will receive links to the webinar recording and handout tomorrow.

Register: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSR

12/03/2025

It's ! 🌬️❄️🏠🌡️🐱 Sub-freezing temps will come to NYC/Long Island soon, so now is a good time to double-check your winter cat shelters to minimize drafts blowing through the doorways. If your shelters have built-in windbreaks like the ones we discussed last week, great! But if your shelter has a simple doorway, you can still minimize drafts. If the wind always comes from one direction, face the doorway out of the wind. If the wind comes from all directions, place the shelter behind an exterior windbreak.

An exterior windbreak can be pretty much any large object that won't be moved during the winter. Usually it's a wall, shrub, or another cat shelter. Place your shelter with the doorway facing the windbreak, leaving a narrow corridor (6–12 inches wide) between the doorway and the windbreak.

If you have at least two shelters, they can act as windbreaks for each other. Position the shelters with their doorways facing each other and a narrow corridor in between. Make this setup even better by placing planks, plywood, or a shed roof panel to span the gap between the shelters to make a cozy covered breezeway that keeps snow and rain away from the doorways.

The breezeway idea also works for three or more shelters. Just be sure that the doorways are staggered to allow for easy traffic flow among the cats.

To learn how to build 4 different DIY cat shelter designs, register for our FREE "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar, coming up TODAY, Wednesday, December 3, at 5:00 p.m. ET: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSR

Or to get started quickly with our Super Simple Foam Box Shelter, watch our all-ages step-by-step video: https://bit.ly/KidsCatShelter

12/03/2025

Want to learn how to decrease the number of kittens being born on the streets and improve the lives of feral and stray community cats in your area? Register now for the online Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) certification workshop from Neighborhood Cats and Community Cats Podcast, coming up on Saturday, December 6, 2025! This online workshop will also be offered on January 3. Learn more & register: https://bit.ly/LearnTNRNC

Our December 6 TNR Certification Workshop is the last one of the year, and it’s a great way to build your confidence and learn the skills that really help community cats.

If you’ve been wanting to make a bigger impact for outdoor cats, this is your moment.

Join us live for the December 6th TNR Certification Workshop! - https://mailchi.mp/communitycatspodcast/news-from-the-community-cats-podcast-6679475

12/02/2025

This winter: Less BRRRRR, more PURRRRR! Join us TOMORROW, Wednesday, December 3, at 5:00 ET for our FREE "Building Shelters for Outdoor Cats" webinar. Learn the materials, tools, and skills needed to build 4 kinds of warm, waterproof shelters to protect feral and stray community cats from harsh winter weather.

Can't attend live tomorrow? No problem! Everyone who registers will receive links to the webinar recording and handout the next day.

Register: https://bit.ly/BFCIBSR