Feral Cat Solutions

05/11/2024

Edit to say all of the shelters are gone there is still lots of straw. If you want to pick up a whole bale or a bag of straw message me I will give you the address.

All of your winter preps should be done by this time. We have two bales of straw that are in Contractor bags ready to go on my driveway. They are free. Come pick them up. I also have two bags of straw for people that don’t need as much that is free as well. We have four winter shelters left. They are a $10 donation. We are in Northeast Grand Rapids. Comment or message if you need any of these items.

05/11/2024

Awww aren’t they cute chasing the leaves…. This is probably the bitter end of any weather young kittens can survive in our climate in Michigan. If you still have kittens outside at your house, please be in touch. We would like to get all the kittens collected and brought indoors so they can be socialized and placed in an adoption program. Watching them play in the leaves is cute, but is not going to save their lives.we are available for free TNR services in Kent County Michigan. We loan traps to people in the community that want to fix outdoor cats so we can start avoiding litters of kittens. Be in touch by messenger if you have kitties that need to be fixed or if you have kittens that still need to be collected.

05/11/2024

Excellent advice on how to encourage kitties to use cold weather shelters. We have some shelters left for a ten dollar donation. Lots of free straw fresh from the farm. Get that shelter in place now before the snow shows up!

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 every year.
▪️Remove any door flaps on 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.
▪️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.
▪️It’s possible that your cats have another shelter where they feel safe. They may already have a shed, crawlspace or some other shelter they prefer.
▪️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.
(We thank FeralVilla.com for this great advice!)

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.

03/11/2024

Edit to say Foster found for all of these Kittens thank you so so much. We are really pushing for Kittens to be collected as the weather is changing very quickly at this time if you’re interested in fostering Kittens for us, please please be in touch.

Fosters desperately needed. I have a mom with one single kitten. I have a litter of three kittens that are very close to being ready to surrender. And then I have another litter of three kittens that are fearful that just need a little bit of intense handling they are old enough to surrender I would say they will be a commitment of one week. Reach out if you’re able to help with us we want to try to get as many of these kittens indoors before the snow starts to fly. The holdup will be finding fosters.

31/10/2024

Foster found thank you all very much

Foster needed for two semi feral lil babes. We provide the supplies you provide the love. These kittens need to be socialized for a week or two so they can be surrendered to an adoption program. Please help us save them from winter outdoors. Comment here or message message if you are able to assist.

30/10/2024

Edit to say twenty females were fixed today!!!

That’s a lot of spaghetti! I mean cats…. 30 kitties who are not going to make more kitties to suffer outdoors! Thanks to everyone that came and borrowed equipment and trapped cats at their house and at businesses all over Kent County. It takes a lot of effort from individuals in the community to make this kind of an impact. Thank all of you for everything you do.

29/10/2024

Here we go again! Thirty more kitties going to be spayed and neutered tomorrow!! That’s 64 in a little over a week! Reach out if you are in Kent county and have outdoor cats that need fixed. This load is done with many thanks to the best friend some outdoor kitties can have… bissell pet foundation and harbor humane. Backup support provided by Kent County Animal Shelter.

28/10/2024

Kind of a wonky video hard to make these by yourself. This is a little video on placement of the winter shelters that we are distributing. Reach out with any questions or place them here in the comments. We are happy to help anyone in Kent County Michigan with TNR.the shelters are $10 and they are available to pick up in Northeast Grand Rapids.

25/10/2024

We have shelters ready to go! Lots and lots of free straw. Shelters are just exactly what they cost us to make. 10$. You pick one up we make one for someone else! The weather has been glorious but it coming to an end. Get ready now for chilly nights. Message for pickup. It is self serve in NE GR. I can bag up straw or you can bring a bag and load up. We want to help you keep outdoor kitties warm and healthy over the cold Michigan winter. 🥶

22/10/2024

Foster found thank you all so much

Foster needed for one lil stinker from the westside. He will come around quickly. Our socialization fosters need to be kept separate from your pets in a small space so you can handle them in intensively for a week or two. We provide supplies you provide the love. When the kitten is ready, we will place him with an adoption program. We need help from people in the community to get these kittens ready for indoor homes.message or comment if you are able to take this little kitten.

20/10/2024

Update 34 total cats for surgery tomorrow!! That’s a lot of babies avoided!!

Holy wow intake day!! 32 cats! Phew!

20/10/2024

Foster found!!

Kitten foster needed for one tiny precious girl. Message if you are able to help by socializing this wee little kitty so she can get an indoor home. This is a commitment of several weeks.

16/10/2024

Fostering for us or any other organization helps save lives. It’s but a wee speck of your time and the reward is helping remove a deserving kitty from the outdoor environment. Reach out to a local rescue or shelter today and ask how you can help.

16/10/2024

Winter shelter time. We are slowly starting to churn out cold weather shelters. We could use more funds for supplies. Donations of ten dollars will fund a single cold weather shelter. Totes with lids 17 gallons or larger can be used. Menards and Lowes carry bagged sheets of styrofoam for ten dollars and we can make two shelters out of one bag. Message to drop off supplies or pickup a shelter for your colony cats. The donation is just 10$. You directly fund the next shelters we build until the demand is met. Let’s save lives by getting cold weather shelters out there asap!

10/10/2024

Kitten was placed with community cat crew!! We love collaborating! ♥️🐈‍⬛❤️

Foster needed for single precious spicy baby!! We provide the supplies you bring the love. This kitten needs handling by a member of the community so she can be assured of an indoor home. We can’t place all the kittens we are getting calls about without the assistance of kind hearted people willing to help socialize them for a week or two. Message or comment if you can help us with kittens!!

09/10/2024

Yep there are five lil kittens in here. Yep they need to be socialized. They are at a perfect age for this to go quickly. If anyone is able to handle these kittens and keep them in a small space for a week or two, we would be able to surrender them to an adoption program. We provide all the supplies that are needed. You provide the love. Message or comment if you are able to help with this. We are committed to removing all of the kittens that we possibly can from the outdoor environment before the cold weather really sets in. We need help from individuals in the community that are able to handle and hold them until they are ready for an adoption program.

07/10/2024

FOSTER FOUND

Foster needed. Eight wee feral kittens need to be handled and socialized so they can go into an adoption program. They appear to be 6-7 weeks old. Perfect age to quickly socialize them. We provide the supplies. You decide how many you want to take and we will be eternally thankful!! Socializing kittens that are trapped outdoors is very rewarding and it is very important if we are trying to bring them in to indoor homes. It goes quickly and we appreciate individuals in the community that are opening their heart and their home to these little tiny babies to get them into responsible, indoor homes. Message or comment if you can take some Kittens and handle them. The location is Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is a commitment of several weeks. The kittens need to have a small dedicated space they have not had any care so they should not mingle with your pets. A bathroom is perfect for socializing Kittens.