Where Do Feral Cats Sleep?

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Where Do Feral Cats Sleep?

by Scott Rundle
(Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA)

This is the indoor version

Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles:- Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

This is the indoor version

I have seen Feral Cats in my Grandma's neighborhood. In fact, the mother was almost blind and Rene fed her and she produced 3 litters. It was compassion for the one cat that lead to others being born, but we could not catch Mama cat using many different methods.

We could see her in bushes during the day, but if you got too close she would scram over the fence. Even though she could not see very well she knew her territory.

We never knew where she slept.

I manufacture furniture and am working on a low cost outdoor line of furniture and wanted to get your thoughts. If you type in kitty clubhouse at felinefurniture.com you would see kinda what I am talking about (see picture).

It would be a hammock and/or a condo and the material would easily dry. The beams would be made out of u.v. resistant plastic. The condos would be great for cats sleeping and the hammocks would be great for day time napping. If they got wet, they would dry pretty quickly as we would take all the foam out of the middle. The carpet on the beams is thin and black so it would dry quickly too. Just could not have it in a dark, wet spot and it would work.

Cost for the hammock set up would be about $15. and the condo would be about $20. Is that too much to spend on a feral cat?

You input will direct my efforts.

Thanks,

Scott

Hi Scott... thanks for visiting again. I guess that feral cats find somewhere that is as safe as possible and dry. If it is the real jungle (
for a wild cat) it might be a thicket or dense undergrowth as examples. If it is the urban jungle it would probably be some man made construction that replicates that.

I visited A1 Savannahs about a year ago and some of their breeding cats, who lived outside, were in manufactured "dens" that were domed in appearance with an entrance on one side, much like an igloo.

Dorothy, who feeds and cares for a feral cat, Yellow Cat, has bought a smallish version of one and it can be seen here: My feral cat comes home to feed.

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Where Do Feral Cats Sleep? to Feral cats

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Where Do Feral Cats Sleep?

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Mar 04, 2010 Feral Cats Sleeper
by: Gail (Boston, MA USA)

Hi Scott,

Seems to me that if you ship to areas that are primarily arid, like Arizona or parts of California that don't get much rain, the concept would hold; however, the majority of the USA has varied climate changes that need to be addressed. Even Florida has flash rainstorms, then dries out 20-30 minutes later with the hot sun beaming down. The structure would need to withstand conditions accordingly.

Some questions come to mind - I am focusing on the USA for the moment since that would be your primary marketplace:

1. Will it stand up to high wind/rain/sleet/snow/hail in climates like New England? (Forget about California mudslides...that's lose-lose no matter what, LOL)

2. Would it get moldy during the drying process when subjected to the above conditions?

3. Is it possible to make waterproof framing and include waterproof slip covers for the bedding part (optional?) for varied weather conditions?

4. Would parts be replaceable in the event of damage - for whatever reason (modular pieces)?

5. Would it withstand other conditions - bugs, mud (like red Georgia clay), teeth/claws (wild animals like oppossum, stray dogs, squirrels, birds), kids' toys (baseballs, frisbees, remote-controlled cars/trucks).

6. Can the structure be secured in any way (tied down, locked down to a dwelling discouraging theft)?

7. Would the structure be easily cleaned? Like anything else, eventually it'll need a hose to it, or wiped down at some point.

8. Would it be easily transportable in the event of moving it to another location, or dismantling it when moving to a new home?

I've given this quite a bit of thought, as I live in a suburb of Boston with all of the above conditions, in one form or another.

These are just a few of the things you may want to consider before going into production. It's cheaper to think these scenarios through now, rather than later.

Good luck!

Mar 03, 2010 Where do feral cats sleep
by: Anonymous

Gale,

Thanks for your input on the Feral Cat Houses. This would be comfy and warm, but it would not be the best in a complete downpour as it would get wet. It would dry quickly if the sun was out.

So the real question is does it make sense if it is not completely waterproof?

Scott

Mar 02, 2010 Feral Cats Sleeper
by: Gail (Boston, MA USA)

Scott, I don't think a combined price of $35 is too much to spend on a feral. I spend about that just for food alone between dry/can food. That's not counting my own domesticated indoor cat.

I've checked out Walmart's website and saw a small dog house that got me to thinking about the ferals - it just needs doors to ward off the wind/rain/snow here in New England. If you can come up with something in that price range that is easy to put together and holds up to shipping, it's not a bad idea.

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