don't worry, if it's below freezing there won't be any cat to even feed

There are heating elements you can plug in and put into the water dish
for just this reason.
Search any feed supply store, pet store or the Drs. Smith and Foster
website and you should be able to find one.
-L.

As always, I can see that a person can not get any help on this
newsgroup, only sarcastic remarks from a bunch of people who think
their sh.t is better than everyone elses.

So, here is some actual help.
I am a farmer and have barn cats, so I know all about this.

You can buy heated pet bowls at pet stores and farm supply stores.
They are around $20.  It's a bowl with a cord on it.  Just plug it in
and fill with water.  The heating element is built into the bowl.
They draw about 40 watts so they wont run your electric bill way up.
I recommend the larger ones intended for dogs, rather than the smaller
cat ones, especially if there is more than one cat.  The bigger ones
dont get tipped...

You should provide shelter for the cats.  Use a dog house, wooden box,
even a cardboard box (but cardboard dont last long).  Better yet, if
you have a shed or garage, put a cat door on it.  Cats do not need to
live in a heated house.  They grow fur according to the weather if
they live outdoors.  You DO NOT want to toss an indoor cat outdoors in
winter because they did not grow a winter coat, but if they live
outdoors all the time, they do just fine as long as they have shelter
food and water.

It's nice to put old blankets or any clothing in their shelters.  Be
sure to point the entrance of the shelter to the south-east.  The
winds from the north and west are the ones that are the strongest and
coldest.  Farmers always point their livestock shelters to the
south-east too.

On the most severe days of winter, I like to put an old heating pad
under the blankets.  Plug it in, and turn it on low.  I used to cage
the cats and bring them in the house during the severe cold, but found
that they quickly adapt to the heat and then they find it difficult to
go back outdoors.  I can not permanemtly keep cats in the house, due
to allergies, which is why I caged them to keep them confined to one
part of the house.  But I now find it's better they just stay
outdoors.  One advantage for barn cats, they have livestock to keep
them warm, and often find them sitting on the backs of cattle and
horses.

Thanks for caring for the strays.

This message out to give all the goodie-goodie flamers something to
flame.....  My plonk button is ready !!!!

Try a heated water bowl- some are thermostatically controlled to go on only
when the temp drops below 40F.   http://tinyurl.com/8wltb

Just remember, heated water evaporates much more quickly in cold temps, so
be sure to get a large bowl- at least 1- 1.5 gallon.

Phil

Tom has a good point.  Where does the cat go at night?  If it doesn't get
below freezing for long periods then the water should thaw enough for them
to get a drink during the day.  We have chickens and put out a big water and
it melts some most days if the temp doesn't stay below freezing 24/7.    Not
sure where you are at.

Also as long as they have been outdoor cats they have figured out a place to
sleep that is protected.  I too would advise more than a cardboard box.  If
the wind normally blows from one direction I would definitely put it
somewhere away from the direct wind.

You can buy at pet supply stores heated water bowls.  I don't know what kind
of temperatures you are talking here so I'm not sure it if would stay
completely thawed.  You would still have to have someone top off the water
every day or so but at least it wouldn't freeze solid.

Celeste

There are electric heated water container for outdoor use that you can buy.  Tractor
Supply Corporation sells them in Michigan USA.  I have one plugged in under porch along
with a pile of dryed leaves, an old pillow and a comforter so the strays can pick what to
sleep on.  I also keep a container of dry food at all times plus a can of wet food daily
during the day when it is warm enough so it does not freeze.

Only problem is that during the coldest winter months the canned food freezes and the
birds find the dry food and pig out on so it is kind of hard to keep food out for the
cats!!

Check out this site.

http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm

Nothing there about water but some great ideas for strays.

Joanne

re: the "wet cat" problem... disposable diapers ?... you'd have to cut
the elastic off of course to flatten it out, but that on top of one of
those heat-reflective blankets might work...

I'd do it just for the looks I'd get when I brought a box of Pampers to
the cashier "for my cat".

pat

In alt.pets.cats Ajanta <ajanta@null.void> wrote:

For years my mother had a large dog kennel... no dog... but it provided
a welcome refuge for cats. When the latest member joined the household
he was found perching on top of the kennel, but during the summer he
would run into the kennel but turn around waiting his food,
almost as if he were on an army parade ground.

He has a slight infection which he keeps scratching at, but the vet
said it should stop soon especially after an injection that he
administered. We asked if his (the cat's not the vet's) claws
should be trimmed and he said there was no reason unless the cat
was damaging the furniture.

Axel

Garden centers sometimes sell a device called a "bird bath warmer" that
will keep water in the bird bath from freezing.  I use one of those - I
have an old bird bath bowl that I put directly on the ground in the
garden.  The warmer plugs into your house current and I think it draws
about as much power as a night light.

For shelters, I use a "box within a box."  The outer box is an
inexpensive plastic storage box that you can get at any discount store.
Inside is a cardboard box.  I put styrofoam panels between the boxes
for an insulating layer, and put straw or hay in the inner box.  Of
course you need to cut holes for kitty to get in and out!  Put them on
the long side, at an end, so kitty can scrunch down in the protected
part.  I put my kitty shelters under my deck, oriented so the wind
can't get in.  Hope this helps.