Building a Feral Cat Cattery

We used to have four old square sheds at the top of a hill on our farm in a kind of oblong formation. They were enclosed on three sides by walls and had a gate on the fourth side. The sheds were used to store various materials, and in the middle was a weed garden. This is where the feral cat commune lived for many years. Then the sheds started to break down in the elements – the doors fell off their hinges, the roofs started to flap in the wind and the floorboards to crack. We decided to pull two of the sheds down last year for safety reasons and will be doing the same to the other two next month. But that would have left the cats without shelter so what to do?

The back wall also had sort of an undercover parking area attached to it where we used to park our tractor. It was basically two corrugated iron sheets attached to some thick wooden posts with more sheeting on top for a roof. You could drive the tractor in and then straight out again. What we did is convert this little section into a cattery for the feral cats. We added a third wall of sheeting (it sort of looks like an old garage now), making sure that there was a gap near the ground which the cats could use a an escape route (see pic 2). We also put a gate at the other end so the cats could have easy access but any medium or large dogs or other roaming animals would find it difficult to get inside (see pic 1). It's important to note that if you're building a cattery you must have at least three exit routes for them to use if they're cornered and escape is necessary. This will make them feel safe and secure to adopt the cattery as their home.

We then scrounged for other bits and pieces around the farm that could be utilised on the interior. We found some thick plastic sheeting that we hung up like a curtain on the gate end of the cattery. In summer this can be moved aside to let in the fresh air, and in winter or in the rain, it can be pulled completely over the entry to keep it dry on the inside. We also found these wooden plank constructions, which we stacked on top of each other along one wall (I'm not a builder so I have no idea what these things are used for in the world of construction). We lined the top of them with various cat beds and old towels and blankets. There are also two levels in which the cats can hide away in these wooden pallets – on the ground or in the middle. Unless you're deliberately searching for them or have a good nose then you wouldn't even know they could be hiding in there.

We also positioned two 44-gallon drums on the interior to add some height elements – cats like being high and surveying the landscape. However, this also serves as another safety feature in case any other larger animals get inside. I also have a third 44-gallon drum on the outside so the cats can make a quick get away by climbing on the roof. 

I lined the ground with straw, which stays dry and warm. I rarely have to change it or add to it. The cats use the outside as their toilet and so the straw is remarkably clean. I then added a big plank of wood as a feeding station and put in a large container of fresh water plus several dishes for their food. I leave them breakfast in here but feed them wet food  on the outside unless it's raining, as I want to avoid attracting cockroaches, ants or other insects. I wash the dishes and replace the water every few days.

We didn't spend any money in setting this up – we just used our imagination and resources we had laying around on the farm. You can also build a cattery on a budget if you improvise like we did. 

To summarise, the key elements to have when constructing a cattery similar to this one are:

(1) shelter from the elements (warm and dry)

(2) at least three exit routes

(3) height elements on the inside and outside

(4) sleeping stations (old towels, blankets, cat beds etc), and

(5) feeding station (two water containers and several food dishes).

How to Feed Feral Cats on a Budget 2

Speaking of Aldi, check out their line of Sylvester cat food which is considerably cheaper than many other well known name brands you buy at the supermarket. The flavour I favour (a nice piece of alliteration there folks!) is the Sylvester Complete (400gm) Lamb and Kidney Meat Loaf which is very chunky and goes a long way. There's also Chicken and Turkey, and Beef and Chicken. In the seafood variety there is Seafood Platter, as well as Sardine with Smoked Salmon Jelly. The cats absolutely love the chunks of fish in the latter two. However, the cans don't go a long way in winter. The cats tend to eat more and get hungrier quicker, probably because I would estimate that half of the contents in the can are jelly. The meat loaf varieties appear to be much more filling and they mix well in the rice recipe I provided in my previous How to Feed Feral Cats on a Budget 1 blog post. I buy the Sylvester cans for around AU$0.79c in my local store. You can also buy them on the Aldi website. Most other well known brands can range from $0.80+ for 80gm of a 'gourmet' style food or around $1.22 to $1.36 for 400 or 410gm cat food. I know that Coles has a generic brand which sells for around 0.75c per 400gm, and Woolworth has one that is 0.74c per 400gm which is better value than the Aldi one, but I still have to test these. Reports coming soon.

Cheap Cat Tunnels

Don't know whether Aldi has sold out, but I picked up one of these nifty cat tunnels, which I thought was good value for $10.00, from one of their local stores. My cats have found it quite fascinating, as it appeals to their intelligence, sense of curiousity and play. My tunnel – or should I say my various cats' tunnel – is black and white rather than blue and yellow like the pic. If you want to buy it just go to the Aldi website.

I just had a moment of great amusement about the tunnel. It's located in the room next to my office. My door was open and one of the feral farm cats called Boots (I need to get a photo of him to show you) who is black with white paws hence the name, just sauntered inside just to have a look at what he could find in here. I sat quietly for about ten minutes and let him be, and then peeked around the corner to see what he was doing. He was exploring the cat tunnel. Evan feral cats like to let their guard down and play every now and then!

How to Feed Feral Cats on a Budget 1

I am feeding 20 cats at the moment. I give them breakfast and dinner. For breakfast each cats gets half a handful of dried cat food or pellets, which seems lousy but I have found if they eat much more they can become prone to vomiting. I buy 10kg bags of dried cat food from Big W. I have compared prices to farm supply shops and found that on the whole Big W prices are considerably cheaper. Keep checking the shelves at local department stores in your area, because they often have specials and the prices can drop by around $5.00 per bag. You should be paying the equivalent of about AU$20-$25 per bag. The bag should last around four weeks if you are feeding the same number of cats I am.

I occasionally give the cats watered down milk for breakfast too – mostly in winter when they are hungrier. Kitty milk can be very expensive, so I use normal milk that has been mixed in the following ratio: 500ml (milk) to 300ml (boiling water) to warm it up. Be aware that some cats can be lactose intolerant. This will usually manifest in gassiness, cramps or diarrhoea. Don't give cow's milk to kittens for this reason. There is an excellent article on Human Foods for Cats? A Guide to Safe vs Toxic "Table Scraps" for Cats, which has a more substantial section on milk. Di-Vetelact, a low lactose animal supplement, is more suitable for kittens, but it will cost approx AU$22.00 for a 375gm tin. Check the feeding instructions on the tin as the dosage/dilution varies according to age, weight and species of animal. The manufacturers recommend four feeds per day for kittens.

I also learned a trick from my cousins who live in Fiji where the stray animal problem is quite rife. My auntie and cousins live on an island called Ovalau, and they often feed feral cats and and homeless dogs. Cheap supplies are hard to come by in some of these towns and villages, so my auntie buys large bags of broken rice considered to be second grade and therefore not sold for human consumption purely because you don't get the full grain. My auntie then cooks the desired quantity in a large pot of rice and mixes it with left overs.

The most economical place to buy rice is in Asian stores in your area. I just bought a 25kg (55pd) bag of Jasmine rice from an Asian butcher for AU$43.00, which works out at $1.73 per kg. Compare that to the cheapest retail price I came across at my local Woolworths – $19.98 for 10kg, which comes to $2.00 per kg. These large bags of rice will last you about two to three months.

I played with that idea and came up with a variation on my auntie's recipe. Here's my interpretation. It should feed around 20 cats, allowing for about 1/2 to 3/4 cup per cat, depending on their size.  

Ingredients

3 cups of uncooked rice

6 cups of boiling water

4 tins of cat food

cooked vegetable scraps such as beans, peas or potatoes (optional)

Place uncooked rice in a large round bowl with low sides. Add boiling water and cook in microwave for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix cat food into rice and combine until all rice is coated with gravy or meat from the tin. 

You can also add chopped up left over (and deboned) chicken, fish or red meat to this recipe.