Twists of Fate

OK, not really a condo so much as a studio apartment.

I have this sweet abandoned kitty who has made me her human for now. I can’t bring her inside due to some severe cat allergies (I like being able to breathe, thanks), and I’ve been worried about the dropping temps.

Enter feral mew shelters, made from plastic totes and some simple materials.

The 35 gallon totes wouldn’t fit in my car, so I had to make due with just the 18 gallon ones for now. I did cut the 1″ insulation to the inside of the tote, but am now wondering if maybe doing it on the outside would be better for the short term. I did manage to find some “mini bales” of straw at a feed supply store in Woodinville, which was a relief.

So far, attempts to show Ms. Mittens her prospective new home haven’t gone well. She made like *starfish!kitty* when I tried to put her in the top just to show her what the idea was, and she hasn’t yet managed to find the Pounces I laid on top of the straw. But I hope she’ll smell the residual scent from me putting it together and will go in when the temps drop tonight.

She’s curled in the ivy under the porch right now, where she’s taken to watching the insect world go by during the day. I really hope she’ll take to her new home tonight or in the nights to come.

If you have some stray kitties and/or know of a feral colony nearby, please think about providing a shelter for them during the long cold winter. This was a really cheap way to make a snug and safe spot for her to curl up in. There are also some really awesome pre-made ones to be found by googling “feral cat shelter” and checking out the results.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled baseball championship games. GO RED SOX!