Coolers Turned Into Cat Shelters | All Good 

Yes! You are WONDERFUL PEOPLE! May God bless you!!

I guess the only thing keeping me from being exceptional is the fact that I'm broke. Damn..knowing that kinda depresses me even more...I still try to do what I can for strays. I'll feed the local colony and I got a stray that was clearly not feral and was abandoned to a no kill shelter..he was adopted within a week. I would have kept him if I wasn't broke like I said. God..I just need a miracle in my life because if I could, I would give it all back to those in need, both people and animals.

I now live in a State that has outlawed all use of Styrofoam. There is an "eco" version of it, but I do not know yet if it is sturdy. Inside a rubber bin with some hay maybe.......

You’re so kind! Thank you for taking care of the stray fur babies 🙏

@@mrffe

​@@mrffestraw, not hay

Mr. Lindsey, thank you for your kindness to the kitties in your neighborhood. You are a caring, compassionate person.

I need to do that but coyote proof them.

To : Troy Lindsey ---- Do you sell them ? I need a few that are Florida rain proof and coyote proof. Sharon in South Florida.

@@LCx829 How about building igloo entrances ?

You guys rocks. People like you make the difference. God bless you all.

I NEED HOMES FOR THIRTY. I PUT HEAT AND MADE CUBBY HOLES OUT OF OLD DRESSERS IN A STORAGE BUILDING.

Good luck with Grandkid! And I am sure you will be good value to the animals you get to care for.

I'd like to follow in your footsteps in me senior years. God bless you.!

G-D, LORD ACTUALLY BLESSINGS NOBODY. WE HAVE TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES, AND SORT THINGS OUT FOR OURSELVES! LORD IS AS POWERLESS AS A GNOME!😵😵AS POWERLESS AS THE TOOTH FAIRY! 🐑🐑🐑🐑MAN INVENTED MAN FAIRY TALES, TO MAKE MAN FEEL BETTER, AND SEEK A FAIRY TALES" NEVER ENDING "" HERE"" AFTER!! FACT IS WE ALL DIE LIKE ALL ANIMALS, AND GO TO THE SAME PLACE= NOWHERE!!

@@captainamericaamerica8090 What?? You say Gnomes are powerless!! Well, I will have to agree with you there, and rolling up my sleeves is what I do. As long as you are happy with your beliefs, I am happy for you. I hope you do help all creatures and humans as best you can, spread the kindness and your life will be a rich one. I am not one who believes atheists are sub-human, I am sure you are just fine. Be well.

Even leaving fresh water helps! In freezing temps with multiple checks and daily changes and in hot summers! All animals are appreciative! Thank you for all you do !

We need more people like you!!! God bless you for your kindness and willingness to help the kitties in your neighborhood!!! 💛💜💛💜😻

No, we don't need "more people like them." We need *us to be like them.*

How do you coerce them into using the shelters? I have several strays...and no matter how much work I put into making warm shelter.,,.they will not use them. 🤔😕

I FOUND A WAY TO TRAP HARD TO CATCH CATS. I SET OPEN TRAP IN AREA THEN USE A LASER POINTER.

@@Brenda0312F exactly - i just wrote that i have a cat who lives in my garden, made him a house - sat there once when we just made it. Never again. Sometimes sits on top

Why don't you Become like them and then people in your community will follow your example ???

@@ragemodels We had 3 cats in our community. We took 1 inside our home and For the remaining 2, We have provided ecoFlex shelter bought from Amazon. We already have 2 adopted cats from shelter. It's easy to join people rather than starting from scratch..

Better yet, please help them!

May I ask what you use to make the little awnings?

@@larysius you can make a natural 'awning' out of the rubbermaid box (or any plastic box you use for the outside) by cutting a 3-sided cut (with a straight-blade): down, across at the botton and back up but NOT across the top. I make mine roughly 5"x5" because two of our wee feral family are big furry Norwegian-forest cat types and tend to expand in the Winter. :) Pushing up on this 'flap' with your hand (I've mentioned above that you can actually heat the plastic very gently with a hair-dryer on low) helps you push it up from the outside until it forms a 'roof' to prevent the rain/snow from entering. But it will still allow 'some' water to get in unless you place the house under an overhang of some kind. Still, ours tend to get damp but the K&H heaters (which stay plugged in all Winter) do tend to dry out any moisture and keep the cats safe and dry. The money we've spent has more than been worth it since these houses have lasted for years, now. Chewy got in the houses again so we bought another since one of our earlier ones began to disintegrate (the hinged top wasn't waterproofed obviously) and was directly under water coming off our gutters, alas. This house was on top of one of our outdoor benches and slept at least two of the furries. It faces our all-glass storm door so they watch for us in the mornings (for their breakfast).

Fulani Child: I've just posted above - about the houses I make and I don't use straw at all, but also the foil coated (on one side) hard foam insulation as well! I line the lid but not the floor since I buy extreme outdoor cat heaters and plug them in - they're on all Winter. I do use small fleece cat crate beds (they come with a small bolster around) which the cats love. I've been yelled at by those who insist those beds 'get wet'. Mine don't - since the cats rarely stay out in the rain or snow and any moisture brought in dries off from the warmth of the heater (which stays just at body temperature for a cat). I agree about the foil: Since we shut off the heating pads in late Spring, on the occasional chilly day in late Summer or early Fall, the cats will still use the houses and I've seen them snuggle against the walls to retain body heat.

@@ElizabethGS Your cats live in luxury! I don't have a power source at my cat colonies so my cats make do with mylar and straw. We live in Florida so it gets them through the one or two freezes we have in winter.

​@@fulanichild3138 Oh, I had no idea you were in Florida. Of course you don't need severe Winter weather homes there, or the extreme weather heaters.. :) (Unless our weather patterns continue to change). Still, it's so nice for you to give them homes for those few chilly days. Our wee homes are set outside on my fairly new stone front patio (we had it built extra wide, and several outdoor outlets added when we had work done). It makes life so much simpler - for us and the cats. I didn't begin taking care of this little family, someone else did - but they moved away, so I inherited these kitties. They're really beautiful - two of them big, fluffy and looking like Norwegian Forest cats. They snuggle with each other and their much less fluffy brother to keep him warm --the cutest thing ever (he's the only one I could tell his gender) and they travel as a trio. Occasionally I see their Mom too and she reserves one of the houses I made for herself. No one else can get to use it or they face her wrath, lol but she's much more skittish, as is another brother. My 2 indoor cats and our dogs and I have much fun watching these guys but of course I always worry about them.

What is mylar ? Can you post a photo ?

@@MeMe-jn8me Mylar looks like tin foil. It conducts heat and is used in emergency blankets to help warm people who are suffering from hypothermia. You can buy Styrofoam insulation boards that are coated on one side with Mylar. Line the floor of your cat shelters with it to help them stay warm in winter. I buy mine in the insulation department at Lowe's. I get the 3/4 inch thick boards. If you live in a cold climate, you might want to get the thicker ones. The boards are around 8 feet by 4 feet but are easily cut to any shape and size using a utility knife or a kitchen knife with a serrated blade. If you have a small car like me, be sure to bring a knife with you as you will have to cut the boards in half to fit them in your car.

How did it work out? Did the kitties use the shelters you made?? 💜💛💜 God bless you both for your kindness and willingness to help those kitties!!😻

I just lost by own indoor 5year old beautiful boy to -what-? I still don't know. He was losing weight (wasn't fat to begin with) and our vet did an ultrasound then sent us to 'the' specialized ER Vet center out here (on Long Island, NY). They charged us $5,000+ up front for the tests and care they'd provide - which we agreed to, anything to save our baby. One specialist after another told us different 'stories'. Then suddenly we were instructed to pick him up with a feeding tube in his neck - while I floundered, trying to explain how difficult that would be with my wrist arthritis and my husband's inability to manage something small like this --could they show him (on his way there already) how to do it? the vet was cold as ice as he snapped at me that it would be 'fine'. Called me 20 mins. later to ask where my husband was. I explained where we lived and that he was on his way - had rushed out of the house. So he called my husband in his car - then called me back to say that my baby was braindead and only his heart was beating so I might as well allow them to euthanize them before my husband could get there. I've never cried so hard. I've never not been there for one of my furbabies. Have held every single one as they've left us. Of course, this happened on my birthday - a week before Christmas. We're still shaken. ALL that cost - and I think they were incompetent and basically killed him. I could have saved so many more animals with those incredibly high costs (they did an under-anesthesia scoping after telling me it would NOT be done, finding nothing - but inserting the feeding tube at the same time). I miss him desperately--wish I could bring in the outdoor cats who are very friendly with me but right now my newest (rescue) dog stil has a high prey drive so it would be too difficult to make work and they live outside my home and roam around our property. I feel as long as I can get them through the roughest weather with good food twice a day and watching for any signs of illness, we're doing our best.

@@ElizabethGS I’m so very sorry you’re going through this sudden devastation. So terrible when those we treasure are gone. I’ve been blessed with many furry beloveds over the years and it never gets easier when we have a loss. And it seems like salt in the wound when the “experts” have no answers. As my mom used to say “ consider yourself hugged “

@@deborahfox-rogan65 Oh, thank you so much for understanding, Deborah. It helps to know there are other people out there who 'get it', even though it must mean you've been through it too. :( I'd never wish that on anyone. Your empathy and sympathy mean a lot. Hugs back to you and thank you again.

You can you be a foster parent to a feral kitty or 2 . An earth angel.💓😇

How did you find a cooler large enough?

They're the best, aren't they?

Ya wtf is up with this? I used to love being around people and talking to strangers then boom Covid happened and I’d say 90% of people have turned into what you said

Amazing people!

Thank you for caring. 🙏🏾🙏🏾

You go Tyler!! Even if it's only like one a month, you will be showing other's how they can also help the poor animal's, who didn't have anything to do with them being abandoned.. Good luck Tyler.. Thank you! ❤️😸😘

I have put out all the Heat Trak matts - but I have them on Heat Trak thermostats - these thing turn on at 35 degrees far. and turn off at 50 degrees far. I have not seen anything like it on the market they cost $50 each. In this way I can reduce the electic I use - I have 29 solar panels and monitor my electrical usage each month.

Thamkyou❤️🐈

Look on graig list for free coolers. I've also check thrift stores yard sales.and Ive gotten a few on evening trash night. Good scrub and a good cleaning.

@@elainephleps4705 All of your ideas are excellent advice! Thank you for stating such...maybe this will give others the incentive to help rescue all those poor kitty-cats!

That sounds like a great set up. And you're even considerate enough to make sure no water gets in the kitty-cat shelter! Brilliant!!

Aly: I make mine from Rubbermaid storage boxes --they aren't AS thick as the coolers BUT there are online videos showing how to make those. I do mine a wee bit differently, though. I cut the hole on one side close to the end, going down, across and back up, about 5x5x5" then push the now 3-sided cut piece up over and over (you can also use a hairdryer to soften the plastic to get it to cooperate) :) to form an 'awning' right there. It also helps to push a piece of quarter-round molding trim (I use what I have lying around the garage) across under the new 'awning' and either glue it with a very strong glue or duct-tape it into place to ensure the awning stays open enough for a cat to get into the box. I line my main box with hard-foam insulation pieces which have foil on one side and ducttaped together all the way around the inside. The cats don't destroy them. IF you want, you can add a smaller plastic box inside with the foam between both, but have to be precise in lining up the entrance hole cuts. For me, doing it this way works and the cats use them. I make sure every joint is ducttaped including the lid which is also lined with a piece of the same foam. We buy hard plastic outdoor cat heating pads (by K&H) which come with covered wired cords to protect them from chewing or clawing, drilling a hole in the back of the box to plug them in. They stay at a comfortable 102 degrees (a cat's normal body temp and never overheat or catch on fire.) They also come with a small fleece cover which I don't use, but instead add a fleece cat crate bed, which we toss each Spring and replace (they're only about $7. - $10 each so we don't mind spending this each year). The heating pads are a bit pricey, but worth it. They run around $52. each - but the oldest one has lasted 7 years now. I have acquired 6 by now. They're plugged in all Winter (I'm in NY). We don't use straw since when we tried the cats pulled it out and the opossum who lives around tried to use the house. The feral cat family I take care of are very happy with their little homes. I've now bought a couple of solid wood cat condos (also sold by Chewy - where I bought the heating pads). But two cats in particular LOVE those I made instead, which does my heart good. Of course they're not as 'pretty' as the bought houses, but none of us care. Staying warm and out of the snow and cold is much too important. :)

@@ElizabethGS THANK YOU! I didn't see this response in forever! I have been doing just as you described! ( thank you for caring for your outdoor cats!) I have , on my rear porch, one large cooler converted and insulated and one small vinyl house ( an amazon purchase, sorta flimsy but for now it works). The vinyl house has the see through doors on both ends and allows for a quick departure from either side and allows me to see them from my outdoor camera who or if someone, aka cat naturally , is in there. And I bought new heating pads from K&H, they are pricey but man are they perfect. Along with the outdoor blink cams ( Under the porch which are fully protected) showed all my feral family cats warm and safe during the big snow storms last week here in upstate NY and allowed me to peak in on them throughout the night. SO THANKFUL I could see them and know they were safe and warm from those horrific temps, wind and snow!! I have heated water dishes with the same safe chew cords on my front and back porch.I have so far just one tote on my front porch made from a thick plastic tote purchased at Home Depot by the brand name of black and decker, as that seemed a thicker plastic, but Im not positive ( much to my husband's shock of tearing it apart and not using it for his tools LOL he laughed he loves the cats as well but it was funny) we continued and converted it into another outdoor home regardless of his shrieks. I inserted a foam cooler into that Black and Decker tote , one that was discarded by a friend who ordered those weekly food orders, ( Im unsure which) but it fit like a glove in the tote! LIKE A GLOVE I was so happy and surprised but it fit so well. It also left a nice size space between the styrofoam cooler and plastic tote for me to stuff straw in between the walls for more warmth and insulation!! Another K&H heater sits on the floor of that as well. I have begun to buy materials to make another home for our big outdoor front porch this week while the weather is tame, these temps make out door work much more pleasant! Thanks for your knowledge and help! Aly~. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Support your local TNR! ( Trap Neuter Release Groups! THEY WORK!)

@@alydugon7350 Thank you, Aly - I have the same problem- don't often see the posts until ages later. Keep going, I think we're two of a kind and we're doing our bet for our fur baby famlies.

Good point ❣️

correct

He did say they make entrances big enough for cats but not big enough for predators. Not sure if possums count as predators?

Might be. There has to be something you can use from the hardware store.