What to use for padding in a feral cat shelter and make it durable?

Thank you for your questions about Patio Cat. Certainly providing a warm bed and a place to get out of the wind/weather will help. Many people will use a styrofoam cooler with a hole cut out to hold in the heat. Provide fresh food and water. Make the food a high quality such as Royal Canin, Purina ProPlan or Iams. Certainly you can have this cat vaccinated, treated for parasites and even spay/neutered. Outdoor cats can produce many kittens, they can also act as a source of fleas and intestinal worms, cats who are not fixed can also be more prone to fighting and getting injured. Many cities offer programs to help spay, neuter and vaccinate homeless cats and I recommend to look into one of these. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Neither of those would be very effective against fleas. At a home and garden center you may be able to find sevin dust or granules. It's usually very inexpensive and can be sprinkled in areas that the cats frequent. I would concentrate mainly on areas that are cooler and shaded and less on areas that are in full sunlight most of the day; fleas can't tolerate the higher heat and will be attracted to the cooler areas. Sevin dust is a component in topical flea powders, so being around it would not be harmful to the cats. As alternatives, you could sprinkle borax in the areas or diatomaceous earth to help keep the flea population at bay. Thank you for helping stray kitties!

Hello! The safest way to take the cat to the pet shelter would be to trap it, if at all possible. Feral cat traps are the safest option because they automatically close after the cat enters. A pet carrier or box with some food that you can securely close after the cat enters will also work. Most people use canned cat food or tuna to lure the cat into the trap. A common oral sedative for cats is a drug called Gabapentin that can be mixed with food, but this is a prescribed substance and not one I believe you can purchase over the counter. I also caution that if the cat is very wild, it will still be able to bite and scratch you while sedated, so you will still need to contain the cat in some type of carrier. Cats can carry the Rabies virus, so I want you to to stay safe! The animal shelter may offer some types of traps or sedation drugs to assist you in bringing the cat in. Try calling them and seeing if they can offer you any supplies to help! I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, a good house for a cat outside is one you can make yourself. Buy a large plastic bin with a cover, and place straw inside, covering the bottom. Cut a square hold into it that is small enough so predators cannot get inside. A good website with instructions is here: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/magazines/2010/07-08/simple_shelter_design.html?credit=web_id212453451 . Add some rocks to the top so it does not blow away and there you have a cat home. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Substrate preference can be very difficult for cats! I would start by moving the pee pads into an empty litter box to get the kittens used to going in and out of it, and then gradually begin to add in a little litter over the pee pads, until they can be transitioned from it to the litter fully. You may also need to try a few litter types, such as paper or corn cob litter, that may be closer in substrate feel to the peed pads and may encourage them to use it. Daily scooping and making sure the other cats aren't bullying the kittens away from the box can also help reduce accidents. I would also keep any area rugs and the like away from the potty areas so they don't confuse the two. You can also use an enzymatic cleaner to help clean up any accidents and break down urine particles that may be encouraging them to keep using the spot.

There are many things to consider for keeping an outdoor dog comfortable. Any type of shelter will do as long as it provides enough room (for the dog to stand up and turn around), protects the dog from the weather (good roof and sound walls) and the door is situated such that the prevailing winds do not blow right in. Straw bedding is helpful during the cold weather to help the dog maintain some heat in the house. Fleas are better controlled with medications such as Frontline, Seresto collar, NexGard, and many others. If your dog is a short-haired dog, pay close attention during the cold months to make sure he is able to keep warm. There are also coats for dogs that can help! Thank you for using pet coach.

Cats are amazing resilient and generally will come home if they need additional shelter above and beyond what they can access when roaming. Providing an insulated outdoor shed/kennel/cat box can help should he return unknowingly