08/31/2026
Pumpkin spice is at our fav coffee shop, but how are caretakers getting ready for fall kitty style?
Fall to do's for community cats:
1. TNR - Fall is the perfect time to ensure your colony is 100% fixed. This will prevent cold weather litters from suffering freezing to death. Your females are less likely to be pregnant right now so it will be easier on them to go to clinic.
2. Create outodoor shelters. Straw will start hitting the market soon for decorating, but it can be lifesaving material for colony cats. It can be as simple as a doghouse filled with straw or you can follow one of the many tutorial videos on Youtube for putting together safe, cozy shelters for your cats.
3. Inspect existing shelters. Look for cracks and holes on shelters that may need to be replaced. Old straw needs to be tossed and refreshed. You may consider putting your shelters up on pallets to keep them off the moist ground.
4. Get ready to switch to high calorie food for the colder months. Your colony can begin getting a mix of kitten chow to prep for the colder temps.
5. Take care of any cats with injuries or with body conditions that are alarming. Winter makes survival more difficult for animals with more calories being consumed just staying warm. They also can't find as much prey as they can in warm months, so they really rely on your food sources. Kitties with wounds or parasites need to be taken care of before the first freeze happens.
6. Identify your winter back up person for feeding. Winter brings a lot of illness for us humans. Phone a friend when you can't get to your colonies. Ensure this person knows where you feed, how many cats to expect and what food they're used to. We all need help from time to time!
7. Come up with a plan for keeping your water and wet food from freezing. If you've never fed through the winter or you didn't have a plan last winter, find a solution that works for you! You can nest bowls in extremely hot water or purchase heat sources to use like hot hand packets.
After the sweltering summer days, we're all looking forward to fun fall plans. Don't forget to use this time before winter to get your colonies ready for the weather ahead!
