09/29/2026
A critical winter tip for anyone caring for outdoor community cats: Straw is for stray cats, hay is for horses!
When setting up outdoor shelters, the choice of bedding makes a massive difference in whether a cat stays warm or ends up dangerously cold.
Here is why the difference matters:
⭐️ Straw (Use this!): Straw consists of hollow, dry stalks from harvested grain. Because the shafts are hollow, they trap warm body heat and naturally repel moisture instead of absorbing it. Cats can burrow directly into clean straw to create a dry, insulated nest all winter long.
⭐️ Hay (Avoid this!): Hay is dried grass and clover meant for animal feed. Unlike straw, hay draws in moisture from the air, wet paws, and snow. It packs down flat, gets damp, molds, and will freeze solid into a block of ice right beneath the cat.
A quick reminder on blankets and towels: **keep them out of outdoor shelters too.** Fabric pulls moisture out of the air, gets wet, freezes, and will pull body heat right away from a sleeping cat.
A simple rule of thumb: If it can soak up water, leave it out. Fill shelters loosely with clean, golden straw so your neighborhood cats have a warm, dry refuge when temperatures drop.