Moral Q regarding feral cat

[Cuchulainn]

Lookin good JP!

[J-P]

What kind of entrance are you going with? Small but totally open is easiest for the a cat to learn on its own, but in the deep cold, even a simple rubber flap makes a big temperature difference.

The base is a square box, there will be a smaller box entrance so he has to make a 90 degree turn to get into the "home". This way, it will shield from the wind and provide a spot to put the food dish. Bedding will be standard cedar wood chips. I thought of the rubber flap thing, but went with the 90 degree turn instead. Here, rubber gets rigid and if it looks "closed" he may not use it.

[Flutter]

I wouldn't use cedar or pine shavings. They release oils which are damaging to the lungs and kidneys I believe.

[J-P]

Lookin good JP!

Thank you!

I am starting to get worried about this guy so I hope I'll have the home framed up this weekend (supposed to be good weather).

[J-P]

Flutter according to the site cedar is best to keep out the insects.

I don't know about the oils though... It is good for hamsters

[J-P]

edit: oops cedar to be used in SMALL AMOUNTS ....

[Flutter]

It's actually not good for any small animals, neither of them. When I kept my rabbit in a more normal cage she was on aspen. Hehe, now her cage has carpet and linoleum.

[J-P]

haha... my guinea pig was the same way until he got into the garden

I'll have to hunt down some straw bedding which shouldn't be hard here. I still have to think about how to have the roof flip open / lock. That is going to be tricky without having a draft.

[Cuchulainn]

Hows the shelter coming along J-P? It's startin to get chilly out! ;(

[J-P]

ohhh sorry I forgot to update.

It is almost finished. he doesn't use it though Shiro would rather sit on the deck in plain view at the moment.

It is definitely the worst cat house ever constructed but certainly warm enough.

[xrayjeeper83]

I would tell you it looks good, but I'd be lyin to ya LOL

But does look very functionable

[J-P]

that thing weighs a ton! I can't lift it myself.. have to get a dolly to place it.

What is left to do:
Tuck tape the seams (some of the wood was bowed so there are gaps and my free hand cutting skills).
Add some vapor barrier and possibly some shingles / siding.
Make a 90 degree turn entrance to block the wind.

[lesleyanndunn]

stick cat food inside it
and he may start to use it!

[silvershadow]

Another +1 for not killing it when you don't know what will become of it.
It survived before you started feeding it, so chances are, it could still live a good life without you.

The cat house looks really nice. If you can get him to use it, it would make a big difference during the cold months.

Feral cat CAN be domesticated. It may not be the case with all of them, but it is not impossible.
My mothers cat is a good example. Not only did it have no one to care for it before they took it in, it had also been severely mistreated (bordering on torture). It took a long time for it to adjust, and years before it fully trusted them. Even now, only my mother and her husband can get near it.

At a restaurant where I once worked, a feral cat started lurking about out back. As soon as anyone even looked at it, it would take of. I spend months trying to get it to trust me. Came in early and stayed after closing time, and put out food for it. Often I would just sit outside, to let it get used to me being there.
As time passed, it started coming closer, and eventually it would let me pet it. After some 6-7 months, it was almost like a normal domestic cat (still rather shy).
I managed to find a good home for it, and last thing I heard, it was doing great.

Cats have very different personalities. just because a feral cat doesn't trust people, doesn't mean it never will. Some cats (even domesticated ones) take a long to warm up to new people. My own cat Artemis, doesn't like anyone (human or animal) other than me, and my girlfriend. She is rarely more than 3 feet away from me, when I'm home alone, but if I have even one other person over, she will just go to my bedroom and sleep. She is OK with my girlfriend being here, but she still only lets me pick her up, and she won't just sit or sleep next to anyone other than me.

Moving the cat may work, or it may not. Cats hate being moved and have a hard time adjusting to a new location.
I would try to gain it's trust, to whatever extend you can. Try just sitting somewhere not to close, when you feed him. If he doesn't come and eat, move a little further away. When he is comfortable with you being there, you can try moving a little closer (only move from day to day, never while he is eating).
Give him time to adjust to your presence.

There is no guarantee this will work, but there is nothing to loose.