Volunteers help keep cats out of the cold

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - The record cold temperatures in December prompted some volunteers for the Central Dakota Humane Society to take action to help their four-legged friends.

Volunteers say stray cats in the Bismarck-Mandan area are especially vulnerable in the extreme cold. To help protect them, they are constructing portable cat houses. Volunteers say they are easy to assemble and inexpensive to make with a tote, Styrofoam container and straw. They are meant to help any stray cats find temporary shelter when the temperatures drop.

“There are some cats that are out that are feral cats, that are really hard to trap or to get into an indoor environment. Or if somebody has a farm where they don’t have any buildings where the cats can get in,” said Mandy Schaff, Volunteer Coordinator at Central Dakota Humane Society.

They advise not to put blankets or food inside the shelters for the cats, they can get wet and freeze. For instructions on how to build a shelter like this you can contact CDHS or search You-Tube for alternate instructions.