Yes Virginia, Cats Can (And Do) Live Outdoors Year Round

Early in the fall – as the days get shorter and the nights get colder – we start getting phone calls from people who want us to take the outdoor cat(s) they’ve been feeding over the spring and summer. Yes, they enjoy having the cats outdoors – watching them play and come over for the food they give them – but now they’re worried they won’t survive the cold. When my patience is at its shortest, I’m tempted to ask if they’re also concerned about the chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons and rabbits that live in their yard too. Many of these other animals are smaller and more fragile than cats and so I’ve never understood this double standard. Cats can’t survive the winter but the aforementioned critters can do just fine? Even history tells us that cats are survivors and adapt to all sorts of outdoor climates. Their first stop in America was New England – notorious for its frigid winters -- when they came over on the Mayflower with the Pilgrims. And, only since the 1950’s have cats lived indoors as house cats.

Then I catch myself realizing that the community is understandably concerned – as they’re blasted with annual PSAs put out by old guard humane societies and animal shelters – many of which live in denial that half the cat population is still outdoor-only -- yard cats, barn cats and alley cats. These PSA’s alert people their cats will freeze to death if they stay outdoors in winter. This is another cat maxim that contains some truth – but only as it relates to the pampered indoor house cat. Yes, if you stick your indoor-only cats outdoors in January they’ll get very cold – and, if they get wet and can’t dry off – they may get hypothermia and die. Why? Because their indoor-only life style prevents them from growing winter coats. But, for cats that call the great outdoors their year-round home – winter temperatures are no more a problem for them than they are for any other form of wildlife. As the days grow shorter—the outdoor cats grow thicker coats. This added layer of dense fur close to their skin insulates them from the cold. And -- since most cats live outdoors in groups of two or more – they can snuggle together on cold nights to share body warmth.

The only distinct difference between the survival abilities of an outdoor-only cat and other wildlife is that cats are not natural house builders. Yet in many cases the reason people find cats living in their yard is that they unwittingly are providing outdoor cats with houses – in the form of open garage doors, covered porches, barns, undersides of decks or mobile homes, sheds and the like. The places cats choose for home are typically ones with both a pre-existing dry shelter and a ready food source – cat food put out by compassionate caregivers and/or a natural supply of rodents such as field or dumpster mice.

So if you have cats in your yard and you want them to stay – give them access to dry shelter and a regular daily meal or two – served at the same time and place with you staying nearby while the cats eat. This will help the cats habituate to you so you can enjoy them more, and will help you identify all the cats living on your land – so you can spay or neuter them to limit their numbers. Or, if you don’t want cats in your yard – don’t give them access to dry shelter – close your garage door, block off the underside of your deck, etc. and don’t feed them. They’ll soon get the message you don’t want them there and will move on to greener pastures. For more information on caring for naturally-occurring outdoor cats, read our handbook on Feral Cat Care.