Carlton County Animal Rescue to host cat shelter build
Nov. 2—CLOQUET — As Minnesota enters November, residents are starting to prepare for the long, cold winter ahead. Jackets and snowpants are being moved to the front of closets (if they haven't been already), outdoor furniture is being put into storage and, perhaps, worries are starting to grow about the stray cat that hangs out in your backyard or the mouser that sneaks around your farm.
These cats may not be actual pets that spend time indoors, but giving them some small shelter can help them survive the winter.
To help residents help these cats, Carlton County Animal Rescue is hosting a cat shelter building event in partnership with Cloquet Community Education at the Cloquet High School cafeteria on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Demos on how to build a shelter will take place at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., but CCAR volunteer LoriJeanne Niehorster said individuals can show up at any time during the workshop to learn how and to get assistance with building a shelter.
Attendees can bring their own supplies, donate supplies for others, or use CCAR's supplies. The event is free with a suggested donation for attendees who will be taking a cat shelter home made of CCAR's supplies.
CCAR volunteer Leanne Schmidt said the nonprofit wants to keep all of their events free or low cost so as to not hinder community participation.
"This is our first event with the cat shelters. We're not sure what to expect, but with the cat population blowing up in Carlton County, it's so important to have shelter for them," Schmidt said.
Niehorster said Cloquet has a large population of "feral or outside cats." These cats are not pets, but are able to survive either by scavenging and hunting for food or because they are being fed by someone. Regardless, the cats live outdoors, which can be life-threatening during the winter.
Schmidt also mentioned that in the spring, CCAR will be doing trap, neuter and release with these feral/outdoor cats to further control the population.
Niehorster brought the idea of a cat shelter build to CCAR after attending one in the Twin Cities; there, she "learned how to do this first hand."
The shelters aren't just an old cooler with some duct tape.
"There's some (supplies) that we're sort of specific on as far as, hey, this will work, that probably won't because it's probably been tried and figured that things get wet and what not," Niehorster said.
The shelters are made by drilling a 6-inch hole in the side of an open-top cooler — Niehorster mentioned that a larger-sized Coleman cooler works best — and then lining the edges of the hole with flex seal or something similar.
An overhang is added over the doorway along with Gorilla Tape to protect cats from the raw edges. Straw is added on the inside and the edges of the lid are sealed with more tape. Finally, plugs are cut off the coolers to help remove moisture from inside the shelter.
Niehorster recommends setting the shelter on top of a pallet and adding a piece of plywood over the top to prevent snow from directly surrounding the shelter.
Individuals who would like to attend the build are encouraged to
sign up
so CCAR volunteers know how many attendees to expect; however, Niehorster said they wouldn't turn away walk-ins.
She also encouraged those who might have questions about the build and the necessary supplies to reach out to
carltoncountyanimalrescue@gmail.com
or to visit their
website.
She added that if individuals need a shelter but can't build one, or if they want help building one but can't attend the event, to reach out to CCAR.
"If people have needs with animals that are outside, questions, we would love to help you figure it out," Niehorster said.
