Mount Sinai NY
8-24-2026 11:37am

Winter Is a Dangerous Time for Long Island’s Feral Cats — Here’s How You Can Help

By Samantha Vogel | Long Island Daily News

As winter settles over Long Island, most of us can escape freezing temperatures by stepping inside a warm home. For the countless feral and community cats living outdoors across Long Island, there may be nowhere warm to go.

They live behind businesses, near apartment complexes, beneath porches and sheds, around industrial areas, in wooded locations, and throughout our neighborhoods. Some are part of established colonies cared for by dedicated volunteers. Others survive largely unnoticed.

When temperatures fall, these cats face cold, wind, snow, ice, hunger, dehydration, and the constant challenge of finding a safe, dry place to sleep.

What Is a Feral Cat?

Feral cats generally have had little or no socialization with people and may be fearful of human contact. Unlike a lost or abandoned house cat, a truly feral adult cat may not be comfortable living inside a traditional home.

That does not mean the animal doesn’t deserve compassion and care.

Community cats can live outdoors successfully when they have responsible caregivers, adequate shelter and food, and access to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.

TNR involves humanely trapping community cats, having them spayed or neutered and typically vaccinated, and returning appropriate cats to their outdoor homes. Sterilization prevents additional litters and helps communities manage outdoor cat populations humanely.

An ear-tipped cat — usually identifiable by the clean removal of the tip of one ear while the cat was under anesthesia — is often a sign that the cat has already been through a TNR program.

A Simple Shelter Can Make a Difference

Outdoor cats need a place that protects them from wind, snow and moisture.

Winter shelters do not have to be elaborate. Insulated shelters can be made or purchased specifically for community cats. They should be appropriately sized, weather-resistant, elevated when possible, and positioned away from prevailing wind.

One particularly important consideration is bedding.

Straw is generally preferred for outdoor cat shelters because it repels moisture and allows cats to burrow into it for warmth. Blankets, towels and other fabrics can absorb moisture and become cold or freeze.

Remember the simple rule often used by community-cat advocates:

Straw for strays.

Food and Water Matter Even More in Winter

Cats expend energy maintaining their body temperature during cold weather, making reliable access to food particularly important.

Caregivers should provide fresh food regularly and monitor water closely. Water bowls can freeze quickly during Long Island winters, so they may need to be replaced or checked several times throughout particularly cold days.

Feeding areas should also be kept as clean as possible. Leaving excessive food sitting outside can attract wildlife and create conflicts with neighbors.

Check Your Car Before Starting It

There is another winter danger many people don’t realize exists.

A cold outdoor cat may seek warmth around a recently parked vehicle, including underneath it or near the engine compartment.

Before starting your vehicle on a freezing morning, look underneath it, make some noise, and consider tapping on the hood to give a hidden animal an opportunity to move away.

It takes only a few seconds and could save a life.

Don’t Assume Every Outdoor Cat Is Feral

A frightened cat outside isn’t necessarily feral.

The animal could be a lost pet, an abandoned house cat, or a community cat cared for by someone nearby.

If you encounter an unfamiliar cat, especially one that appears injured, sick, extremely thin or unusually friendly, consider contacting a local rescue, shelter, TNR organization or experienced community-cat caregiver for guidance.

When possible, take a clear photograph and check local lost-and-found pet groups to see whether someone is searching for the animal.

Long Island’s Rescuers Need Community Support

Across Nassau and Suffolk counties, rescue organizations, TNR volunteers, colony caregivers, fosters and ordinary residents dedicate countless hours to helping cats that might otherwise have no one.

Winter makes that work even more difficult.

Residents can help by donating cat food, straw, insulated shelters or supplies to reputable local organizations; volunteering with rescue or TNR efforts; fostering socialized cats and kittens when appropriate; and simply keeping an eye on community cats in their own neighborhoods.

Sometimes helping starts with something as small as noticing.

If you regularly see outdoor cats near your home or workplace, find out whether someone is already caring for them. A coordinated community effort can accomplish far more than one person working alone.

Long Island Daily News Wants to Help

Long Island Daily News is committed to helping Long Island’s animals and the people working tirelessly to protect them.

We welcome submissions from local rescues, shelters, TNR volunteers, fosters, colony caregivers and animal advocates.

If your organization needs volunteers, donations, fosters or adopters — or if there is an urgent animal situation that deserves community attention — we want to help spread the word.

We also welcome stories about adoptable animals, lost and found pets, rescue efforts, fundraising and adoption events, and successful adoptions and reunions.

Until they all have homes — and until every lost pet is reunited with their family — we’ll keep sharing their stories.

Long Island Daily News
Local news. Local voices. Local animals who need us.

More News from Mount Sinai
I'm interested
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive