Mount Sinai NY
8-24-2026 11:38am

How to Build a Winter Shelter for Feral and Community Cats on Long Island

By Samantha Vogel | Long Island Daily News

When temperatures drop across Long Island, feral and community cats face a daily challenge that many of us never see: finding a warm, dry and protected place to sleep.

A simple outdoor cat shelter can provide critical protection from freezing temperatures, snow, rain and wind — and you don’t need to spend a lot of money to build one.

With a plastic storage tote, insulation, straw and a few basic supplies, Long Islanders can create a winter refuge for community cats in their neighborhoods.

What You’ll Need

  • A sturdy plastic storage tote with a secure lid
  • Rigid foam insulation or a smaller container that can fit inside the larger tote
  • Straw — not hay
  • A utility knife or other appropriate cutting tool
  • A marker
  • Weather-resistant tape, if needed
  • A brick or other safe weight to help secure the shelter

Use caution when cutting plastic. Keep cutting tools away from children and pets, work on a stable surface and wear appropriate hand and eye protection.

Step 1: Choose the Right Container

Start with a durable plastic storage tote with a lid that closes securely.

The shelter should provide enough room for a cat to enter, turn around and lie down comfortably, but bigger isn’t necessarily better. A very large empty space can be harder for a cat’s body heat to warm.

If several cats in a colony regularly sleep together, a somewhat larger shelter may be appropriate.

Step 2: Create the Entrance

Mark an entrance on the side of the tote several inches above the bottom. Keeping the opening elevated can help prevent rain and snow from entering.

The entrance should be large enough for a cat but not unnecessarily large, because a smaller opening helps retain warmth.

Carefully cut the opening and make sure there are no sharp plastic edges that could injure an animal.

Depending on where the shelter will be placed, some caregivers add a second exit so a cat cannot easily become trapped inside by another animal. However, additional openings can also allow more cold air into the shelter.

Step 3: Insulate the Shelter

Insulation is what turns a plastic container into a much more effective winter refuge.

Line the bottom, walls and underside of the lid with rigid foam insulation, leaving enough interior space for the cat.

Another common design places a smaller container inside a larger tote and fills the space between them with insulating material.

Whatever method you choose, make sure the insulation is secure and cannot collapse onto the animal.

Step 4: Add Straw — Not Blankets

This is one of the most important parts of building an outdoor cat shelter.

Use straw for bedding.

Straw helps repel moisture and gives cats material they can burrow into for warmth.

Avoid using blankets, towels and other absorbent fabrics in an exposed outdoor shelter. They can collect moisture and become dangerously cold.

And remember:

Straw and hay are not the same thing.

Hay is generally used as animal feed and can retain moisture. Straw is the better choice for outdoor cat shelters.

A simple phrase can help you remember:

Straw for strays.

Add enough loose straw for the cat to nest and burrow comfortably.

Step 5: Put the Shelter in the Right Location

Where you place the shelter matters almost as much as how you build it.

Choose a quiet, protected location where community cats already feel comfortable.

Whenever possible, position the entrance away from prevailing winds and protect the shelter from heavy rain and drifting snow.

Raising the shelter slightly off the cold or wet ground can also help keep the interior dry. Make sure whatever you use underneath is stable and cannot tip.

Step 6: Secure It

Long Island winter storms can bring strong winds.

Make sure the lid is firmly attached and the shelter itself cannot easily blow away or overturn.

A safe, heavy object can be placed on top when appropriate, but nothing should be positioned in a way that could fall and injure an animal.

Step 7: Check the Shelter Throughout the Winter

Building the shelter isn’t the end of the job.

Check it regularly.

Make sure the interior remains dry, the entrance isn’t blocked by snow or ice and the shelter hasn’t shifted or been damaged.

Replace wet or dirty straw when necessary.

After a significant snowfall, check shelters as soon as conditions safely allow. A perfectly good shelter can’t help a cat if its entrance is buried under snow.

Don’t Forget Food and Water

Shelter is only one part of helping community cats survive winter.

If you’re caring for a colony, provide fresh food and water consistently. During freezing weather, water bowls can turn to ice surprisingly quickly and should be checked frequently.

Keep feeding areas clean and remove leftover food when appropriate to reduce the chance of attracting wildlife.

One Shelter Can Make a Difference

You don’t have to run an animal rescue organization to help an animal.

You don’t have to foster 20 cats.

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars.

Sometimes helping starts with one plastic tote, some insulation, a bundle of straw and a few hours of your time.

That shelter sitting quietly behind a shed or alongside a building may not look extraordinary.

But to a cat searching for somewhere to escape a freezing Long Island night, it could mean everything.

Long Island Daily News Wants to See Your Cat Shelters

If you’re a Long Island resident, rescue organization, TNR volunteer or community-cat caregiver who builds winter shelters, Long Island Daily News would love to see them.

Send us photos of your shelters, share your community-cat stories and tell us about the work being done in your neighborhood.

We also welcome information about adoptable animals, urgent rescue cases, foster needs, lost and found pets, adoption events, fundraisers and other animal-related community news.

📧 LongIslandDailyNews@outlook.com
📧 editorlongislanddailynews@hotmail.com

Long Island Daily News

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

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