A Michigan man helps free-roaming community cats survive tough Michigan winters.
Dan Wolking puts homes for cats in his backyard. The video shows a cat he named Alex. Alex is the most frequent visitor, but cats named Bailey and Charlie also stop by regularly.
“These feral cats, or what some people call free-roaming or free-ranging cats can be considered by many nuisance animals. And I completely get it because they will hunt and catch songbirds,” Wolking said.
Wolking and his wife bought shelters for the cats a couple of years ago. The shelters are to keep them warm in the winter and full enough to leave the neighborhood birds alone.
“We added a heating element. There’s an infrared heating unit and we put a thermostat in there. There’s also a heating pad that’s touch-sensitive. It only comes on when there’s some weight on it. And we put a little web camera in there so that we can keep track of who’s in and who’s not and what the food levels are,” Wolking said.
Wolking managed to trap Charlie for trap neuter release (TNR). A veterinarian tips a cat’s ear so everyone can tell he or she has been fixed and won’t be having any kittens.
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