Providing adequate winter shelter is as much a part of good colony management as providing nutritious food and clean water.  Outdoor cats face many hazards...some beyond our control. Why not ensure that we protect the cats from the hazards we can control?!

Winters in about 2/3 of the US and most of Canada can be quite bitter, with sustained high temperatures below freezing for days. Even a healthy cat can have difficulty staying warm at these temperatures and below for days at at time. Providing a drafty shelter where the cat must sit within inches of a doorway that exposes it directly to the wind and snow is a gamble with the cat's life.

As a volunteer, co-founder and former Director of Operations for an Indianapolis-based TNR group for nearly 5 years, I've seen quite literally thousands of colony cats come through high-volume spay/neuter clinics.  The cats that are more than a couple years old often show the scars of their battles with the cold, particularly frostbite. Did you ever wonder why so many of those wily old tom cats have such rounded ears? Loss of the outer parts of the ear are common with frostbite (although fighting can account for jagged-looking wounds, and ear mites and infection can account for so-called "cauliflower" ears).

The FeralVilla's design ensures that wind and snow are kept out of the upper "bedroom" area, while the reinforced, foil-faced insulation reflects that cat's own body heat that would otherwise be drawn away by direct contact with cold dirt or wood. 

While a simple cardboard, plastic or wooden box may be an acceptable solutions in an emergency, please don't gamble that it will protect your outdoor cats from frigid winter weather!