Let’s begin with this: Snowball is a cat. A coal-black cat. She is small in stature but solid in spirit, having spent eighteen years braving the Montana seasons on or near my neighbor Kevin’s porch. That’s a long journey for any outdoor feline, and though she carries a few scars of survival, she remains steady. Last winter, the tip of her tail—once battered in a spat with a roaming feral—succumbed to frostbite and finally let go.
Years ago, I set out to improve on a
“nest” of blankets she used for shelter during cold weather. I cobbled together
a little house for her from a cardboard box. It wasn’t much, but she loved it,
especially after Kevin tucked a blanket and heating pad inside. That simple
shelter kept her safe and warm through our most frigid spells. But this summer,
yellowjackets moved in and claimed it, leaving Kevin no choice but to drag it
away.
The other day, I spotted a box at
Costco that seemed ideal for a new home. Back home, I cut a doorway, reinforced
the walls with cardboard and duct tape, and did my best to strengthen it. It’s
not pretty, but it promises warmth and dryness.
I delivered the box to Snowball once
it was ready. She acknowledged it and peered inside. For now, she hasn’t
settled in. But once Kevin stuffs a blanket and heating pad inside, she’ll be
set for another winter.
—Mitchell Hegman
After she actually goes in you might attach a swinging door with a duct tape hing.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about doing something like that. During really cold weather, she pushed a blanket in at the old shelter.
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