Dannielle Oswell has taken 25 shelters out for stray cats in North Kamloops, but says she's got more on the way.
Image Credit: Contributed
February 13, 2021 - 6:30 AM
When the weather in Kamloops finally turned well below freezing this week, Dannielle Oswell's mind turned to a large feral cat colony in North Kamloops.
She had to do something, so she got crafty and built temporary shelters for the freezing feral felines.
"It just breaks my heart seeing all these cats outside - sick and in the cold," Oswell said
She says she found her design — using plastic totes — after a bit of research online. Then after gathering the materials, she said it's an easy project and it only took her a couple hours to build a dozen shelters.
She simply cut a hole in a plastic tote, taped RV insulation to the walls and lid then filled with straw to add comfort.
Oswell built the shelters out of plastic totes, then taped RV insulation to the walls and filled with straw to make a comfortable temporary home for feral cats.
Image Credit: Contributed
"I've dropped off 25 total now throughout the area, and making more even though it's getting warmer."
Oswell has received donations to keep building them so she feels she has an obligation to keep going.
"At Home Depot, the cashier gave me almost 50% off last time I bought insulation when I told her what I was doing. They were $35 each before that and it took three rolls to build a dozen shelters."
Although the temporary tote shelters may not be needed as the weather warms up this weekend, she says since totes are easy to store, they can be picked up and refilled with straw again when they're needed.
READ MORE: The women who trap, treat and re-home the feral cats of Kamloops
Others have even picked up on Oswell's efforts.
Julie Ondang with Sammy's Forgotten Felines says her organization put out their own shelters on Wednesday night to help the growing cat colony get through the cold February night.
Although Julie Ondang praised Oswell's efforts to provide warmth for feral cats in North Kamloops, they are both concerned about a growing colony where many cats risk sickness, weather exposure and predators.
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