How To Use A Styrofoam Cooler To Help Animals Stay Warm

Donated coolers keep Colorado'southward feral cats warm

by • Published on February eleven, 2022 • Concluding modified on March 11, 2022

Rocky Mountain PBS

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — "I grew up with animals my whole life, I just love all animals," says Sarah Garcia. She's sitting on her living room floor. In front of her is a Styrofoam cooler, a pocketknife, a big trash bag, and some record. They are the beginnings of a shelter that a feral Colorado cat volition soon go to call home.

Garcia offset started making the shelters around 3 years ago, when she started to find feral cats around her house.

"My centre was shredded when it would be snowing, and you lot'd see these niggling paw prints in the snowfall…that'southward when I was like, 'okay, what can I do?'" Says Garcia.

She began researching homemade cat shelters online, and institute that a lot of people used coolers and storage bins lined with Styrofoam. She decided to simplify, and made hers using Styrofoam coolers.

Garcia began posting her cat shelters on social media, both on Nextdoor and in a Facebook group that she runs, request for Styrofoam cooler donations.

"Everyone was but and then in love with the idea," says Garcia. "You lot know, you think of all these cats outside just trying to survive. We accept so much ability as human beings to help, why wouldn't we?"

Garcia says each shelter takes around 30 minutes to brand. She starts by cutting a circle on one side of the cooler, as the archway. She cuts information technology most the top, so that the cats have a full corner in the box to stay warm, and to protect them from snow drafts and other animals. So she wraps the whole thing in a heavy duty, black garbage pocketbook for extra insulation. Finally, she stuffs the box with straw and sprays catnip odor nigh the entrance.

"This is my magic trick, it's what kind of gets their attending," says Garcia as she sprays 3 pumps on the aroma into the box. "They tiptop their heads in then they go 'oh, it's nice and warm in here…yeah this is abode.'"

Garcia stands in her garage, which is full of donated Styrofoam coolers that volition soon exist made into feral cat shelters.

She's not sure the exact number, but Garcia estimates she'due south made around 150 feral cat shelters over the by three winters, and has no plans to cease. They go to community members who reach out via social media.

Equally a huge animal advocate, Garcia too spends her time capturing stray cats to be spayed or neutered at the vet, then re-releases them. She brings nutrient to cats in need, and helps reunite lost pets with their families through her lost-and-institute Facebook grouping.

"My biggest thing is really giving back for then much that [pets] practice for us equally humans," says Garcia. "Feral cats, they get a bad rap unfortunately. They're trying to survive like the states. We have a short time on this earth so why not make it a ameliorate, happier place for neighbors and animals to coexist."