News

Nov 06, 2024

Feral Cat Keeps Sleeping in Cold Doorway at Night, Woman Knows What to Do - Newsweek

After feeding a feral cat for months and seeing it sleep outside in the cold, one woman built a little house to keep the feline safe and warm during the winter. In early March, Lindsey, 27, from

After feeding a feral cat for months and seeing it sleep outside in the cold, one woman built a little house to keep the feline safe and warm during the winter.

In early March, Lindsey, 27, from northern Virginia, saw a "super chubby" cat running around her porch. Given its size, she thought the cat was pregnant and started leaving food out. But then the cat seemed to disappear for a month. When it eventually reappeared in April, the cat was much thinner, and there was no sign of kittens.

Lindsey, who did not want to use her surname, suggested the cat wasn't used to people, as the feline was "super scared" of her whenever she tried to approach it. Nonetheless, Lindsey continued leaving food outside, and as the months passed, the cat gradually grew more comfortable.

"Eventually she got comfortable enough to stop by in the daytime, too, and then I noticed her sleeping on the porch at night," Lindsey said.

She hated the thought of the cat sleeping outside during the winter. So in October, she set out to create a house where the feline could sleep soundly and stay warm.

Lindsey, who often does craft projects, already had many of the materials required but spent about $100 on extra pieces of wood and insulation. Her vision was to create "a mini version of a real house," so that's what she spent a week building.

"I wanted it to be insulated and to have an escape door in case other animals tried to come in. Once I decided on the size and design, I built the frame and then attached the walls and floor. I insulated it and added a roof with shingles, just like a standard house roof," she said.

The cat didn't waste any time. According to Lindsey, the feline came and tested out the house within an hour. That first night, it slept for about five hours. It came back during the day for a snooze and returned again the following night.

Lindsey was pleased that the cat felt "safe and comfortable" using the house, where it has slept every night since. Lindsey even installed a camera inside to monitor how the cat was doing.

Footage from inside the house shows the cat sleeping soundly, sometimes even sprawling out on its back. Before this, Lindsey had seen the feline sleep only in the loaf position—which, according to PetMD, is a sign a cat is ready to leap into action if necessary.

Lindsey would be happy to offer the cat a secure home in her own house, if it felt comfortable enough to come inside. However, she is taking things at the cat's pace to ensure it's comfortable around her first.

"I plan on taking care of her as long as she lets me, whether that be inside or outside," she told Newsweek.

"It made me so happy to see her curled up in a ball inside her house and laying with her tummy up. It's like she finally felt safe enough to get an uninterrupted night's rest without having to be on guard," she continued.

Replying to @maggiekim419 Porch Kitty Sleep Cam #catsoftiktok #catdistributionsystem

On October 23, Lindsey, under the handle @paint2la, posted a video on TikTok showing how she built the house, which delighted viewers. The clip went viral, receiving 2.3 million views and 234,400 likes on TikTok, as many TikTokers wanted to see even more of the cat's nightly antics.

Lindsey has continued sharing more videos of the cat sleeping soundly in its little hut, with the clips gaining hundreds of thousands of views.

"I couldn't believe so many people were invested in it and who were just happy to watch her sleep peacefully, safe, and warm in her little house," Lindsey said. "It just shows how much people love animals, and I hope this will possibly inspire others to take care of the animals they find in their lives."

The video has received more than 1,200 comments, with many hailing Lindsey's generosity toward the stray cat.

One comment said: "I LOVE people like you. You make the world a much kinder place to live in. Thank you!"

"The cutest thing ever," another wrote, while a commenter added: "You've been chosen. Enjoy."

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