In many regions during wintertime, a common problem for caretakers is keeping the cats' water from freezing. The cats need water, especially when dry food is the predominant food provided, which is often the case in winter when wet food itself can quickly freeze. Below is a list of different solutions - which one is best for you will depend on your own situation.

1. The ideal solution, though only plausible in secure circumstances, is an electrically heated water bowl. The water will evaporate relatively quickly, so the bowl needs to be filled with a gallon of water in order to last 24 hours. The bowl also can be used for wet food, though it will quickly dry the food up.
   
   A 5 quart dish with 6 foot protected cord is available for $24 from KV Vet Supply (item #86041) - www.kvvet.com, or call 1-800-423-8211. Ask about their other heated bowls.
   
    
2. The Pet Solar Sipper (model no. 10011) uses solar energy to keep the water from freezing and is available for $29.95 (including shipping). It functions at 18 degrees F. and above.
   
   To learn more and order: http://solarsippers.com/animalsipper_std.html
   
    
3. "Snuggle Safe."  It's a disk about the size of a frisbee intended to keep pets' bedding warm. Under normal indoor conditions, you put it in the microwave for 5 minutes and it stays hot for 12 hours. For outdoor use, it has been reported that the discs can be safely heated up to 8 minutes in a 1,000 watt microwave to last as long as possible outdoors. Depending on the microwave, the discs can conceivably melt so you have to do a little trial and error to see how hot you can go.  
   
   The discs are just the right size to fit inside the under rim of some large dinner plates and water bowls. In the frigid outdoors their heat lasts 2-3 hours. If you can afford it, it's convenient to have two sets of discs - that way you can heat and bring one set to the colony, and pickup and bring back the set used the last time you were feeding.
   
   Snuggle Safe is also great (wrapped in cloth the cats can't open) for providing warmth inside their shelters.Available through PETsMART (Item No. 451284; $19.99). Order online at http://www.petsmart.com or check your local PETsMART store to see if they have the item in stock.
   
    
4. Place the water bowl inside a styrofoam cooler - one of the cheap white ones used for soda and the like. Cut a hole for the cats to enter on one end of the cooler and put the bowl at the other end. The styrofoam's insulation will slow down the freezing process.
   
    
5. Use a thick plastic, thermal-type of water dish. It's amazing how long it takes for water to freeze in one of these. I use the bottom of a tupperware container - it's shaped like a large cup and very thick plastic.
   
    
6. The best bowls are deeper, have relatively small openings compared to their volune, are insulated, and are protected from the wind. Use black bowls to help absorb solar radiation and position them to catch the sun.
   
    
7. If the cats come to eat right away while you're there, put a little extra water in their wet food. Also, you can put some in the dry food you know they'll soon eat.
   
    
8. (From Susanne Mahar of Noah's Kingdom in Albany:) Get a small styrofoam container like the ones used to ship vaccines (approximately 8 inches square and 4 inches deep). Cut a hole in the top large enough for a cat to drink through, then line the inside of the container with a plastic bag and fill it with water.
   
    
9. Get an old tire off the rim, and stuff it with rocks. Wedge a container (like a large bucket) in the hole in the tire and put the water in there. The black tire will absorb the light from the sun during the day and heat the rocks within the tire The rocks will radiate the warmth enough to keep the water from freezing. This suggestion comes from a horse magazine, to keep water for the horses in the fields in winter.  The barn manager piled a few rock-filled tires on top of each other and then inserted a water bucket in the center of them. She said this actually prevented the water from freezing for a period of time.
   
    
10. Place the water bowl near where heating pipes are located inside a wall.  One trick with alleyways is to locate where the heating pipes run inside a building's walls. If you place the water bowl next to where a heating pipe is located, this will help prevent freezing. One way to find where the pipes are, besides touch, is to see if the cats tend to gather in a particular spot near the wall. If they do, the spot may be warmed by a heating pipe.
     

back to info center  |  back to top

© 2008 Neighborhood Cats | contact