Water for outdoor cats

"Bill" wrote in message
...
I routinely put out water and food for a few feral cats who live in a
wooded area near me.

In winter, the water freezes fairy quickly. I often find the bowl
frozen with a depression in the ice where the cats have licked it. I
would like to maintain the water in a liquid state for as long as
possible and am thinking about adding something, like a few grains of
sugar, which ionizes nicely, to keep the water liquid for a longer time.

On the other hand, I don't know much about cat physiology and wonder if
adding even a small amount of sugar to drinking water might harm them.


I don't see how a little sugar would hurt.

--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
"Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG

I think I remember someone using one of those hand warmers they sell
(the disposable ones for hunters, etc) They placed it under the bowl to
help keep the container warmer longer.

Otherwise, farm supply stores sell heated water bowls. They've come
down a LOT in price over the years.They used to be around $40-50, but
now are $10-15. Anyway, just a thought.

Rene

In article ,
Bill wrote:

I routinely put out water and food for a few feral cats who live in a
wooded area near me.

In winter, the water freezes fairy quickly. I often find the bowl
frozen with a depression in the ice where the cats have licked it. I
would like to maintain the water in a liquid state for as long as
possible and am thinking about adding something, like a few grains of
sugar, which ionizes nicely, to keep the water liquid for a longer time.

On the other hand, I don't know much about cat physiology and wonder if
adding even a small amount of sugar to drinking water might harm them.

You can get heaters for bird baths which can be put into water
containers on the ground. There is even a heated water dish sold in pet
supply places.

Priscilla

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal

In article .com,
"Rene S." wrote:

I think I remember someone using one of those hand warmers they sell
(the disposable ones for hunters, etc) They placed it under the bowl to
help keep the container warmer longer.

Otherwise, farm supply stores sell heated water bowls. They've come
down a LOT in price over the years.They used to be around $40-50, but
now are $10-15. Anyway, just a thought.

Do you have an online source for these inexpensive heated water bowls?
The ones I find in pet supply catelogs cost substantially more than that.

Thanks!

Priscilla

--
"It is very, very dangerous to treat any human, lowest
of the low even, with contempt and arrogant whatever.
The Lord takes this kind of treatment very, very personal."
- QBaal in newsgroup alt.religion.christian.episcopal

"Bill" wrote in message
...
I routinely put out water and food for a few feral cats who live in a
wooded area near me.

In winter, the water freezes fairy quickly. I often find the bowl
frozen with a depression in the ice where the cats have licked it. I
would like to maintain the water in a liquid state for as long as
possible and am thinking about adding something, like a few grains of
sugar, which ionizes nicely, to keep the water liquid for a longer time.

On the other hand, I don't know much about cat physiology and wonder if
adding even a small amount of sugar to drinking water might harm them.

A little sugar won't hurt, but I'm not sure they'll drink it - cat's don't
have a sweet tooth.

You could use a small tire stuffed with rocks and wedge a solar sipper in
the center of the rocks. The black rubber will absorb sunlight and heat the
rocks keeping the bowl warm (as long as the sun shines). The solar sipper
is a round bowl with a clear plexiglass cover and a 4" drinking hole in the
center. The plexiglass cover has a greenhouse effect that will keep the
water in the bowl from freezing (as long as the sun shines).

Just don't put out warm water - warm water evaporates quicker in cold
weather and the little water that remains will freeze faster. If the cats
have a shelter, don't put the water bowl inside - the cats could spill it.
The key to keeping ferals healthy in the winter is keeping them warm as
possible and their shelter *dry*.

Thanks for caring. Good luck.

Phil

"Phil P." wrote in message
...

"Bill" wrote in message
...
I routinely put out water and food for a few feral cats who live in a
wooded area near me.

In winter, the water freezes fairy quickly. I often find the bowl
frozen with a depression in the ice where the cats have licked it. I
would like to maintain the water in a liquid state for as long as
possible and am thinking about adding something, like a few grains of
sugar, which ionizes nicely, to keep the water liquid for a longer time.

On the other hand, I don't know much about cat physiology and wonder if
adding even a small amount of sugar to drinking water might harm them.

A little sugar won't hurt, but I'm not sure they'll drink it - cat's don't
have a sweet tooth.

You could use a small tire stuffed with rocks and wedge a solar sipper in
the center of the rocks. The black rubber will absorb sunlight and heat
the
rocks keeping the bowl warm (as long as the sun shines). The solar sipper
is a round bowl with a clear plexiglass cover and a 4" drinking hole in
the
center. The plexiglass cover has a greenhouse effect that will keep the
water in the bowl from freezing (as long as the sun shines).

Just don't put out warm water - warm water evaporates quicker in cold
weather and the little water that remains will freeze faster. If the cats
have a shelter, don't put the water bowl inside - the cats could spill it.
The key to keeping ferals healthy in the winter is keeping them warm as
possible and their shelter *dry*.

Thanks for caring. Good luck.

Phil

P.S. Here's a link to a solar sipper.

http://www.theworld.com/~sippers/animalsipper_std.html


In the unlikely event the feeding/water station can be reached by a long
electrical extension and you decide to use a heated water bowl, remember,
heated water will evaporate quickly in cold weather so the bowl should be
large enough to hold at least 4 or 5 quarts and will need to be refilled at
least once a day. 1 1/2 gal. thermostatically controlled heated bowls that
operate only when the temp drops below freezing sell for about $25.

Canned food can also be placed in a heated bowl to keep it from freezing but
the food will dry up quickly as the water evaporates. Feed the cats around
the same time every day so they'll come around as soon as you put the food
out. As much as I'm opposed to all dry diets, they are the most practical
for outdoor winter feeding.

Here's a link to a good, large, heated bowl w/chew-resistant cable:

http://www.safepets.com/heatedbowl.html 50watt, 1 1/2 gal cap.


If you decide on a heated bowl, make sure you choose a model with a
*chew-resistant* BX or MC cable. The extension to the source should be MC
(metal clad) cable and ideally encased in PVC. Don't use BX in the ground
because it corrodes and can cause a short - MC is encased in aluminum and
doesn't corrode. Sounds expensive but it really isn't - unless the cable
needs to traverse long distances 400'-500'.

UF (underground feeder) wire can also be used and doesn't need to be encased
in PVC because the outer layer of the wire (gray) is made of PCV. The only
disadvantage of UF is that it must be buried at least 6-8" in the ground so
animals can't chew it. This is the underground wire used in outdoor
lighting schemes (driveway, walkways, lawn, etc.).

Heated feeding stations usually aren't very practical unless they're on your
property or short distances away and can be monitored frequently.

If I were you, I'd go with the solar sipper.

Good luck.

Phil

"Bill" wrote in message
...
I routinely put out water and food for a few feral cats who live in a
wooded area near me.

In winter, the water freezes fairy quickly. I often find the bowl
frozen with a depression in the ice where the cats have licked it. I
would like to maintain the water in a liquid state for as long as
possible and am thinking about adding something, like a few grains of
sugar, which ionizes nicely, to keep the water liquid for a longer time.

On the other hand, I don't know much about cat physiology and wonder if
adding even a small amount of sugar to drinking water might harm them.


Would feeing just canned food (with no little or no dry) provide enough
water? I know the ferals I'm feeding will eat all of the canned before it
freezes.

Ron Charlottesville Va

Priscilla,

Ok, let me try posting again--Google must not like long links. Go to
petsmart.com and search for "heated bowl" I found one there for about
$25.

Unfortunately, the cheapest ones I've found are in farm supply
stores--and their web sites don't have online ordering. Whatever you
do, don't go to a regular pet store--that's where they are most
expensive.

Rene

Priscilla,

Here's a link to one I found on Petsmart (about $25):
http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...03564855 980:
(if this link doesn't work, go to petsmart.com and search for "heated
bowl.")

Unfortunately, the cheapest ones I've found are in farm supply
stores--and their web sites don't have online ordering. Whatever you
do, don't go to a regular pet store--that's where they are most
expensive.

Rene

Ron Herfurth wrote:

"Bill" wrote in message
...
I routinely put out water and food for a few feral cats who live in a
wooded area near me.

In winter, the water freezes fairy quickly. I often find the bowl
frozen with a depression in the ice where the cats have licked it. I
would like to maintain the water in a liquid state for as long as
possible and am thinking about adding something, like a few grains of
sugar, which ionizes nicely, to keep the water liquid for a longer time.

On the other hand, I don't know much about cat physiology and wonder if
adding even a small amount of sugar to drinking water might harm them.

Would feeing just canned food (with no little or no dry) provide enough
water? I know the ferals I'm feeding will eat all of the canned before it
freezes.

Here in Boston, we get cold snaps so cold the ferals cannot finish their
wet food before it freezes to the plate. I have found that heating the
food makes it steam, and that puts them off it.

Priscilla