It’s often said that if you build it, they will come. Sometimes all it takes is to build a box and just wait and see who shows up.

For one Montana couple, the frigid nights are often combatted by going inside their home and turning the heat up. But, while Melody Karle and her husband could escape the -40 degree temperatures, they knew that the stray cats that surrounded them had no escape from the cold.

At first, Karle said they used a picnic table, some old fence and a heat lamp that had been used for chickens. Soon, she said, the cats were making their way inside, often spending the night and eating the food the couple had left out for them. A video camera watched, show the relief the cats felt once they were warm and finally relaxed.

I don’t know what they did before we got here,” Karle said.

Old Tom Morris peers out from the heated shelter. Photo courtesy of the Karles

But, once the word got around to the cats, more and more started to visit. So, this time the couple put plastic deck boxes together, creating a safter shelter for the cats. They filled the inside with straw, heating pads and another camera so they could see what the cats thought of their newest hideaway.

Once the couple started watching the videos, they knew they had done the right thing. The stray cats would stretch out and you could see the moment they began to relax, knowing they were safe from the cold weather.

@kittenrampage Assessing our heated cat shelter after its first year. We have hard winters in Montana and this shelter is the best shelter we have built so far. #cats #catrescuelife #catrescue #montanacats #heatedcatshelter #catshelter #heatedcathouse #cathouses #wintercathouses #wintercatshelter #diycathouse #winterprep #catsoftiktok #feral #communitycats #feralrescue #feralcats ♬ Beautiful Paradise – Aga Alamsyah

The family began to learn the “regulars” to the shelter. Each new visitor got a name, and Karle said they soon learned the personalities of their cats. But there was one regular that stood out to the couple. Old Tom Morris (OTM) was an older cat who would showed up each day for a whole year. He’d eat the food, and then sleep in the shelter, but was skittish around the couple.

One such regular, a senior cat named Old Tom Morris, or OTM, visited Karle’s backyard every day for an entire year. He’d eat the food she’d left out and sleep in the shelter but would barely let her touch or pet him.

When Karle noticed an injury on OTM, she knew it was time to get him help. She coaxed the old cat into a crate and took him to the vet. He had suffered a bite on his shoulder, which was treated.

But Karle said she knew OTM wasn’t going to go back outside – he needed rest and time to recover. So, they decided to keep him indoors. Within days, OTM said goodbye to the outdoors and hello to his new forever home. Karle was shocked at the change.

Two days in, it was very clear that he was totally chill,” she said. “He was like, ‘I live here now … It’s warm and you’re feeding me and I’m not going to leave.’”

Since OTM, Karle said they have took in two more cats, Winston and Patrick. “It wasn’t our plan to adopt any of them,” Karle said. “We had cats already and we also didn’t think they were friendly to start with.”

@kittenrampage Community cat brothers Winston & Patrick ❤️ #cats #catrescuelife #catsoftiktok #catlife #catrescue #montanacats #heatedcatshelter #catshelter #heatedcathouse #communitycats #communitycatsoftiktok #cathouse #cathousevideos #feralrescue #catbrains ♬ It Will Be Okay – Peanuds

They still make sure to care for the other cats that stay outside. Karle said they have found homes for some of the strays, and thanks to a local vet, all of the cats have been fixed. Karle said she hopes that others will consider building warming shelters for local strays.

“Even if it’s not perfect, it’s better than nothing,” Karle said. “Whatever people can do is good enough.”

@kittenrampage Tour our outdoor heated winter cat shelter! #cats #catwintershelter #wintercathouses #wintercatshelter #catshelter #catrescuelife #catrescue #montanacats #heatedcatshelter #heatedshelter #catshelter #heatedcathouse #cathouse #diycathouse #catsoftiktok #feral #communitycats #feralrescue #feralcats #catlife ♬ Warm, cheerful, relaxed and carefree pianos(871140) – Siyou Inagawa

Source: The Dodo