Denver-area cats living on the street may be a bit warmer this winter thanks to the efforts of those at Metro Denver Cats Around Town (C.A.T.), who built about 50 shelters for homeless and feral cats.

The shelters were passed out to volunteers who care for feral cat colonies, usually by leaving them food or just checking on their well-being.

A feral cat is a domestic cat that is born in the wild. Cat colonies are typically a mix of feral cats and domestics who previously had a home, but have either been abandoned or ran away.

Metro DenverCats Around Town is a mix of about 20 organizations that assist cats in various capacities.

“This is the first time it’s actually been successful to bring all these impassioned groups together,” veterinarian and volunteer Susan Barden said.

Between 40 and 50 volunteers got together on Dec. 7 to build the shelters out of Rubbermaid containers, Styrofoam insulation, tape and straw. The group created two sizes that fit either one cat or up to four. Since some of the colonies can range up to 25 cats, some volunteers took more than one shelter.

The group has been around for two years and had hoped to do something like this earlier, but it didn’t have the resources or collaboration until this fall. One benefit of the organization is that it now has a hotline and can be a referral source for anyone needing assistance in caring for a homeless cat or cat colony.

“It’s easier to help when you don’t feel isolated,” said Katie Parker, program director for the Animal Assistance Foundation.

Earlier this year, the Denver Animal Shelter — another partner in the group — undertook a partnership with some of these groups to help reduce the population of feral cats by spaying or neutering them before returning them to the place they were caught.

So why would cats typically living on the street need shelter? According to Parker, it will help improve quality of life. Parker stressed that the project should not be viewed as welfare for cats, but as part of a solution. The cats are out there, she said, and that won’t change.

Another volunteer said cats are misunderstood, and sometimes domestic cats end up on the street because owners don’t act quick enough when a cat goes missing.

“Basically it comes down to the fact that cats have an image problem,” said Emily Stone, former Denver Dumb Friends League advocate and volunteer with Metro Denver Cats Around Town.

Stone said that if a dog goes missing, owners act quickly, post signs and go looking for their pet. When it’s a cat, sometimes the owners don’t take any action until 10 days have passed.

This and other information about how to help feral cats and help reduce the population is part of the goal of Metro Denver Cats Around Town and the partner organizations within.

“The only way we’ll make a difference is to get the word out there,” said Nancy Kall with Forgotten Feline Rescue. “All the little groups doing their thing is not enough. We need it at a higher level.”

Another member of Forgotten Feline Rescue, Kathy Hill, routinely makes the drive from Lakewood to northeast Denver to care for about five cat colonies by feeding them and monitoring their well being. She drives through alleys in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood and on Dec. 24, she placed a new shelter at one of the colonies.

“I love cats, I’ve always been an animal person,” Hill said.

As she pulled her car up at one colony, five cats came out of a yard of a home and greeted her as she dropped off some food. Some of the homes near where the cats live are vacant, but Hill received permission from property owners to assist.

Parker said she hopes volunteers will continue to build shelters and have an inventory for next year or whenever they are needed.

Parker said: “We would love to have always a stockpile so, if there is a caretaker, there’s always one available for free.”

Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joe_vacc

Contact

1-844-DEN-CATS and www. Denvercats.org