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Another option is the Snuggle Safe heating pad mentioned in Chapter 5 in thesection, “Preventing Water from Freezing.” Be sure to use the cover that comes with theproduct or wrap the disc well in a thick towel or pillow case so the cats don’t directlytouch the disc while it’s still at its hottest. Extreme coldIn environments where the winter is especially harsh, extra measures may be needed.One proven technique is to line the interior walls of the shelter with pieces cut from aMylar blanket. The blanket is made of a thin plastic coated with a metallic reflectingagent. When wrapped around a person, it creates warmth by reflecting body heat backand is a standard part of an emergency kit for people who may become stranded in theircars during winter. When the walls and/or floor of a winter shelter are lined with Mylar,the cats’ body heat is reflected back at them, increasing the interior temperature.A Mylar blanket is very thin and light. During the shelter-building process, piecescan be attached to the interior walls with freezer tape (such as Scotch Freezer Tape)which is designed to stick at extremely low temperatures. For a more permanent fix, usecarpenter glue, being careful to keep all traces of the glue between the Mylar and thewalls and unexposed to the cats. Be sure to tuck in or cut off any excess Mylar at theseams so none of the material is loose and inviting to a cat to tug at or chew on. If onlyone side of the Mylar blanket is shiny, that’s the side which reflects heat and should befacing in, towards the cats.A search for “Mylar blanket” on Amazon (www.amazon.com) will turn up numerousretailers. The product is very inexpensive, usually costing no more than a dollar or twoper blanket. The product can also often be found at camping stores, Wal-Mart or otherretailers with outdoors departments. PlacementAs with placement of feeding stations, the more discrete, the better when it comes towinter shelters. With shelters, you have more choices because you don’t need constantaccess to them. However, it’s nice for the cats if their shelters are close to their feedingstation so they won’t have to travel far in bad weather to eat.The primary concern is security and putting the shelters in a spot where few, if any,strangers will have access or even see them. This protects the cats plus, the moresecluded the shelters, the more the cats are apt to use them. They can be camouflaged bypainting them to blend into their environment and also by covering them with boards,branches or other objects. If you can, put them behind something like a wall or bushrather than in front. If they can’t be hidden from view, try to place them behind a fenceor other enclosure closed to the public. If the shelters are in a location where they mightget damaged or stolen, don’t invest in expensive ones which will be costly to replace.The cats are likely to spend much of their time near their shelters and feeding station,especially in severe weather. The placement of these items can be used to “herd” the catsto a less visible location and one more acceptable to neighbors, thereby improvingcommunity relations.50