Donations can help keep outdoor cats warm this winter

ZANESVILLE − PAWS of Muskingum County and the Muskingum County Humane Society are teaming up for a December donation drive to build insulated outdoor shelters for homeless cats braving the winter cold.

The effort aims to collect materials to build insulated outdoor shelters for cats living outside in Muskingum County, according to a community announcement. Once assembled, the shelters will be distributed free to residents who are already caring for outdoor cats but may not have the resources to provide proper shelter.

"This project is about supporting the people in our community who are doing their best to help cats in need," Julie Bay, a Muskingum County Humane Society volunteer, said in the announcement. "Many residents are feeding and watching over outdoor cats, but adding insulated shelters can be financially out of reach. This initiative helps bridge that gap while keeping cats safer and warmer this winter."

Muskingum County continues to face a significant cat overpopulation issue, with shelters and rescues operating at or beyond capacity, according to the announcement. Many cats remain outdoors year-round.

"These shelters are not a solution to overpopulation, but they are a compassionate, immediate step to protect cats this winter who have nowhere else to go," said Emilee Mulhall, a PAWS of Muskingum County volunteer said in the announcement. "The long-term solution is spaying and neutering. Preventing litters is the only way to reduce the number of cats living outdoors in the future."

Community members are invited to donate the following items; Styrofoam coolers, large storage totes, 1-inch 4x8 sheets of insulation, straw and duct tape.

How to help

Donations will be accepted at two locations:

• Saturday, Dec. 20 from noon to 3 p.m. in Riesbeck's parking lot, 800 Howard St.

• Saturday, Dec. 27 from noon to 3 p.m. in PetSmart parking lot, 3909 Gorsky Drive.

All donors will receive a 25% off drink coupon for The Chatty Cat Café.

Once enough materials are collected, volunteers will assemble the outdoor shelters. Dates and times for shelter pickup will be announced once shelters are ready for distribution.

Community members interested in supporting the drive, donating supplies or learning more about spay and neuter resources are encouraged to follow PAWS of Muskingum County and the Muskingum County Humane Society on social media for updates.

This story was created by Dave DeMille,  ddemille@gannett.com , with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at  cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct .

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Muskingum County organizations team up to help outdoor cats stay warm