How do you deal with winter?

Tweet

Living in the Praires of Canada, winter can be bitter and extreme. We never know from one day to the next the kind of weather old man winter will throw our way. We've had higher then normal temperatures up to the past few days. Last night with the windchill, our temperature dipped to -44C (-47F).. Vehicles won't start, cars staul on highways, and it seems no matter how many layers of clothes you wear, the bite of winter gets through and skin can freeze under 5 minutes. Being in the flatlands of Canada, blizzards can pose quite the threat. I've experienced whiteouts where you have no choice but to pull to the side of the road since visibility is nil. My main race for 4 to 5 months of cold is finding ways to fight the elements. Caring for feral cats comes with many obstacles. Water freezes within a few hours, bowls crack, canned food freezes within minutes and keeping them warm and dry is a challenge. In the barn I built a cat apartment which faces South. It is mainly made of old house windows and I placed two heatlmaps that are on day long. The cat house also has heatlamps but also a heater. My house porch is converted into a complete shelter area during winter. This year I built a room in the basement with a cat door for the cats to come and go. I was able to grab a few of them in carriers and take them to the cat room in the basement. There are heated bowls available; I have a few of them but they are not made for these extreme temperatures; water and food still freezes in them. How do you deal with winter and its miseries when caring for homeless aimals? It's a constant battle against Mother Nature; one at times we lose but a fight I battle to the end. Does winter get bitterly cold and nasty where you live for feral cats, sttrays, and other homeless animals? How do you deal with this? Perhaps we can share tips and experiences on coping with the season.