blankets for shelter

I love seeing all the creative new ideas here. I also sew for the cat shelter where we are members of.
As the shelter is quite far away and we cannot help with working there I thought it would be fun to sew and collect stuff they might need.
I always buy huge amounts of fabrics on sale outs, especially checked pattern fabrics, as they are the most easy to be sewed (I am a beginner as well)...the cushions are 40cm x 60cm and stuffed with quilting material...I add two buttons and a rubber mat on the downside of the cushions so that they stay in place even when the cats get in action, so the cushions can be used on floors as well...as these cushions will be heavy used I step the cat face and a boarder around the cushion to make sure that even after a lot of trips to the washing machine everything stays in place...(see picture)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...5/f9d59e05.jpg
Sometimes I just use old towels to sew stuffed blankies from...it's a very good alternative to other fabrics...

I have wanted to do more to help out the homeless and this is great! I am not able to get to deeply involved due to how I work, but this would really work for me! I am going to start right away making kitty blankets for our local rescue orgianzation and see if I can get my daughter involved too..

This time of the year, fleece and flannel are on sale. Out of 1 yard of fleece, you can get 4 blankets and they love that fleece and are quick to get that Happy Feet thing going on it. Below I am posting a bed I made for my babies just the other day and there is always one sleeping on it. They also love my flannel rag quilt my sister made me for Christmas.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...6/f9d4c1ff.jpg

bisi.cat - Love that blanket with cat face. How did you make the face? I like the rubber mat idea too, very nice.

Laura's babies - that bed is really nice. Did you make it from a pattern or on your own? My cats love that type of bed and I'd like to be able to make some.

Laura how did you make that??!! It is sooooo cuuuute!! Would you please be willing to share the instructions? I just love the fabric you used!! I have so many kitties that I can't always afford to buy alot of these beds and then find out they won't use them. This would be a whole lot cheaper and I could give them more of them!!! I just love the one you made!!http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/o...es/biggrin.gif
The talent here is amazing!!

I notice that our cats love to stretch out on our very fluffy bathmats. They are thick with a rubber backing and about the right size for a carrier.

So I called our shelter to inquire but they said no. They have to wash them so often to get rid of the germs and they take HOURS to dry. So, no takers on this idea. Makes sense.

This is another kind of "bed" that I've made for the kitties out of some old covers and it's made like a tunnel.
http://www.abycat.com/tess_pase1.jpg

WOW! Everyone's blankies are sooooo nice! I too have often thought about trying to crochet or sew some cat blankets, now you all have me INSPIRED!!! Way to go PTers.... you are the BEST!:D

I just cut out a big square (with the fabric folded so you have 2 sides) and rounded the edges a little, then cut out a long straight piece (ended up having to cut out another piece to make it long enough to go around the whole thing.. Fold to create a tube and pin it on, all the way around.., then sewed it on. Then I stuffed the edge part.. HINT: make sure it is wide enough to get your arm in it to shove the stuffing in it. I stuffed from one end, then the other.

Here's the neat part, I had a lot of OLD throw pillows and I recycled the stuffing from them for the whole thing. Old throw pillows or bed pillows work.

Then I pinned the botton layer on with the stuffed tube part INSIDE, and sewed it together, leaving an opening to put the stuffing in it, turn right sides out. Once stuffed, I joined the edges of the outter part with needle and thread and sewed up the bottom where I put the stuffing in it.. Cats don't care if it is all squares up or you make mistakes, all they care about is that it is comfortable. Just make sure it is not packed really tight so that it is soft. There is always one of them on it now that they have it..

You could do this with any soft material or just make a pillow case cover for a old pillow for them... anything that they would like to lay on. Are these instructions clear enough to understand?

I went to my mom's for the day today and we got to work on the blankets. There were 2 kids and 3 adults there so it looked like a mini sweat shop. The kids were having a great time as well as us adults. We have almost the tops of 5 blankets done with all of her scrap material. Tomorrow I hope to get those 5 finished completely. That way we feel like we got something done. The kids probably wont have school tomorrow due to the snow we are getting now. So all of us will be getting back to work. I will also be taking more pictures and posting them tomorrow when I get home.

Katie

cubby, what happened to the strays behind your mom's house after she sold it? I'm new to this website so maybe you've already said? I'm assuming they were taken care of somehow? Do you go back to look for more dumped cats (you said people dump in the park..) Just really curious..
let us know! thanks!

oh how awful for you!
Well, I don't know what state your in but in new england we use "Friends of Animals" or we go through stray orgs. that have discounts through vets. But when you're dealing with a large population, it can still be so expensive. Esp because you're gonna test 1st (where I live used to be $15.00 and is now $25.00 with discount!). If they are positive, well, there's a whole other story- can't put them back ya know..
But if neg-can just test a few to know if the colony is healthy then tell the vet, no more testing, the colony is clean).
The lowest I've seen out here is $45.00 for a spay and $35.00 for a nueter. And they keep going up... Jan does her own distempers vaccines and through the discount for the vet to do it (last I heard) $10.00 and rabies about the same. So it's a lot but.. Imagine all the babies you'll be seeing and by the time mum brings them around, too feral to adopt out and they too will breed.. Well, you know how it can get, I don't need to say! If you need to do fund raising, is it possible to do it through Pet Talk or is that forbidden!? I would gladly help...Get some trappers lined up-people who know how to do it right (like, you do NOT trap a female without knowing whether or not she's nursing- seen trappers bungle that up! all you have to do is put catnip down, at night, then shine a flashlight on the belly to see if nipples are wet or if fur is separated from nursing- even then, best to pull for milk when she's in the trap to make sure- any nursing mom should be released to get back to her hidden babies- but I'm way ahead of the game here aren't I? let me know how I and others can help?!

Let your mom know that unspayed females are at high high high risk for ovarian cancer. And, repeated litters means depleated calcium= babies starve- painful way to die. and if that doesn't do it....
A few years ago, Jan spotted a cat that looked strangely lying or dragging in someones driveway as she happened to drive by a house after grocery shopping one day, and went up to the cat, found that she had given birth so many times that her entire uterus was prolapsed. In other words, it was dragging on the ground. the poor thing could hardly walk, and to top it off she was nursing! I can't remember if kittens were ever located but I know Jan brought the poor thing right to the vet and the best they could do was euthanize her. She was in much pain.

Since reading your post, I have had it on my mind, knowing that is something I can do to help the homeless babies since a deep comittment on my part would be impossiable. (Due to how I work) Yesterday, while I was in knots and worried to death about my baby while she was in surgery, I found keeping busy helped to distract me so I pulled out my scraps and went to work.

Once I get a pile of them made, I am going to call our local rescue program and donate what I made. I have been wanting to help and your thread inspired me as well as a day of worrying about my own baby. Here are the ones I made so far.



http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...9/f9c7f480.jpg


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...e/f9c7f476.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...9/f9c7f452.jpg

May this thread inspire more! (From my baby Amy)

Those are simply gorgeous!!!! Oh what lucky kitties who will be resting on those! Great job, and BIG heart!!!

(((HUGS))):)

These look great Laura! I just got back from Wal-Mart myself, armed with bits and pieces of cute fabrics. I like how you seem to do all the quilting with the sewing machine - outlining, etc and may try some that way. Have fun and keep posting pictures everyone - so we can stay inspired with ideas!! I also want to try a kitty face outline like Nellie's mom made. :)