2026 Winter Shelter Pickup Season is Here!

When temperatures drop to dangerous levels across Marion County, a warm, dry shelter is a literal lifeline for outdoor cats. Every year, Indy Neighborhood Cats builds and distributes over 3,000 outdoor winter shelters directly to Indianapolis residents and colony caretakers.

The 2026 Winter Shelter Pickup Season is officially here, and we have plenty of shelters, straw, and insulation ready to keep our feline neighbors safer and warmer through our Midwest winter.

Kick-Off Event & Pickup Location

Our official season kick-off event takes place at our primary warehouse partner space:

First Pickup Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Hours: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: FIDO Warehouse, 1505 N. Sherman Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46201

Ongoing Schedule Overview

November & December: Additional pickup dates throughout both months.
January & February: Regular Sunday pickup sessions through the end of February.

What’s Available & Suggested Donations

To help us cover raw material costs, continue building, and distribute thousands of shelters across Indy, we request a small donation for supplies:

Winter Shelters: $2 donation per shelter
Fresh Straw: $2 donation per bag
Accepted Payment Methods: Cash, card, and check

Available Supplies at Pickups

🏠 Insulated Winter Shelters (pre-built and ready for field deployment)
🌾 Fresh Straw (the best insulating bedding for outdoor cats—never use blankets or towels!)
🧱 Extra Foam Insulation
📋 Colony & Shelter Notice Tags (to inform neighbors and groundskeepers)
🎁 INC Holiday Goodies (shop branded merch to support community cat care)

Weather-Driven Emergency Pop-Ups

Beyond our scheduled pickup dates, INC monitors Marion County weather forecasts closely. When severe winter conditions hit—such as polar vortex events, blizzards, or extreme winter storm warnings—we host emergency weather-driven pop-up distributions.

Be sure to follow Indy Neighborhood Cats on Facebook and Instagram for real-time pop-up announcements, location drops, and emergency winter-care alerts.

DIY Winter Shelters & Survival Guides

Need a shelter immediately or want to build one at home using common household items like plastic storage totes and styrofoam coolers? Explore our step-by-step guides:

🛠️ DIY Shelter Tips & Visual Guide: Learn how to craft effective shelters at home by checking out our DIY Shelter Instructions Guide.
❄️ Winter Care & Survival: For detailed tips on preventing water from freezing, feeding routines during extreme cold, and safe winter trapping, read our Winter Survival Guide.

Mark your calendars, share this post with fellow caretakers, and come see us starting November 14!

#shelterfeedfixcare #IndyNeighborhoodCats

Our Programs

Winter Shelter Program

We provide life sustaining shelters Ongoing pickup opportunities for warm winter cat shelters and straw are now available through Indy Neighborhood Cats.

📍 Pickup Location: FIDO Warehouse

⏰ Schedule:

Sundays: Through March 1st | 12:00–3:00 PM

Thursdays: Through March 1st | 3:00–6:00 PM

Instructions for pickup will be shared soon.

🐾 Community Impact: After just seven weeks, Central Indiana residents have already picked up approximately 3,300 winter shelters…

📘 Winter Care Resources: … Winter Survival Guide

Make a DIY Shelter »

Winter Survival Guide »

Cat Food Pantry Support

We partner with Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside (FIDO). Nutrition is vital to keeping cats healthy. We understand that feeding large groups of cats can provide challenges. FIDO runs the largest pet food pantry in Indianapolis. Indy Neighborhood Cats helps fundraise for cat food and we are on site twice a week to assist with pantry operations. This removes duplication of effort and it keeps us face to face with community cat caretakers with the greatest need.

Click the link below to find out how to register with the FIDO Pantry.

Learn More »

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program

Our Gratitude

We are thankful to the following people and organizations that make the work we do possible.

indyhumane on Facebook

indyhumane on the Web

Thank you to IndyHumane for the partnership. Their team have shown tremendous leadership and guidance. In addition: Thousands of community cats in Indianapolis would go hungry without the generous food donations IndyHumane provide to the FIDO pet food pantry. IndyHumane rescue relief also helps provide food to caretakers at lower costs and helps subsidize Indy Neighborhood Cats mobile pantry program.

We are also very thankful for the Michigan Road campus feline team who provide dental and medical care to community cats at low costs.

For their mentorship and partnership

FIDO on Facebook
FIDO on the Web

FIDO are leaders in field services for animals in Indianapolis. As FIDO and INC are often in the same neighborhoods, FIDO has stepped up to offer their mentorship and partnership to Indy Neighborhood Cats. They provide INC with access to shared warehouse space, vehicles and space for traps and other supplies. We look forward to a long lasting partnership as we grow our field operations and TNR programs.

Pet Friendly Services Indiana on the Web

Pet Friendly Services Indiana on Facebook

Pet Friendly Services of Indiana has provided generous financial support to Indy Neighborhood Cats in the form of vital spay/neuter funding for our TNR program. Without their generosity and support, there would be hundreds more reproducing cats outside in our neighborhoods.