FORT PLAIN — As part of their yearly community service project, the students in Ken Frank’s eighth grade Technology Club at Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School recently built 10 shelters for feral cats for the organization Spaying Capital Region Un-owned Feral Felines (or SCRUFF) in Guilderland.

Guidance Office Secretary Andrea Bouck, who volunteers at SCRUFF, approached Frank with the idea during the summer.

“The people at SCRUFF (which is made-up of volunteers) saw there was a real need for this,” she said. “We thought this would be a great community service idea for the kids. And the cats can use the shelters to be safe, so it feels like we’re doing the best thing for them.”

The difference between a stray and feral cat is that feral cats are fearful of humans and are often well-groomed, while stray cats can’t fend for themselves and often need human care. SCRUFF’s mission is to humanely reduce the number of feral and un-owned cats.

Frank said the students built each shelter about two feet wide and two feet tall, and raised six inches off the ground so the cats can enter them in bad weather. The wooden shelters also have shingles and insulation.

“It’s all part of our community service. Every year we try to do something. We welcome these with open arms. Last year, we made boxes for blue birds,” he said.

“The kids really liked it. They got to use a lot of different equipment. We worked together in teams. One group was in charge of shingling and another was in charge of insulation.”