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| Hello everyone, I'm a regular at the KT forum & occasionally lurk here.
I've been taking care of a stray for awhile now. As much as I want to, I can't bring him in the house to live for reasons I can't go into right now. I already have 2 indoor rescue kitties for approx 8 years. Mama & her baby. Lost my 3rd beloved 20 yr old gentle sweetest boy ever a year ago. Anyway, I need to get a small "insulated" dog/cat house quickly before the weather gets too bad. I'd love to get something like an igloo, but really can't afford that right now. I'm thinking maybe a plastic trash can laying on it's side filled with straw or some type of warm bedding material??? and maybe another covering over that to keep out rain or snow that can be tied down to the deck. He also needs to have either an escape route or a long narrow entrance since we have racoons, possums, skunks etc. & the ocassional neighborhood harassing dogs, so he can protect himself. I am not handy to build a dog/cat house. The one we had for him didn't make it thru late last summer after a bad storm & downed trees took it out. Also, I have not been seeing any igloo types on Craigslist... except the very large ones.
ANY SUGGESTIONS/IDEAS FOR CAT HOUSING WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. At least he's getting food, water, and lots of petting & loving. He waits by the door daily to get his goodies & will headbutt the door when he sees me. I feel so guilty that I can't bring him in to join my other two girls, but DH & I are in a real transitional situation right now.
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| I looked after a stray for a cold and snowy winter by using a large plastic kennel-crate right next to my door facing south. I lined it with thick, warm blankets, covered the crate in quilts AND took a plywood board to make a lean-to over it. I also kept a heating pad set on low under the blanket. Sammy loved it! It kept him warm and completely dry in a bad winter. I did get a home for him. |
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| Whatever you decide on as a cat house, consider getting a microwaveable pet warmer to keep him cozy at night. I once had a cat who decided late one fall to move out of the house when we got our third dog. Once I realized that he had no intention of hanging out or sleeping indoors that winter (I'm in New England), I borrowed a medium-sized igloo from a friend and put it out on the front deck facing south (conveniently facing towards the slider, so I could keep tabs on him). I filled it with an old down throw and some towels. I'd heat the saucer in the microwave every night before going to bed, tuck it under some of the bedding, and there he would curl up all toasty and warm. He'd come into the house a few times a day to eat, but would then insist on being let out again. The system worked well throughout a long, snowy New England winter. Some mornings I'd peek out through the slider and seem him curled inside the snow-covered igloo... he'd come out when I called his name and he would would be warm all over. I'd see him napping in there during the day sometimes too. He spent the winter like that, then decided to rejoin the family in the spring... By then the puppy had learned---from the other, indoor, cat---how to behave. You can google "microwaveable pet warmer" to see some different types... I used the "SnuggleSafe Pet Heating Pad" - looks like a pink frisbee. Good on you for thinking and caring for this lucky guy. |
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| Here's an easy-to-construct shelter for feral cats. (This photo is from Charm City Animal Rescue, Baltimore; I'm not sure of the original source.) Sue
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| Here are some links, but the one Sue posted is the basic idea. Easy, inexpensive and definitely doable for those of us who aren't handy. The igloo-style are expensive, aren't they? Use that money for kibble! http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_FERAL_CAT_WINTER_SHELTER http://www.urbancatleague.org/Shelters.html http://www.alleycat.org/Page.aspx?pid=631 http://www.spayandstay.org/wintershelter.htm |
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| You can also stick a styrofoam cooler in the container, lined with a mylar camping blanket, or just use the cooler/blanket by itself, although that does look pretty bad. You do want to line the styrofoam though, just to keep the cat from scratching at it. |
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- Posted by murraysmom (My Page) on Mon, Nov 21, 11 at 14:42
| I have a cat that is strictly outdoors. I took a covered litter box (clean, of course) and lined it with fleece pads. It's on my porch, out of the wind. It is covered with mover's quilts and has a kind of eskimo entrance with a towel that flaps over it. My cat gets food several times a day, and fresh water several times a day too. We have temperatures that will dip below zero, so I know my cat is comfortable and well cared for. |
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| I think what Sue posted is great. I'd do that. |
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- Posted by katclaws_mo (My Page) on Mon, Nov 21, 11 at 18:36
| THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH! The Feral Shelter looks like something even I can do!!! Thank you all again for caring so much to help me and my "outside" boy have a safe warm place to live & be loved.
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| My friend from the Rescue says she buys styrofoam coolers when they're on sale and cuts them down, to fit inside the outer box. She also uses the microwaveable disks to heat the shelters. I just looked at JoMuir's links; they have some construction details that may be helpful. I haven't tried this myself, as our cat is strictly an indoors cat (though she would dearly love to explore the great outdoors). Sue |
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