This is a heated cat house that will keep your outside cat warm and cozy all winter long. There is enough room inside for food, water and a bed. Inside the house the water will not freeze even when it is freezing outside.
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You may need to train your cat to use the house by feeding them inside. They will see how warm and cozy it is in there and before you know it they will be using it on their own.
We keep our cat houses out all year long but we only feed them inside on very cold days. They are plugged in all winter, day and night. In the spring we unplug them during the day when the weather is warm and plug them in for the cold nights. During the summer our cats dont use the inside, so we put foam pads on top and they love to lay up there. When we turn the houses on in the fall as the days and nights start to get cold again, we find our cats sleeping inside, they really love their houses!
Having fun checking out their new house.
We keep our cat houses out all year long but we only feed them inside on very cold days. They are plugged in all winter, day and night. In the spring we unplug them during the day when the weather is warm and plug them in for the cold nights. During the summer our cats dont use the inside, so we put foam pads on top and they love to lay up there. When we turn the houses on in the fall as the days and nights start to get cold again, we find our cats sleeping inside, they really love their houses!
Having fun checking out their new house.
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you made my mom soooooooooo happy, thank you. She trapped and spayed 14 or 15 ferals in NJ about 4 years ago, 5 are left and she worries about them all of the time. My bf built them a house to match her office 2 winters ago off the ground complete with matching roofline and siding. Winters are tough there however and she wasn't sure it was warm enough inside despite the foam insulation and non contact with the ground.
This winter we put a remote thermometer inside to gauge the inside vs. outside and found the inside temp to be the same and outside minus the wind factor and snow / rain. Searching for a quick fix bc we were only there for a week over the holiday I found your similar story and wonderful instructable.
Thank you soooooooo much for the idea. Although I wasn't able to do the professional job you did mounting the lights bc of the blizzard that had just started, I stuffed the rope lights under the bedding on both interior levels and ran the electric off the same cord as their heated water bowl. Also did a double rope length to give them a heated path to the house from the waterbowl doubling over the lights so some of the snow would melt.
Immediately there was only about 5 degrees difference - overnight that went to 20 degrees and now despite the awful low temps it has normalized and stayed at 60 degrees in their house. My mother keeps the remote temp sensor ($10 at Rite Aid) inside their house and the base inside her office which is on the same property as her home.
Honestly the only thing she has talked to me about since we did the rope light is the rope light and how happy she is that her kitties are warm. She will never talk those cats into being indoor cats but now they have their own indoors and reported to me yesterday that she sees them popping in and out of it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you and God Bless.
Kati
I hope this helps to increase the well being of the cats and makes there life a bit better.
Take care,
Phil
Two things I would suggest:
1. After the cat(s) gets used to hanging out in the shelter, put the food somewhere else. Raccoons, possums, other cats, even rats, will be attracted to the food and the cat could find itself trapped inside or unable to go inside. Kitty friend could get hurt pretty bad in such case. If there's any possibility of dogs getting into the yard, I'd put it up where a dog can't get to, as well.
2. Use a second-hand cooler (thrift shop, garage sale or Craig's List) to reduce use of natural resources, keep something out of the landfill and save money.
RE: HAY/STRAW This would be fine, if it's something you have laying around, but most people don't. How about a cat hammock (as seen in some other "Instructables" with a removable pad for washing? It would get the kitties a up off the floor, where it's warmer anyway, and provide circulation underneath to dry out the towel when they come in with wet feets.
RE: HEATING PAD I think a heating pad would probably be too hot, besides using more electricity and possibly being a fire risk. Our long-haired cat loves to be outdoors. Even when inside, he'll hang out in the cold bedroom instead of the cozy living room. Not all cats like to cozy up by the fire--especially cats who are used to being outdoors. In a small, well-insulated space like this, the cat's body heat only needs a little supplement to make it toasty.
what are you a masochist?? :)
http://www.tlcpoodles.com/catbath.html