Best outdoor shelter to buy for stray cat, and keeping other critters out of it.

Fred999

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I know nothing about cats, but there's a stray that comes to my door. I'd like to buy a little shelter to put out that it can go into during the cold winter. Can someone suggest which one to buy? Brand? Model? Seller? URL? Any info appreciated.

Also, how do I keep rats and raccoons and such out of it? I want the shelter to be for this cat.
 

CatladyJan

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I know nothing about cats, but there's a stray that comes to my door. I'd like to buy a little shelter to put out that it can go into during the cold winter. Can someone suggest which one to buy? Brand? Model? Seller? URL? Any info appreciated.

Also, how do I keep rats and raccoons and such out of it? I want the shelter to be for this cat.
I don't think you will be able to keep the wild animals out or away. If you can set up feeding times that helps insure the cat is getting the food. Here is a link: Neighborhood Cats | How to TNR | Feral Cat Winter Shelter
 

fionasmom

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Places like Chewy and K&H Pets sell ready made shelters which are not that expensive. However, the suggestions in the articles above are all very good and very standard management for ferals. I have used the Samsonite type storage container myself and have about 6 on my property right now.

As for heating pads, if you google that you will find a lot of selections. Depending on your property, there are the ones that need to be plugged in which I have in my garage area, and some which are disc which can be heated in the microwave. Get something that is meant for pet use; don't just use a regular heating pad which may not be intended to be left on for a long period of time and may get too hot. Some of them pull a lot of energy as I found out years ago.

If the cat comes to your door, putting the house closer to the door may discourage animals who might try to use it.
 

jeanw

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Places like Chewy and K&H Pets sell ready made shelters which are not that expensive. However, the suggestions in the articles above are all very good and very standard management for ferals. I have used the Samsonite type storage container myself and have about 6 on my property right now.

As for heating pads, if you google that you will find a lot of selections. Depending on your property, there are the ones that need to be plugged in which I have in my garage area, and some which are disc which can be heated in the microwave. Get something that is meant for pet use; don't just use a regular heating pad which may not be intended to be left on for a long period of time and may get too hot. Some of them pull a lot of energy as I found out years ago.

If the cat comes to your door, putting the house closer to the door may discourage animals who might try to use it.
I agree with all of this. If the cat is truly a stray rather than a feral and depending on how cold it gets where you live, you may want to see if it will sleep in your garage.
 
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Fred999

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Thank you fionasmom and jeanw. For now, I've decided to start with:

K&H Pet Products Otdoor Unheated Kitty House, Olive, and
Pet Magasin Thermal Self-Heated Cat Bed

from Chewy. It's not purrfect but it's better than nothing. I just don't think that I would keep up with a microwaveable pad, and there's no AC outlet in front of the house. I'm going to put them next to the house near the front of the house where two exterior walls form a right angle, blocking the wind from two directions, and an overhang blocks most of the rain. I might have to put it on top of a table or chair or something to keep it above the occasional snow drifts after winter storms.
 

Whenallhellbreakslose

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I never bought winter shelters. Instead, I have made my own. The standard shelter is a styrofoam cooler that fits inside a storage container that the lid can snap shut on. Inside the styrofoam container you can place straw or mylar blankets (which radiates back the cat's body heat). I also use the microwavable disks on very cold nights and put it in the back of the shelters. It doesn't last as long as I like on cold nights- just around 3-4 hours. I also took old pillow cases and put a bunch of activated hot hands in it and tied it up tight. I had better luck because the cats sit on it and it was still warm when I pulled them out the next day. However, it can get costly with the hot hands, so that is why I save that for the worst nights.

This year since I am worried about all the new street kitties that has been hanging around my house. I will have to work on extra shelters. In regards wildlife raiding the shelters, make the shelter opening with just enough space for the cat too slip in. Maybe this will work, maybe not. Some caretaker's do put extra shelters out so the cat will not be left in the cold.

Hope you found this thread helpful.🙂
 

Caspers Human

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Why not just a dog house?

Who says a dog house is just for dogs? Why not cats?

A dog house... or cat house... can be made of anything from a cardboard box to an empty shipping crate. You can even knock one together from old lumber you might have lying around your garage. Just a hammer and some nails and presto!

When I was a kid all of my father's hunting dogs lived outside all year long. In the winter, Dad would put in some straw to keep the dogs warm in all but the coldest of days.

Dad built all the dog houses, himself out of plywood and 2x4 lumber. He also got some old blankets and tacked them over the door with a staple gun to make a flap to keep the cold wind out. The dogs stayed outdoors, in those dog houses, unless it got really cold. Then, they were brought inside to stay in the basement.

I suppose you could go to Home Depot and buy a dog house but I think it would be cheaper and easier to just make one, yourself. That way, your cat house can be whatever size and shape you want it to be.

It doesn't have to be fancy. Just functional.
 

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I can't recommend a brand as I live in another country but just a warning, if there are other cats around, and/or if there are animals like raccoons the cat may not feel safe on floor-level shelter, or even get kicked out of by another cat. I like high shelters they need to jump to get in better. Like this...
1604045605063.png

1604045654571.png
 

JimmyL

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Places like Chewy and K&H Pets sell ready made shelters which are not that expensive. However, the suggestions in the articles above are all very good and very standard management for ferals. I have used the Samsonite type storage container myself and have about 6 on my property right now.

As for heating pads, if you google that you will find a lot of selections. Depending on your property, there are the ones that need to be plugged in which I have in my garage area, and some which are disc which can be heated in the microwave. Get something that is meant for pet use; don't just use a regular heating pad which may not be intended to be left on for a long period of time and may get too hot. Some of them pull a lot of energy as I found out years ago.

If the cat comes to your door, putting the house closer to the door may discourage animals who might try to use it.
Hi - The microwave heating pad discs..how long do they stay warm. Thanks
 

JimmyL

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There's some great advice contained in the posts above. I live in Belgrade, Serbia and we have an abandoned mum cat (about 8 months old) and her son (about 4 months). The neighbours and I have made cat houses for them (see below) using cardboard boxes, polystyrene, and strong material. The boxes are in a well-sheltered space, but with temperatures due to drop to -2 degrees this weekend, I am still worried that they won't be warm enough. I might invest in some heat pads, but any ideas on how I could make the inside of the box warmer for them? ( I could buy some fleece material and make a cat sleeping bag - see below again). Thanks for any ideas. James

Cat houses 1.jpeg
Cathouses 2.jpeg
image2.jpeg
image1.jpeg
Cat sleeping bag 1.jpg
 

CatladyJan

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There's some great advice contained in the posts above. I live in Belgrade, Serbia and we have an abandoned mum cat (about 8 months old) and her son (about 4 months). The neighbours and I have made cat houses for them (see below) using cardboard boxes, polystyrene, and strong material. The boxes are in a well-sheltered space, but with temperatures due to drop to -2 degrees this weekend, I am still worried that they won't be warm enough. I might invest in some heat pads, but any ideas on how I could make the inside of the box warmer for them? ( I could buy some fleece material and make a cat sleeping bag - see below again). Thanks for any ideas. James

View attachment 360220View attachment 360221View attachment 360222View attachment 360223View attachment 360225
There's some great advice contained in the posts above. I live in Belgrade, Serbia and we have an abandoned mum cat (about 8 months old) and her son (about 4 months). The neighbours and I have made cat houses for them (see below) using cardboard boxes, polystyrene, and strong material. The boxes are in a well-sheltered space, but with temperatures due to drop to -2 degrees this weekend, I am still worried that they won't be warm enough. I might invest in some heat pads, but any ideas on how I could make the inside of the box warmer for them? ( I could buy some fleece material and make a cat sleeping bag - see below again). Thanks for any ideas. James

View attachment 360220View attachment 360221View attachment 360222View attachment 360223View attachment 360225
. The problem with fleece and man made materials is if they get wet they will freeze and only be colder. Use Mylar if you have that and straw
 

fionasmom

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I have made similar homes to JimmyL JimmyL . Depending on where you are, the bedding can become cold and in some places straw is preferrable.

The heating discs stay warm for much longer than you might expect.Snuggle Safe claims that they stay warm for 10 hours and I would agree with that...they cool as the night goes on, but I have found them to be warmish in the morning. I have also found that some outdoor cats do not like true pet heating pads...almost as if they get too warm.
 

Whenallhellbreakslose

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Hi - The microwave heating pad discs..how long do they stay warm. Thanks
I have used them and unfortunately in weather under 32F it lasts for just about 3 hours. Not even the 8-12 hours advertised. I never use the cover that comes with it, instead I wrap the discs in newspaper. I had better luck with taking a bunch of activated hot hands and tying them up in old pillow cases. I checked the next morning around 8am and they were still warm because the cats slept on them. I only do this on the coldest nights because economic wise it gets expensive.
 
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JimmyL

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. The problem with fleece and man made materials is if they get wet they will freeze and only be colder. Use Mylar if you have that and straw
Would you cover the inside walls with mylar, or leave sheets inside the cat house to act as 'blankets' for the cats to get underneath..or both?
 

fionasmom

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I am in Los Angeles and it does not get that cold in the scheme of things worldwide. While we have a rainy season, it is also predictable and can be worked with. Having said that, I do have fleece blankets in the houses for the ferals and have covered the entire house with the largest black plastic yard bag available...or two...which does help with the rain. If the blankets get wet I launder them.
 
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