Chicken coop for feral home?

[lochness350]

I am still on the search for decent lodgings for my feral friends.  I have a barn that is super nice but a little far from my house and they prefer to stay close so they live under my gazebo.  I have made two Rubbermaid, insulated shelters for them but am unable to keep it warm with heating pads or even microwaveable disks due to their location (I have to army crawl to get to them).  I would like to put something that can hold up in the weather and have it on my back deck right next to my outside bedroom door so I can hear them through the night so I was thinking a chicken coop might be perfect.  You can find some cheaper ones on Amazon and if I insulated it better and install some doggie doors they should stay warm.  Has anyone tried this? Does it work well?

 

[catpack]

This is something I have thought about trying myself. There are some nice size coops, and, I think with the added modifications you have talked about, I think it would be a great solution!

Let me know if you decide to give it a try.

 

[ondine]

I have a chicken coop inside my enclosure.  It works perfectly.  I put a litter box near the door you can see, so I can lean in and scoop.  I put their food at the opposite end (through the little door, where the chickens would come and go).  The cats use the nesting boxes as beds (on the right in the picture), which I fill with straw.  Here's the thread.  You don't have to go as large as mine.  I got the coop and built the enclosure around it.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/257002/my-new-enclosure

 

[lochness350]

This is the one I am looking at:
I like it because it has two entrances for emergency escape (I have a ton of raccoons and possums).  I think it would be big enough to house 4 cats and I would be able to access it every day to put the microwave disks in.  It looks a little cheaply made but the price is decent to reflect that.  With a little beefing up, I think it could work.  I will certainly post if I am able to purchase it and let everyone know how it goes.  The weather is getting ready to turn and I would feel much better knowing my furballs are safe and warm. Now I just have to find the funds! I just got slammed with an older indoor cats vet bill!  Yikes!

 

[lochness350]

Ondine--That is beautiful!  I would love to be able to get something like that.  What happy little kitties you must have!  That looks extremely well made and like it will last forever!

Unfortunately I will have to go much, much cheaper LOL!

Do you think they one I posted would work well for 4 cats?

 

[ondine]

I like it!  You could nail boards at each end of the screened-in bottom and block the wind.  Put straw in there and the cats can hunker down and get cozy.

You can use the flat sheets of Styrofoam cut to fit for added insulation - they have it with a Mylar covering on one side that will reflect the sun and warm it even more.

But even if you don't do anything but add straw, your kitties will have a toasty place to sleep this winter!

 

[lochness350]

Well it has happened.  I finally have my husband on board to making our ferals a home.  Instead of buying a coop, we are going to build a home to our specifications to fit 4 cats.  It should be a lot more sturdy than the coops in the price range I can afford.  I will post pics as soon as it is finished. We are not carpenters, so it may not be pretty!  LOL

I also ordered some Snuggle Safes.  We will be putting their new home on our back deck so I will be able to access it daily to warm them up.  I am excited. Hopefully I can get this all done sooner than later as the temps are getting ready to take a huge dip.  In the meantime, I am sure they will be doing ok in their Rubbermaid shelters.

Also--I may be taking one of the ferals in. He is not part of the original litter (the other 3 cats were the kittens born under my gazebo) so he is often alone.  The siblings cuddle a lot and I feel they keep each other warm.  The new little guy (named Poe VanGogh) is ear tipped (hence the name) and neutered.  I thought he was feral since he was hanging around my house for over a month before I could even get a good look at him.  Then all of a sudden, he just came up to me and now we are best friends.  He is so sweet. I am keeping an eye on him to see how he does in the elements, if I feel he is struggling, inside he will come.  Not sure how my indoor kitties will take it but they may have to just suck it up!

 

[ondine]

I think you're right.  Whatever you make is sure to be studier than what you can buy.  But you may not have to start from scratch.

Have you looked at Feral Villa?  You can buy a kit - you put it together and then get shingles for the roof.  I had a friend who put two together with about two feet between them and a roof bridging them both.  She added walls, a floor and another entry to the "bridge" - making three entries total.  Some cats won't use houses without "escape hatches."

She also made one side of the roof lift up on piano hinges, so it was easier to clean.  If you buy two kits, it will cost a little more than $100.  The supplies for the bridge and the shingles shouldn't be more than another $100.

I like the new kitty's name!