Emergency shelter for a cat in this weather? Help!

ameliashuman

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I'm posting for my sister. She has a cat that likes to hang out on her porch, it always has looked healthy and well fed so we assumed it was a neighbor's cat who roamed the area. However, the cat is still on her porch despite the cold and icey rain. She wants to set up an emergency shelter (maybe invite it inside for protection, her cat of 10 years passed away last months so she's feeling the emptiness). However, she doesn't have her previous cat's crate anymore so we're unsure what type of emergency shelter she could create for this cat. Suggestions for what she can do with things that are lying around the house? She just wants this cat to be safe in this weather, poor thing
 

dustydiamond1

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I'm posting for my sister. She has a cat that likes to hang out on her porch, it always has looked healthy and well fed so we assumed it was a neighbor's cat who roamed the area. However, the cat is still on her porch despite the cold and icey rain. She wants to set up an emergency shelter (maybe invite it inside for protection, her cat of 10 years passed away last months so she's feeling the emptiness). However, she doesn't have her previous cat's crate anymore so we're unsure what type of emergency shelter she could create for this cat. Suggestions for what she can do with things that are lying around the house? She just wants this cat to be safe in this weather, poor thing
Bless you and she for helping this poor kitty. I suggest posting on Cats S.O.S too.
 

japam

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I'm posting for my sister. She has a cat that likes to hang out on her porch, it always has looked healthy and well fed so we assumed it was a neighbor's cat who roamed the area. However, the cat is still on her porch despite the cold and icey rain. She wants to set up an emergency shelter (maybe invite it inside for protection, her cat of 10 years passed away last months so she's feeling the emptiness). However, she doesn't have her previous cat's crate anymore so we're unsure what type of emergency shelter she could create for this cat. Suggestions for what she can do with things that are lying around the house? She just wants this cat to be safe in this weather, poor thing
i made a very simple one last week, got an old wharfdale speaker box about 3 feet high vertically, that takes speakers about 8 to 10 inch, removed all the inside foam,
placed it horizontally on two tires outside, grabbed a piece of plywood from neighbours scrap, placed it on top to create a roof, on top of that placed a terrapin and used two planks of wood to hold the terrapin and roof down.

The cats absolutely love it, they are always chilling in there, the beauty of it, is it is easy to dismantle and place somewhere else.
oh i forgot, placed some straw inside.

I would walk around your neighbourhood, u would be surprised what people are throwing away, and with a little thought, ideas will start flowing.
The tyres are to keep out insects and the cold floor.
 

mxw1214

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I made one from a Rubbermaid container and styrofoam cooler. You put the cooler inside the container and cut a 6 inch hole in the front, and use straw for bedding. I put duct tape on the edges of the holes to keep the cooler in place and also make sure they don’t hurt themselves on the cut plastic. That said, no one has used my new shelter and it’s been very cold!
 

Jesse James

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Yes, I use totes with lids you can buy at Walmart or anywhere. I've used single totes - not too big - 13 gallon for cats - cut the 6" hole in the side, tape with duct tape if you have, and fill with straw not hay. Straw doesn't hold moisture which would be too damp and cold for them - hay and any type of cloth will hold moisture which you don't want. You can insulate them better on the outside with self-sticking pipe insulation you can buy at Home Depot. It's about 1" thick and has foil on the outside. Comes in rolls about a foot wide - in the plumbing section at HD. I've wrapped the whole tote in it. Or, use 2 different size totes, smaller one inside bigger one, cut 2 holes, and fill space between the 2 with some type of insulation - styrofoam sheets or loose insulation (again, at Home Depot).
 
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