Feral in my garage

Bitsy's Mom

Bitsy's Mom

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di and bob said:
A heated cat hut is fine, I have used them for years. It gets down to 15F below zero here. My huts are in a garage though.
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You may not have followed my Oscar''s saga. He is in a unheated shed but the shed has carpeting, a window, a couch, carpeted platforms and a sleeping loft.
 
L

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I agree about taking the top off but also wonder if you can supply a soft squishy 'friend' for him to snuggle with - making sure it doesn't already smell like a dog or other cat.
 
AbbysMom

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lucyrima said:
I agree about taking the top off but also wonder if you can supply a soft squishy 'friend' for him to snuggle with - making sure it doesn't already smell like a dog or other cat.
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Did you mean to post this in this thread?
 
tarasgirl06

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AbbysMom AbbysMom I was wondering the same thing myself, about L lucyrima 's post ???
Bitsy's Mom Bitsy's Mom I've had you and Oscar on my mind, too, and so glad rubysmama rubysmama posted asking about you both. I follow you but for some unknown reason my follows often get missed when it comes to email updates. Anyway, VERY glad you are both okay and that's a good decision re: heating. Better SAFE, always, right? You can get those really long heavy-duty industrial extension cords (the ones I've seen, and have, are always orange) but better not to. Cats' body temperatures average 101 degrees and they are very good at keeping warm with their floofy coats, which get thicker and longer in cold weather. Cats live in Siberia, and Alaska, and just about everywhere else on earth, very successfully! I'm pretty sure Oscar loves the bedding and hiding places he has. He probably eats more in the cold weather, too, to get extra calories he needs.
Really looking forward to your next video! :redheartpump: :bigeyes::redheartpump:
 
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Bitsy's Mom said:
Hi Rubysmama,

Thanks for checking in. I was going to post today to let you know that Oscar made out fine during that horrible couple of frigid days here in Connecticut. It was - 8 F at night so I was very worried. I had bought a heater to use but then felt concerned since a heater draws 1200 amps and I would have had to run two extension cords from the house - one from the outside outlet in front and one from the back. I couldn't just use the one since I also had his igloo house and food bowl plugged in. I started worrying that if an outlet failed in the middle of the night - I wouldn't know it. So, I just hoped that the heated igloo cat bed would be enough and thankfully it was.

He is doing fine it seems. He is so big and fluffy :) I bought a new YEOOWW banana for him and I think he was up and crazy running around. Stuff was strewn about and I when in that morning, he was sound asleep in the igloo and went bounding out and up to the loft. He was huge :dancingblackcat:And, that was the first time I have seen him in months. I go in there and sit and talk to him but he never appears. I am still hopeful.

I will post a video of him later today. I am grateful he is well even if I can't interact with him . . .I adore him.
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I get SO excited when this thread appears! Hey, you might check out Goal Zero’s website, which offers portable batteries that are pretty darn hardy for charging things like heaters and even small electric plug in stoves. I think Oscar knows he’s a star on this website (at least in my eyes) and likes his fan base.
 
Bitsy's Mom

Bitsy's Mom

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tarasgirl06 said:
AbbysMom AbbysMom I was wondering the same thing myself, about L lucyrima 's post ???
Bitsy's Mom Bitsy's Mom I've had you and Oscar on my mind, too, and so glad rubysmama rubysmama posted asking about you both. I follow you but for some unknown reason my follows often get missed when it comes to email updates. Anyway, VERY glad you are both okay and that's a good decision re: heating. Better SAFE, always, right? You can get those really long heavy-duty industrial extension cords (the ones I've seen, and have, are always orange) but better not to. Cats' body temperatures average 101 degrees and they are very good at keeping warm with their floofy coats, which get thicker and longer in cold weather. Cats live in Siberia, and Alaska, and just about everywhere else on earth, very successfully! I'm pretty sure Oscar loves the bedding and hiding places he has. He probably eats more in the cold weather, too, to get extra calories he needs.
Really looking forward to your next video! :redheartpump: :bigeyes::redheartpump:
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The thing with adding the heater was that I do have a long outdoor heavy duty extension cord, and I have the heated bed and his food bowls plugged into it. I was told that to add a heater on top of this was that I needed to run another outdoor extension cord from another outlet so I wouldn't blow the circuit. The amps pulled by most heaters are 1200 where is an airconditioner is around 500. So, I was afraid to experiment when it was going to be 5 below and have something go wrong. He uses the heated bed like a champ - and didn't want to change things and take a risk. The bed gets to 102 degrees so hopefully that will keep him safe since he's inside and no wind . . .even if it is 5 below.

Video coming I promise:)
 
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Bitsy's Mom said:
My boy this morning at 10:20 am EST.

FullSizeRender.MOV

Oscar this morning. A bit of jumping and wall scratching and final destination of heated cat bed!
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He's absolutely GORGEOUS with his winter coat! and yes, he looks very happy and prosPURRous. You're absolutely doing the right thing by not adding any more cords. He will be quite warm in his cat bed, with his floof! :redheartpump: :blackcat2::redheartpump::cloud9::loveeyes:
 
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So nice to see Oscar! I know, technically, your scent should be everywhere in his 'home', but have you thought about leaving a couple of pieces of your worn, unwashed clothing in the area just to see how he reacts? Have you gone in there at any point in time and just sat somewhere farther away from his 'stuff', and softly read a book out loud, so that he eventually becomes acclimated to your voice being a constant in his life? You've been so patient, that I am sure you can try some of these tactics without expecting anything to change quickly.
 
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