Is this shelter warm enough?

[msaimee]

Here we go again. Next week temperatures will 4 degrees at nite, not counting wind chills, followed by  a long spread of days in the low teens.  I'm wondering whether to leave Muffin's house as it, or to order a heating pad to put in it 

cedarhouse.jpg

• msaimee
• Jan 18, 2014

Insidehouse.jpg

• msaimee
• Jan 18, 2014

housecovering.jpg

• msaimee
• Jan 18, 2014

beneath the straw. I want the most protection for him (he loves his house and is always in it in the cold) but I also don't want to make any changes if it might make him uncomfortable. Basically, the house is cedar insulated, but has an entrance and exit door. I have a piece of carpet on the floor with a folded towel over it, and a mylar sheet on top of that, and a bunch of straw over that. I have two throw blankets covering both doors and a thicker blanket over them, and when it was really cold, I put my sleeping bag around the entire house, leaving just enough room for him to stick his head underneath and maneuver his way inside. Do you guys think this is enough, or should I get a heating pad, too?  

 

[shadowsrescue]

A heat pad or even microwave disc would really warm things up.  Have you tried placing a thermometer inside to see what the temperature is inside the shelter compared to the outside temperature?  That should give you an idea how warm it is inside.  I would think since it's a cedar insulated house that is stuffed with straw and then wrapped as well to keep the wind out, it should be plenty warm.  I have used two different heat pads.  I believe one of them you tried and it didn't work.  It was the soft sided one.  The hard plastic heat pad puts off some heat and really helps to warm up the shelter.  I have the hard sided heat pads in a rubbermaid container that is insulated and cannot believe how much the heat pad helps.  This is the one I have

  Just be sure it will fit in your shelter as it is longer than most. 

I am just sick to see the darn polar vortex is coming back and this time will stick around for 7-10 days.  The heated house my DH and DS built has been working so well.  With the light fixture inside it is averaging 25-30 degrees warmer inside the shelter.  I keep a thermometer in there at all times.  This morning it was 11 when I got up and the shelter was 41!!  I just hope they will both go inside it together. 

 

[ondine]

You have a great set-up.  I second Shadow's idea of a thermometer.  It will certainly give you a good idea of the actual temp.  No matter what, he will be out of the wind and cold and that is worth more than gold!

 

[msaimee]

Thanks for the ideas. Shadow, I took the K&H heating pad I had that I don't think works to a Petsmart today and a sales person and I plugged it in and also plugged in the one hard back heating pad the store has left (which won't fit thru the doors of Muffin's house). I was right. My present pad doesn't work. The other one heated up nicely after a few minutes. I hate getting ripped off, but I bought it a year ago and it's too late to return. No wonder Muffin never wanted to go into the K&H house last year.

I guess I'll order another pad from Drs Foster and Smith and do a rush delivery. All of the local pet stores are out of heating devices. I can't take the temp of Muffin's house now because he's in it, and while he's used to me sticking my big face in there to check on him, I don't want to stress him. I think his present set up is fine for weather even in the upper teens, but this sub zero crap is ridiculous.

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
Thanks for the ideas. Shadow, I took the K&H heating pad I had that I don't think works to a Petsmart today and a sales person and I plugged it in and also plugged in the one hard back heating pad the store has left (which won't fit thru the doors of Muffin's house). I was right. My present pad doesn't work. The other one heated up nicely after a few minutes. I hate getting ripped off, but I bought it a year ago and it's too late to return. No wonder Muffin never wanted to go into the K&H house last year.

I guess I'll order another pad from Drs Foster and Smith and do a rush delivery. All of the local pet stores are out of heating devices. I can't take the temp of Muffin's house now because he's in it, and while he's used to me sticking my big face in there to check on him, I don't want to stress him. I think his present set up is fine for weather even in the upper teens, but this sub zero crap is ridiculous.

You can order them from Amazon too.  Their shipping is pretty fast, but I know Drs, Foster and Smith is fast too.  All of my cat shelters have removable lids so I can get the heat pads in that way. 

I just leave a thermometer in there.  I have the kind with sensor that can be read in the house.  I just place the sensor in the heated house and then can read it inside.  I love knowing how warm/cold it is in the heated house.  I was shocked today when I placed the sensor in one of the insulated rubbermaid house and it was above 40!!  I knew it was warm in there with the insulation and heat pad, but shocked to find it that warm.  No wonder Shadow was in there last night and not always in the heated house. 

I am now getting another rubbermaid (larger this time) shelter together.  My 3rd feral who had been gone for 8 months has since returned.  He has been here every day for 10 days now.  Most days he is coming 2x a day.  Last night and this morning he appeared very cold.  He must not feel comfortable going in the shelter with the other two.  I had a small heated K&H tent that I put out, but it just didn't seem warm enough with the 2 large openings.  So I insulated the rubbermaid and put the heat pad inside.  Now I have to figure out where to put it. 

 

[msaimee]

I am really surprised Muffin is comfortable inside his house with both doors completely covered. I guess he realizes that he can quickly push through the coverings to exit when necessary. This AM, when the garbage truck came to my neighbor's house to empty his dumpster, Muffin went flying out of his house even with all the blankets covering his doors. I really don't see any way around covering the doors of these houses in this bitter wind, and am glad that he's comfortable with me doing so.

I read online this afternoon that the K&H heating pad needs a half hour to warm up, and that there's an inflation plug you pull out on the back to inflate it--never noticed that before. Pulled the plug and now it has a slight warmth to it. Still not sure I want to risk changing his comfortable habitat by putting in a new object that may not make him signifcantly warmer. I'll try to use a thermometer next time he leaves the house. Maybe I'll put the pad out in the K&H house on the other side of my porch next week and see if he chances to go in there--that'll give me an idea of if it really works. He's nearly too big for the K&H house, lol.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who worries and obsesses over a feral cat! Some of my friends think I'm nuts.

 

[msaimee]

I have one of those old fashioned outdoor thermometers that isn't digital. It was readinf 20 degrees. I stuck it in Muffin's house under the straw for 5 minutes and it read close to 40. This isn't as good as a heating pad that warms up to cat body temp but is it ok?

 

[shadowsrescue]

I would think that 40 degrees is plenty warm.  Of course as it gets colder outside it will get colder inside the house too.  Yet, with the straw he should stay fairly warm.  I think it's great that he goes in and out of the shelter when you have it wrapped up and block the entrance/exit holes.  My ferals would freak if they couldn't find their way in or out!!! 

With the inflatable soft sided heat pad, you can either sit on it yourself or place something heavy on it like a brick and see if it heats up.  Remember to check underneath too.  If you can get the heat pad working, put in in the bottom under the straw.  It will give him extra warmth.

My friends all think I'm nuts too.  They are always saying how they don't understand why I spend so much time, energy, money and worry on silly feral cats.  Fortunately my DH, DS and some of my family get it.  I do have a neighbor who moved that loved my ferals.  He always asks about them and wants updates.  They are such a part of my life.  Winter is hard as I don't get to spend as much time with them I as like.  It's so cold to be outside for long.  Two of mine will come inside for visits.  Shadow will come in and stay for awhile and is just fine.  Stellar will only come inside if I keep the sliding door ajar.  This is awful when it is so cold.  Last night they were inside for about an hour.  They like to come inside and play.  I have to put my two indoor cats and dog away which is hard.  I cannot wait until spring.

 

[lrosewiles]

The shelter looks fantastic.  Did you build it yourselves?  I'm thinking at the rate we seem to be gathering needy cats I would like to build something like this next year!  It certainly looks nice and snuggy, but indeed a thermometer will tell.  Funny I never thought of that with Patience's very simple house (a well insulated and water-proofed carrier stuffed with straw) but she told me when it was no longer warm enough in the deep freeze - to heck with this, I'm coming inside for the duration!  It worked very well for her in "normal" cold temps though, her fur was always warm.  Straw is amazing.

 

[susank521]

That is a very nice house. It's impossible not to worry about them in the cold temps. That's great that he'll let you cover the doors, I would think that makes all of the difference in the world, keeping the wind out. And fluffed straw is an amazing insulator with all of those air pockets. I am also a big fan of the K&H heated pads. If you decide to go that route check out this site: http://marvingardensstore.com/kandh-manufacturing-lectro-kennel-heated-pad.html  I've always found them to be the least expensive. My preference is the 60 watt dog pads, but they might not fit in Muffin's house. 

 

[msaimee]

LRose, I didn't build the shelter myself, though I put it together with power tools (a first for me, lol). I ordered the cedar cat house from Ebay a year and a half ago. It cost a few hundred dollars, but I had a great job then and could afford it.

Muffin is able to get out through the openings--he just pushes through the blankets. As I mentioned, Saturday AM when the garbage truck came, he flew right out. When it was sub zero temperatures and I had the sleeping bag over the whole house, the one entrance was blocked, but he could get in and out of the other by pushing his head in and out. When it's that cold, neither of us worry about predators because no wild life is venturing out--everything is hunkered down somewhere. Muffin also seems to trust that I know what I'm doing with his house and rolls with the changes. Too bad he doesn't trust me enough to come inside.

I'm going to purchase a digital thermometer for an accurate reading of how warm it is inside. I want to avoid using a heating pad that may be defective, and I'm holding off on purchasing a new one at this point.

Thanks for all your ideas!

 

[linda carella]

I have bought my outdoor cat a soft heating pad and a snuggle round micro wavable disc. I put it in his igloo with blankets all around the igloo and on top. He seems to be nice and warm . And I just bought cat sip . It's real milk that cats can digest. I just warm up his milk to keep his belly warm and he is in for the night. One more month of this bad weatherThat's what I keep telling my bell. I have bell for 7 years now. My friends think I am nuts too.

 

[msaimee]

I haven't made any changes to his house because I'm afraid of introducing something new into it that he won't like, or that won't work, or that might pose a safety threat, and disrupting his shelter. I haven't put the K&H heating pad in there I already own because I'm not convinced it works--it doesn't get warm when I press on it-- and there are all sorts of warnings about not using it it blankets or other materials because the panels won't work properly. Muffin is very content with his straw, and if I removed that, it would freak him out. The microwavable heating disk costs 60 dollars to buy at Petco (there was only one left the other day), and it's surface is hard and small, and I'd have to be moving it in and out of his house every 8 hours. I am hoping that the mylar emergency sheet (that reflects body heat) that he lays on under the straw is effective--does anyone else use these? I bought an inexpensive outdoor window  digital thermometer yesterday to get a more accurate reading than my traditional outdoor thermometer about the temp inside his house--but it must be defective-- the reading didn't  change from 64-66 degrees (I even placed it inside my freezer--no change). I have the sleeping bag over his house again and he's not moving out of the house except to eat, so I guess I just have to assume that it's providing adequate warmth for him or he wouldn't stay in it, right? Not only are we getting sub zero temps again tonite with snow showers, but there's no end of this cold spell in sight.  I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure out how best to keep him safe.     

 

[shadowsrescue]

I made the mistake before the last cold snap of changing things in their shelter.  Both cats were upset and didn't even use the new warm unit.  I had been using a light bulb with a metal can around it and it was providing really nice warmth in addition to the heat pads.  Yet, I was worried about the light bulb either getting too hot or burning out in the middle of the night.  Dh ordered a Hound Heater and it arrived on Saturday.  On Sunday he put it in the shelter and it works so well.  Yet, Shadow has hardly been inside.  Stellar goes right in, but Shadow just stares at the hound heater and then freaks out.  Right now it is 12 degrees and -7 wind chill.  Like MsAimee said, there is no end in sight.  It may be 10-14 days of this awful cold. 

This morning my neighbor let her cat outside.  He always ventures over to my deck.  He chased both of my boys away and Stellar has been MIA since.  Shadow came back, but when I went outside to turn the thermostat up on the heater, he bolted.  Then when I was back inside a coyote came running through the yard.  We have them from time to time and I hate it.  I worry they will smell the cat food or smell the cats.  It has been over 90 minutes now and Shadow has not returned.  It is just such a worry.

My guess is the cats will be very acclimated to this weather after this cold snap.  I just hope February is better than January.

 

[msaimee]

I just ordered a self-warming thermal cat cushion from ebay for $22.00 and it should arrive Saturday. It's basically a cushion with the same kind of mylar sheet that I'm currently using beneath the straw, but it's more sturdy, and I don't think Muffin will object to this type of change. I think the old adage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" may apply to changing their shelters during a cold spell.

Shadow, I hope and pray your cats return soon. It really sucks that you have coyotes running around. I have raccoons and opossum in the small section of woods around my block, but they have been AWOL for about a month--they are either in their dens or have moved on. Still, I don't leave dry food outside during the nite, and I worry a bit about it.  Can you change your shelter back to the way it was and get a refund on the hound heater? I was actually considering buying one of those, but I don't think Muffin's house is large enough (inside is 18" by 18") and thought it might freak him out.

I guess the fact that there's no end in sight to this particular cold spell is what worries me.

 

[shadowsrescue]

One of the ferals will use the heated shelter with the hound heater.  I know eventually Shadow will go in.  If worse comes to worse, Shadow is the one who will come inside.  Last cold spell he stayed in for 15 hours.  His other rubbermaid shelter with a heat pad is still there.  It's no where near as warm as the heated shelter, but it's still ok.  He hates change, but Stellar doesn't get upset at anything.  I assume they are off somewhere together right now.  I know they will be back. 

I was able to snap a few pictures of the coyote.  Here is one

IMG_1634.JPG

• shadowsrescue
• Jan 21, 2014

The mylar cushion sounds really nice.  I have used them outside in the fall as well as inside for one of my indoor cats.  I have even sat on one and find them to be cozy!  I hope muffin likes it.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Shadow and Stellar did well last night.  When I woke just after 6am this morning it was -2 and wind chill -13.  The boys had slept in the heated shelter all night.  I set the digital thermometer so I could see the high and low temps during the night.  It dipped at one point to 35 in the shelter, but also reached a high of 60!!!  When I got up it was 51 in the shelter.  Shadow didn't leave it all night.  Unfortunately there is no break in the weather at all.  The day time temps do rebound by the weekend, but night time are near or below 0.  Then early next week is -13 at night. 

Patches didn't come to eat last night and I wasn't surprised.  He did show up at 5 this morning and went into the feral villa I have up on a table by my sliding door.  It is insulated, but not warm inside at all.  I do have a mylar self heating pad in there.  I think I will put one of the extra heat pad I have in there later today. 

Stellar runs so hot.  He has been out under a pine tree in the snow watching the world wake up for over an hour now.  He does this each and every morning no matter what the weather.  He is crazy!

Hopefully all kitties are staying warm.

 

[linda carella]

My Bella did great Last night. He yes He I thought he  was a she for two years. We call him Bell too. He was all snug in his Igloo with his heating pad and his snuggle micro wave round disk. I did wrap Blankets outside his Igloo  I was up all night worrying. But he would not come out to eat so I hand Fed him alittle bit before I went to bed. Than I checked him in the morning . I was Worried when I took all the blankets off. I did not know what I would find and I needed to put the other mirco disk in and take the other one out. And there he was looking at me. He did not come out all day today. I was wondering if he went to pee or poo. I still dont see any cat prints near his Igloo. Should I be worried. I am going to see if he will come out soon..  he did come out and drink alot of water.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Whenever it is bitter cold my ferals hardly leave their shelter.  I wondered the same thing this morning as I saw that one of them never left all night.  I wondered when he would go to the bathroom.  He did venture out this afternoon.  I also notice that food consumption is way down to almost nothing.  I read and read about how important it is for them to have nutritious meals that are easy to digest ie: wet food. This is so they don't waste energy digesting the dry food.  Yet my boys prefer the dry when it's cold or prefer not to eat at all.  They each ate less than a 1/2 can of wet food today, but did eat a bowl of dry.  During this bitter cold, I do leave dry food out at night.  I figure that other critters are not out during the cold and I want them to have something to eat if needed. 

Tonight is to be very cold once again and tomorrow the wind comes back and more snow.  The 10 day forecast makes me want to cry.

 

[ondine]

I've been feeding only half a can at a time, too.  When they get a whole can, they usually leave some.  It's been freezing, so it just goes to waste.  I'm leaving dry out, too but it's hardly been touched either.  They fattened up a little in the fall, so I'm not frantic yet but I do worry about them.