ISO Best Heated Cat House for Ferals

[Bacon Bit]

I’m caring for a couple ferals and am looking for recommendations on outdoor heated cat houses. Cooler temps are coming and I want them to have access to warmth.

 

[DeesCats]

Are your ferals friendly with each other enough that they would share a large house or would they need separate houses?

What is the normal cold temperature in your area? Snow, rain or windy conditions may impact the type of house and heating type you need to look at.

Check out How to Help Feral Cats Stay Warm & Safe in Winter for some ideas.

We built 3 individual foam insulated cat houses for the outdoor neighborhood stray/feral cats and are using the K&H Extreme Weather Kitty heated kitty pads in 2 of them and a K&H Small Animal heated pad in the smaller styrofoam house.

 

[di and bob]

I, too, use K&H heated pads, some are ten years old! I get the cat heated huts found on Amazon, also. They are going on 5 years old now and I like them because they unzip and fold flat. I have one round insulated igloo type feral house and use a heating pad in it, it is hard plastic and has a smaller opening in the front. I really like it but it was more expensive, over a hundred dollars, but I woudl bet it lasts for many years. I have to check it once in a while, the opossums like it too! I just stuff a towel in the opening and relocate them.

 

[kittychick]

We’ve had many over the decades. We also learned that cats adapt more quickly if there’s a “second escape door.” Here’s what we use/have used. 1: Dogloos that we lined completely w/insulation. We put down bricks so the shelter’s by off the ground (keeps it from getting the heat drained out by cold ground, plus then it’s above any snow or standing water. We fill it with straw & a cat outdoor warming pad (you can put a Hoind Heater in Dogloos, you just have to get an adaptor bc the heater is flat and to dogloo isn’t - but heater company K & H sells the heaters and the outdoor electric pads. We also drill holes in the top of the dogloo & 2 atop the doorway of the dogloo - same hole distance for “plexiglass door” as for dogloo entrance. We use zip ties to attach the piece of plexy at the top of the dogloo & set the plexi angled out at the bottom so it gives the cat a window to what’s outside while still buffering wind, rain & snow. 2) we also use Double Rubbermaids ones w/straw and a K & H kitty outdoor pad. We use same “plexiglass door system” on it too.

You don’t DEFINITELY don’t want food ANY food inside (or near!) as it’ll attract raccoons, skunks, opossums, etc. Even better if you can place the shelters where you can check them easily while they’re safe, under a roof overhang, front porch w/a ceiling, garage, even a carport. The more the shelter is sheltered, the better. But also helps to have them where they’ll see them on their “route” — we moved one of ours 4 feet over a matter of months. Incremental, but it didn’t scare him and his shelter ended up being sheltered! You can also build a simple feeding station - place it away from the shelter though!