Keeping outside kitten warm

[tiggycat]

We put him out in the shed 2 nights ago, he'll be 4 months in 2 days.
My daughters noticed when she picks him up/ pets him he's shivering.
He's sleeping in his carrier with a blanket but i'm not sure if I should change it to a wicker basket as it's warmer than plastic but will be more open.

Does anybody have any suggestions for warming him up?

No we cant let him in the house

image.jpeg

• tiggycat
• Oct 24, 2016

Taken about a week ago, when he was in the house (he's been in the house for 2 months because my daughter didnt want to put him outside as we had to put our old kitten Pip down at 10 weeks old due to pneumonia)

 

[Kieka]

The problem with the carrier and a wicker basket is neither are meant to hold in warmth, keep out wind or water.

Depending on your area it may be important to raise it off the ground too (to keep it out of heavy snow drifts or from flooding. Adding insulation will make sure your kitty is warm enough. You need to check the shelter daily to keep it clean and make sure other animals/critters aren't stealing it from your kitty. 

If you search online for outdoor cat houses you can find some good options both for sale and to make (the do it yourself aren't very expensive to make but they may need to be replaced more often). For example, http://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-cat-shelter-options-gallery/ has different options plus the pros and cons of each. 

Good luck! 

 

[tiggycat]

It's off the ground in an old dog basket/box
Similar to this one:

image.jpeg

• tiggycat
• Oct 24, 2016

But with larger walls, off the ground and a smaller door/entryway

No other animals can get in unless they can walk up walls, fit through a small gap or can walk up walls.

Any tips for bedding? I've heard blankets absorb body heat while stuff like straw or newspaper are better for keeping pets warm.

 

[Kieka]

Check out the link I attached, they have examples including step by step how to build it. I think they typically recommend something that is an outter box, insulating layer, then inner box the cat is actually in. If you attach a photo of your setup me or someone else could give better advice. But I have heard the same, so maybe straw around it and the blanket inside?

My cats and indoor/outdoor, they come inside at night and usually come in when there is bad weather so I can't give any personal experience recommendations.

 

[kittens mom]

I bought a snugglesafe for my little kittens. It will hold the heat for at least 8 hours before needing to be microwaved again. Wrapped in a blanket it will hold the heat a few hours longer.

 

[Anne]

You can find some information in the article about keeping feral cats warm during winter. He could also be shivering because he's afraid and in shock from the move.

 [article="32458"]How To Help Feral Cats Stay Safe Warm During Winter​[/article]  

 

[di and bob]

My outdoor cats all have heated pet mats that plug in and use as much electricity as a 40 watt light bulb. (some only 25 watts) They absolutely LOVE them! All my inside cats have them too, in their own beds. You can get them on Amazon, a small mat costs about 19.00 - 29.00 but they last for years.I have used one now for over 5 years. Always check them once in a while by pressing with your hand on them to make sure they are still working, especially before a cold spell.  I saw a whole round pillow type pet bed on there for 29.00 the other day. Put it in the carrier and then wrap the whole thing in a quilt from a thrift store and you would not have to worry. I take one of those 2.99 fleece blankets and put it around the sides to make a 'roll' for them to lie against, In the winter they only come out to eat. You could run an outdoor extension cord if you need to, that could be picked up at a garage sale too. I can guarantee your kitten would absolutely love to have a heated bed!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Does your kitten go outside or just into the garage?  Is he neutered and fully vaccinated?

 

[pit of pets]

I had a similar situation once.  What I did was get a cardboard box, place it on it's side and padded the inside with a pillow covered with an old sweater, and another sweater around the inside of the box, and covered the whole box in an old tshirt, with the neck opening facing the opening of the box. My then kitten loved it! You can pad it however seems appropriate to your weather conditions. Maybe even cover the outside of the box with a waterproof material as well above or under the t-shirt! Hope this helped! I will try and find a photo of the box I made if you want visuals. 

 

[tarasgirl06]

There are  beds that retain and reflect back the body heat; I would never use anything electrical in an outdoor environment because of the dangers of malfunction/electrical problems with water.  Check DrsFosterSmith.com for cat beds that reflect.  There are a lot of very good suggestions posted already; another one, if you or someone you know is handy, is to build a modular cat shelter, either attachable to the house if you own, or stand-alone if you don't.  There are many designs and plans for these, or they can be bought pre-fabricated.  http://www.BestFriends.org has some nice ones advertised in their magazine; you can do a search online for them as well.  I do hope this kitten is healthy -- has he had basic innoculations and a vet check yet?

 

[basscat]

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• basscat
• Oct 26, 2016

This, but a bit smaller.  Cut a 4" hole in the side several inches off the bottom.  Fill the bottom with straw.  Towels or a Blanket work well also as long as they stay dry.  Put the lid on it and wrap a blanket around the outside of it for REALLY COLD weather.  
A better idea is to build a 16" x 16" x 16" wooden box.  Cut the 4" hole in the side at one of upper corners.  Staple some old carpeting or blanket pieces on the inside walls.  Straw or blanket on the floor.  Best to make the top of it removable so you can clean it out every so often. 

 

[Columbine]

Straw is wonderful for holding heat, and a big nest of straw has always been the first choice of the farm cat we care for. Self heating blankets like this one can be wonderful too.
These threads have some wonderful ideas too [thread="287599"][/thread][thread="308423"][/thread]

To be absolutely honest, though, it sounds like he'd be MUCH better off in the house - especially if he's grown up living indoors, as he won't be used to dealing with the cold.

 

[indie-n-button]

I think the best solution would be to bring him indoors if it's so cold that you're worrying on how to keep him warm - you also mentioned that a 10 week old kitten you had was put down due to pnumonia... was this because he was outside too?

If he has been inside for 2 months, I think he should be inside again, he could also be shaking due to fear of being picked up while inside the shed, where he's alone for most of the day. Suddenly a human walks in, picks him up for a cuddle, and he thinks it's a predator. I have a cat who shivers when we pick him up too, he wasn't properly socialised as a kitten, so yours could be frightened about being alone.

If there are any problems with bringing him inside, please let us know, and we'll give you solutions to them, as well! If he's been indoors for 2 months so far, he's probably used to being around humans a lot, and suddenly putting him in a shed may make him upset.