My dad and stepmom made one of these, they rescued tons of ferals over the years and kept adding to it till it became like a cat palace. they had some amazing awesome ideas. I wanted to share them and looked for a thread like this and couldn't find it so thought i would start one.
I will keep at it too and update this first main post with what others post/suggest. I will have areas for different things.
INSULATION
-Straw
-Insulation Styrofoam
-Koolers (not just a kooler though but you can add other things to make it servicable or alter it how it is if you have the skills like my dad did. but these things are built for insulation. Just because it was created for cooler things doesn't mean it doesn't work the opposite way to make things warm. this goes for more than just koolers)
-Old coats (some are in disrepair and cant even be donated to thrift stores, instead of throwing them out add to a shelter)
-Crumpled newspapers
SHELTER
-Build one with wood if you have the skills
-Just make a lean-to will do if you have proper insulation
-Buy a dog house
-Buy a small outdoor storage
-You can used two plastic storage bins, one big one small. Get the big one add insulation then the smaller, cut entrance into both, add bedding that acts like insulation (see list above)
-Old furniture (some feral cats moved into a shed and they were using a dresser for shelter, we added some insulation to it (with permission from the owner) and they were happy, so then they went and got a old dresser for THEIR shed and altered it. they took out the bottom drawer, cut out a third of the bottom of the second drawer, and the opposite side of the third, and all the way up it. added insulation to each one and the top with the most and a plastic tarp over it (minus the entrance), the result was a mini cat palace)
-Pet cage (add insulation and a tarp or something to block winds and water over it)
HEATING
-plant beds, they warm up and are waterproof, put them in the bottom of a cat shelter and it will be very nice. add some insulation on top or a blanket or a cat bed and you have some heating for your cat shelter
-muscle relaxation products, some of them heat up but not too much to burn.
-kitten bed warmers (i saw this once, it was for kittens specifically, used for when they are taken from their mother supposed to simulate body heat)
LOCATION TO KEEP IN MIND
-Keep in mind windbreakers, like dont have the entrance facing into the wind, have it face a wall either to the house, or a shed, ideally have in in an ally between a shed or house and a fence. facing the more solid surface. or add something. like even just putting a lid to something or a plank leaning onto the front of the shelter will be enough to block wind from the front but allow the cats inside.
PICTURES
Shelter by dana17 and her boyfriend:
View media item 388058
Details: dana17 "we bought a pet kennel from home depot online and tarp is part of kennel, and we put the insulation around one side and the back. The house with the beds, my boyfriend, made himself. We have heated bowl in the kennel"
GUIDES
Okay post away with more brainstorming and suggestions please!!! ^__^
I will keep at it too and update this first main post with what others post/suggest. I will have areas for different things.
INSULATION
-Straw
-Insulation Styrofoam
-Koolers (not just a kooler though but you can add other things to make it servicable or alter it how it is if you have the skills like my dad did. but these things are built for insulation. Just because it was created for cooler things doesn't mean it doesn't work the opposite way to make things warm. this goes for more than just koolers)
-Old coats (some are in disrepair and cant even be donated to thrift stores, instead of throwing them out add to a shelter)
-Crumpled newspapers
SHELTER
-Build one with wood if you have the skills
-Just make a lean-to will do if you have proper insulation
-Buy a dog house
-Buy a small outdoor storage
-You can used two plastic storage bins, one big one small. Get the big one add insulation then the smaller, cut entrance into both, add bedding that acts like insulation (see list above)
-Old furniture (some feral cats moved into a shed and they were using a dresser for shelter, we added some insulation to it (with permission from the owner) and they were happy, so then they went and got a old dresser for THEIR shed and altered it. they took out the bottom drawer, cut out a third of the bottom of the second drawer, and the opposite side of the third, and all the way up it. added insulation to each one and the top with the most and a plastic tarp over it (minus the entrance), the result was a mini cat palace)
-Pet cage (add insulation and a tarp or something to block winds and water over it)
HEATING
-plant beds, they warm up and are waterproof, put them in the bottom of a cat shelter and it will be very nice. add some insulation on top or a blanket or a cat bed and you have some heating for your cat shelter
-muscle relaxation products, some of them heat up but not too much to burn.
-kitten bed warmers (i saw this once, it was for kittens specifically, used for when they are taken from their mother supposed to simulate body heat)
LOCATION TO KEEP IN MIND
-Keep in mind windbreakers, like dont have the entrance facing into the wind, have it face a wall either to the house, or a shed, ideally have in in an ally between a shed or house and a fence. facing the more solid surface. or add something. like even just putting a lid to something or a plank leaning onto the front of the shelter will be enough to block wind from the front but allow the cats inside.
PICTURES
Shelter by dana17 and her boyfriend:
View media item 388058
Details: dana17 "we bought a pet kennel from home depot online and tarp is part of kennel, and we put the insulation around one side and the back. The house with the beds, my boyfriend, made himself. We have heated bowl in the kennel"
GUIDES
Okay post away with more brainstorming and suggestions please!!! ^__^
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