Need warm shelter ideas for feral outside cat

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Hillary & Maui (GA)

Hillary & Maui (GA)

Member Since 2009
To kitty rescue peeps - I need ideas that I get for my outside feral girl as a warming element to put in her "house". Her house is a hard-sided carrier with the front door removed and I put styrofoam type blocks under the "house" and in the house, along with lots of towels, rugs, etc in the house and covering the house from wind.

I need a heating element of some sort to add to it, or a completely new set up that will retain heat for her.

Please note, that there is no feed or tractor store anywhere in my area (I'm in the suburbs) not rural area. As much as I'd like to hook up an electric heating pad and rig my outside light with an electric socket adapter, I'm concerned about leaving something like that on all the time - fire issues, etc.

Using warming discs isn't an option, as under normal circumstances I can not put my hands in there if she is in it. So, I need something that can be in there long term, battery operated? can be turned on/off? not overly expensive...but will keep her warm in these extra freezing nights.

Any ideas?
 
Do an internet search on battery operated blankets. There are some listed for stadium use. Also, battery operated socks or gloves.

Also, I thought that I had read somewhere that straw was better than towels/blankets for warmth since it doesn't get damp the way that cloth does. And, can you partially wrap the crate in plastic to provide a better wind barrier?

Good luck and thank you for caring,

Lisa and Spooky (GA)
 
Hillary,

I have been feeding and housing feral cats for years. I had several cats on my porch in a feral cat house that I ordered many years ago from Indyferal, which is now

http://www.feralvilla.com/

anyhow I had one cat live on my porch for several years in one of these, he is now my old cat Arthur. Inside the house I put.

http://www.petco.com/product/105593/Out ... Cover.aspx

This pad is made for outdoor use and plugs into an outlet outside if you have one, I know its not cheap but is very durable and you don`t have to worry about fires and such. I used one for several years before I gave it away.
Hope all that helps.
I am worried to death I am feeding two ferals at present who do not house here and we are going to get subzero temps with windchill at -40 this week.

Terri
 
I use a heated pad for our barn cat and it's below zero right now. She stays in the cat house which I put in the hay shed where she sleeps. Those heated pads only pull about 12 - 14 watts so very economical electricity wise. People heating pads pull more I think. You could try a heat lamp but I'd be really careful with one of those. I got the pad at Petco and I got another at Amazon.
 
Thanks - I ordered the K&H outdoor heated bed at Petco.com - I almost snagged it at the store, but they couldn't find the one they supposedly had. Oh well, I got 20% discount for buying it online...so bonus!

Now if it will hurry up and get here. It's supposed to be nasty Mon and Tues, so I'm hoping this gets here by Wed, so I can let her go back outside!

I also got insulation and foam to shore up her house and with the bed, should be nice and toasty warm i there!
 
We have a large crate set up in our garage (which has its own electric hookup) with blankets over and under it and we use a people's electric throw. Yes, I know it uses more energy, but it has an auto timer and shuts itself off and it fills the whole crate and a little up the sides so she's snuggly warm. Of course, if she really wanted to show her appreciation, she's let us actually pet her...
 
yogakat said:
Of course, if she really wanted to show her appreciation, she's let us actually pet her...
Click to expand...

Ha ha - honestly, I'll be happy if she doesn't spit or try to hit me anymore.

Here is a pic of her looking so sad last night....She really is a beauty girl. Mom was a tortie and dad a white with gray blotches. I love the orange on her and you can see how the markings transferred to Buster. Buster only got the gray color no orange.

Here is the Baby Cat update -- she meowed ALL night, I checked on her several times and she quieted down. She did business in the makeshift litterbox, so I replaced it and kept the meowing going. I asked Buster to please talk with her and tell her that she is safe, warm and to please go to sleep. Sometime in the early morning she stopped and has been quiet all day.

I ordered a heated pet bed, got a good deal at Petco.com if anyone else wants to order one - since it was my first time using their site, I got a 20% discount and the bed came with free shipping too!

http://www.petco.com/product/108025/KAn ... =LookAhead

Got supplies to insulate and warm up her house, so when she goes back out, she will have a nice warm house to use and this will never happen again.

Here is a pic of how sad she looked last night...she drank almost all the water in the bowl, ate some kibble and ate some canned food. I turned off the space heater and heating pad as she no longer needs them.

 
Reflectix or similar foil bubble wrap may be wrapped around the carrier until you have a proper house for the cat. Straw or non-absorbent fiber that let's the moisture drain through may help.

Nest the carrier inside another box with insulation between the two.

Alley Cat Allies has plans for do it yourself insulated houses.
 
I use to get the igloo style dog homes in small and put hay in them and put them on 2X4's to keep them slightly off the ground. But the previous posts have excellent ideas.
 
I saw a neat, inexpensive feral cat shelter on Facebook the other day (even reposted it). It uses an upside down Styrofoam cooler with a hole cut in it. See the picture below. [To give credit where due, this came from the World Animal Federation's Facebook page.]
 

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Lots of styles on google. When Hello Kitty first showed up here a few years ago and he would not get too close I used a large rubbermaid container. It's kind of a pain to cut a hole in unless you use a solder gun...and whew it's stinky to melt...but it worked really well. Currently he has his own cat tree on my covered deck with a plugged in K&H heater. It has a nice cubby hold to protect him from the wind.
 
I built her new home and here is what I did in case anyone wants to copy:

I went to Wamart and bought:
- 18 gallon plastic container,
- 1 package multi-purpose cotton insulation http://www.walmart.com/ip/Multi-Purpose ... l/17256267
- duck tape

I ordered a mylar, emergency blanket as I could not find it anywhere locally.

I turned the container upside down, so the lid serves as the floor and measured approximate 6 inch opening on one end and a small circle on the other (reasons to be explained)
I took a very sharp knife, heated the blade and it very easily cut through the container.

I lined the sides with the insulation and taped it in place, then I used the foam boards I had and put it on the inside bottom and outside bottom of the container (which will become the roof) and taped it into place. Then I cut the mylar blanket to fit the sides, bottom and inside part of the lid and taped that into place over the foam/insulation.

Now you are wondering why I cut a hole right, well I ordered an outdoor electric heated pet mat and will place that on the lid and run the cord through the hole :).

I also placed a foam board on the ground under the house, with two rugs on top and placed the house on top of all that.

Then for the final touches, I wrote in sharpie - Baby Cat's House on the front and covered it in towels as further wind protection and to cover the door opening.

While waiting for the mat to arrive, Buster loaned her the use of her self heating mat.

SHe is using it and now has a primo house!
 
Cotton tends to hold moisture, losing its insulating properties the more moist it gets.
 
BJM said:
Cotton tends to hold moisture, losing its insulating properties the more moist it gets.
Click to expand...

GRRRRR - so much for my good idea! What if I line it in foam and then put the mylar blanket on top, will that work?
 
Try using straw (degrades over time and needs refreshing) or polyester fleece (washable) inside the Mylar. The Mylar is a moisture barrier and will help keep external moisture out.
 
I can use polyester fleece instead....that I know I can get at the fabric store. Straw is a bit more challenging around here.

For now, the insulation will be ok - no? It's not like I need to change it out immediately?
 
If you are using a heated pad I wouldn't use any straw inside the house. But do put the container the pad and blankets are in , inside another container with the insulation board in between the two.
 
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