Winterizing A Stray Cat House (Plus, An Update On Our Neighborhood Stray, Tiger)

When you’re a daily round right here, you already learn about our neighborhood stray cat, who we’ve named Tiger. He’s completely cute, and so pleasant. I feed him twice a day, and on days after I’m engaged on initiatives exterior, he hangs round and retains me firm. He likes to be liked on — head scratches, stomach rubs, cuddles, and the rest he can get — and I’m comfortable to oblige.

So I went to Amazon to see what was obtainable. After perusing a number of completely different choices for stray and feral cat homes, I landed on this one. You can find it here. (affiliate hyperlink) It had good rankings, and total, I actually appreciated it. It was tremendous easy to place collectively. It took me about quarter-hour from begin to end. And I actually don’t assume I might have constructed it from scratch for lower than what I paid for it.

The slanted roof raises up on hinges for straightforward entry to the within. The within has a divider to separate the within into two sections to offer extra wind safety to the sleeping space. General, it’s an important design and a very good cat home. However I wasn’t fully happy with it. The underside was simply wooden slats, and I couldn’t see how that may supply a lot safety from the chilly air and wind.

So I had an thought so as to add insulation to the underside. I began by measuring the space between the legs on the entrance/again and in addition on the perimeters.

After which I used leftover PVC boards that I had readily available (however any scrap wooden may very well be used for this) and minimize 4 items to these lengths on my miter noticed.

After which I nailed these in place between the legs to create a bit of skirting across the backside. I nailed proper by way of the legs and into the perimeters of the PVC boards utilizing 2.5-inch 16-gauge nails.

As soon as I had all 4 boards hooked up, I flip the home on its again and crammed that area with two layers of R-13 insulation that was leftover from our newly insulated closet/laundry room flooring. However something may very well be used to insulate — leftover packaging supplies from Amazon packages, outdated clothes, a can of spray foam insulation.

After which to carry the insulation in place, I minimize a chunk of plywood (I at all times have scrap plywood readily available) to suit inside the underside.

After which I nailed that in place by nailing proper by way of the skirting boards and into the perimeters of the plywood.

I needed to insulate the sleeping space of the cat home a bit extra, and after contemplating a number of choices, I assumed to myself, “What do all cats love? CARDBOARD BOXES!” And I at all times have loads of cardboard packing containers readily available! So I minimize some cardboard right down to measurement to line the within of the outside partitions of the sleeping space. (By the best way, miter saws and desk saws make fast work of creating straight cuts on thick cardboard.)

After which I put a bit of blanket within the backside, and…

He loves it! He is aware of that is his home. He sleeps in there each evening, and I typically catch him in there taking a nap in the course of the day. I’ve saved it beneath the carport proper by our again door as a result of the primary evening he had it, the wind was terrible. It was so windy and so chilly, so I really tucked the cat home proper subsequent to our trash cans to offer a wind break, after which I additionally wrapped extra insulation across the exterior of the home. There have been solely about two nights when that was obligatory due to the chilly, biting wind.

I shared the method on this video…

Since I made a decision to maintain the cat home beneath our carport (for now, a minimum of), and I knew it was about to get so chilly, I really purchased a warming pad (particularly for cats and canine) to go inside. I merely drilled a gap by way of the again of the home for the wire, and plugged into the outlet proper there behind our trash cans. However sadly, he hated it! So long as that warming pad was in there, he refused to enter his home. As quickly as I took it out, he began utilizing his home once more. Maybe it made him too heat. Or perhaps it emitted a sound that bothered him (and that I couldn’t hear). I’m undecided what the issue was, however he’s completely comfortable and cozy with out it.

Final Thursday, our climate turned actually dangerous. Not solely was it chilly, but it surely rained all day lengthy, and the rain was combined with sleet. I used to be so frightened about Tiger being out in that as a result of he doesn’t like spending all day in his home. I couldn’t consider what I used to be engaged on as a result of I used to be so involved about him, so I went exterior and located him (he virtually at all times comes working after I name him). Then I put Cooper and Felicity in a separate room, and I introduced Tiger into my studio the place I used to be working.

He stayed inside all afternoon and early night. He obtained all the eye and cuddles he needed. I made him a mattress in a field with a comfortable blanket, and he slept for a really very long time. He obtained some catnip, which he completely went loopy over. I assumed that maybe I now had one other indoor cat, and I’d simply need to discover a option to get Cooper to get together with Tiger.

However that night, after the climate had calmed down, I opened the again door to go get one thing out of the van, and he darted out the door. So whereas he loved his afternoon in a heat home and out of the loopy climate, I feel he’s only a free spirit who needs to be exterior the place he can roam round, snooze within the heat Texas solar, and are available round for snuggles and meals on his personal schedule.

So for now, he’s nonetheless the neighborhood stray, and never a brand new addition to the Linauer family. Which will change sooner or later, however for now, a minimum of he is aware of he has a heat place to sleep at evening, two meals a day, and head scratches and stomach rubs any time he needs them.