Building a feral cat shelter? Watch this first!
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- čas přidán 16. 10. 2017
- Note: This house was $35 when I made this video, but I have been told that it went up.
Update: Leon is now an indoor cat. He did want to come inside, but he was bonded to his friend, Ethan, who was too feral and wouldn't come inside. Unfortunately, Ethan was run over about six months after this video. We were devastated. However, it did allow Leon to become an inside cat. He is very happy, and we thank everyone for their interest and comments. We passed the cat house along to a friend who is using it to house a feral cat on her porch. Her cat slept in it the very first night, so it is still getting some use! It held up nicely for the two years that it was out on our porch and is still going strong. I would still recommend it.
Build...or buy a cat house? I figured I would build one and make a project video for my CZcams channel, but I ran across this heated feral cat house on Amazon that worked great for my feral cats.
K&H Outdoor Thermo Kitty House - amzn.to/2Y5HGrB
FAQ # 1 - Are you sure your cats are feral...they seem tame?
- Both cats are in the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) program and have the notched ear. They are much tamer now, but they were very feral about six months ago. We have spent a lot of time around them and have been very patient. They wouldn't let us come near them at first. Over time, and with food as a motivator, we convinced them that we weren't going to hurt them. Leon, the dark grey cat, is more tame than Ethan. Your experience with feral cats may be different and I would assume that some feral cats may be easier to tame than others. I am a maker / woodworker and not a cat expert, so this is not my area of expertise, but the cats do seem to meet the definition of feral as I understand it. Furthermore, whoever brought them into the TNR program and notched their ears felt comfortable that they were feral cats. We love them and have adopted them, so we don't really care if they are/were feral at this point.
FAQ #2 - Why did the price of the house go up?
- I have no idea. When I bought the house (early Oct, 2017), it was $35. I have seen it from other sellers on Amazon and also at Tractor Supply and Chewy. The price may come down again after winter is over.
FAQ #3 - (actually a comment) I believe this house is no good and would be useless or even dangerous for feral cats (cats will chew it, no plug for the heated pad in my situation, doesn't look sturdy, could be made of dangerous materials, won't protect them from predators, etc.).
- I have no affiliation with the company that makes this cat house. I bought it and am happy with it. I made a canopy to go over one of my cat houses (see my other video) and the cat house in this video sits on my front porch (doesn't get wet). The heated pad is very nice and keeps the cats warm. I personally don't see how a non-heated house of any kind could keep the cats as warm as a house with a heated pad, but that is just my opinion. I live in NC and we rarely have a night that would dip below 15 degrees or so. I would buy this product again and recommend it to a friend. - Jak na to + styl
I bought this house for a feral who would come for food. She would NEVER let us come within 2 feet of her, let alone touch her. I placed it on my covered porch and after several weeks, she moved in (when the temp dropped to zero). It didn’t seem to resist moisture very well and other cats sprayed in it. The doorway was just too large for her to feel secure.
I replaced it with the Kitty Tube and she happily moved right in and stays the night.
I have 2 of those house and a igloo with a heated pad I use that to feed and a heated water bowl . Thank you for taking care of homeless cats . We need more people like you 😻😻😻
cubomania3 ❤️
Hi Lynn. Luckily, we were able to convert Leon into a mostly indoor cat. He has been inside for the last year and a half now. I am (was?) allergic to cats, but I take medicine for it now, and it's fine. Ethan, the black and white cat got run over a year and a half ago. Leon and Ethan were bonded, so Leon wouldn't stay inside without Ethan, and Ethan wouldn't come inside at all. We were pretty broken up about Ethan, but it is so nice to have Leon inside now, and not have to worry about him. There are lots of coyotes eating peoples cats and small dogs around my town here in NC.
igloo? Is that a product you bought or made?
@Madison Man Maybe they are? Don't make ASSumptions if you have no idea of the facts. There are tons of spay/neuter release programs. We had all 3 of the feral cats done in our area. It's like $35/cat where I am, and they're released back w/out risk of further populating. As well as they care for them, AND considering 1 was brought in to their home now, I'm sure they are (spraying, aggression, etc).
Why a heated water bowl?
That's a really nice thing to do for our little kitties.
Some poor cats freeze in the winter. Thank you to 2 kind thoughtful people.
Thanks for the kind words. : )
I worry about all the feral cats.I know they go tell the others " Hey, there is a house down the street that will help you, come on boys".I had 1 then the neighbors cat got old and they won't take care of it, now there are 2 more.That house would be good for my outside cat visitors. I have made tents and have heating pads on low and 2 sleep on my porch. How I wish I wasn't so obcessed with the cats.I take better care of them than myself. Thanks for sharing. I'll try to get one or build one similar with cardboard.
Hey i have one like the video and i wish to use it. Will adding a bin wrapped in styrofoam or any insulated foam inside with straw bedding instead work?
The book of Proverbs in the Bible says a "Righteous man cares for the needs of his animals." :)
Actually using what some people use is sometimes called tubs or storage containers. Get one that's fits inside the other including the top for both leaving enuff space (1-2") all around so you can put straw all around even an inch or so on the bottom for a layer of straw and put straw inside for bedding.
Then ya line them up and cut at least 1 hole thru both. Then sprinkle a layer of straw all around on top if possible. A lot of people say you should cut 2 holes because cats like an escape hatch. If you check around here on the youtubes you can find a video.
There's a couple different ways to heat them if you wish. I believe there are several heating type pads on amazon. There's other places I'm sure.
I've got a building out back that I've cut holes in the floor so they can get in & out. I build beds and put heat lamps or halogen bulbs. But doing it this way means i gotta trudge out there and feed them in the evening. I guess I'm a prick because i feed and water them on the porch in the morning. But at least they get food and clean water.
As long as yer trying to keep the fuzzies warm and fed you're heading in the right direction. You build up karma points and we all can use as many as we can get.
Leesa, I do the same thing..Lol. They all find me, but I just can't help myself from feeding and caring for them
@MillerTime 86 you are correct m'lady, my brain has been running in a low gear for awhile. I know better than to use hay. I corrected my mistake, thank you. I wouldn't want to be responsible for ruining someone's efforts to help the fuzzies in their time of need. Someone else mentioned using the insulation board for heat retention. That's not a good idea either as the cats will claw at it leaving bits of fiberglass insulation that they may injest.
Appreciate the correction, if yer gonna do it you may as well do it right. Correct?
Thank you for being kind and anyone who thinks these shelters are not life saving does not know what it is to freeze to death. Our Baltimore winter is headed into the coldest months ever this February with the Polar Vortex having split this year. We are also trying to help outdoor kitties in our neighborhood. Cheers!
Thanks Ardith She! And good luck with your efforts for your neighborhood kitties. I'm sure you are doing a lot of good. : )
I live in Canada literally right on the border of the coldest town in the United States (International Falls MN) so we basically share the same weather and it literally gets freezing here so I’m wondering if it would still be recommended to purchase this heated shelter for a feral cat I’ve been feeding on my porch for months... I’ve tried to get a rescue set up for her but unfortunately our small town doesn’t have those resources and I was told to build it a shelter for the winter 😞 I don’t have the abilities or the tools needed to build a shelter so I’m looking for the best possible alternative to buy and am wondering if you think this model in the video would be suitable for this very cold climate 🤷🏻♀️ any thoughts???? I’m so bothered about this poor beautiful female cat freezing outside and she is too frightened to even let me near her to pet her and will not come into my home either but hangs out on my porch to eat the food I put out for her 😞
@@katiedickson0820 as long as you have a porch with somewhere to plug it in i think it would work perfect! Just make sure if you have to get a extension chord you get a nice thick one to plug it in with!
Personally i think as long as u have a porch to stick it under and its not just gonna sit out in the snow it will work great i hope you and the kitty can keep warm💜
@@katiedickson0820 Here where I am in Canada there are people who take a regular plastic storage container like you buy at Canadian Tire and insulate the bottom and all sides with styrofoam which doesn't cost very much (cutting out the styrofoam where the door in the plastic container is) and fill the shelter about half way with straw, not hay, but straw, that costs about nine dollars for a bale at a local feed store or farmers market. Just pat down the straw inside from the door along the center area where the cat will be.
It can be good I think to then wrap the shelter including the top and bottom of it, in a tarp, except the side where the door is. This helps insulate it more, including the top of it where the lid is and also helps to camouflage the shelter in case there are prying eyes of people who want to complain.
If you want to hide the shelter more you could use a camouflage tarp and place old garden items on top of it and around it like it's just a small outdoor garden storage area for the winter.
It is good to cut the door, preferably a round door, in the plastic container in the upper part of the container, rather than the ground level.
The door should be cut no more than six inches wide to help keep out larger animals.
The hardest part I found was cutting the door into the plastic container which needs to be done, I found, with an electric tool. It's good to replenish the straw after some time as it will get squashed down with use. A towel or blanket is not good as it will absorb moisture and freeze but straw will stay dry. You are basically making them an insulated nest that will stay dry.
If you are only going to use a stryofoam cooler then I would suggest to cut the door high on the side of it, no more than six inches wide, wrap the whole container in a tarp, except the side the door is in, put straw inside, NO towels or blankets and place items around it to help hide it but be careful not to put anything too heavy on top of it as it is styrofoam. A solid base underneath to put it on would be good too and snow itself on the outside is an insulating material even though it is cold.
I just ordered one of these for my little kitty. He is 15, outdoors his whole life, and still as happy and healthy as can be!! In Missouri, we usually don’t have too many crazy cold days, but the past few have had negative windchills. He basically just roams around the garage nowadays, but I feel that is even too rough for my favorite little buddy. :) I’m sure he will love this, and it can’t come soon enough!! It was $55 when I purchased it today though. :( I swear I’d spend $100 if it meant he was having a nice warm place to sleep though! Good luck to you and your cats! I’m sure they appreciate it just as much as mine will!
When making outside shelter, do not use fabric it attracts moisture and will freeze and freeze the cat to death. Use straw only
Lynn .D This is in the south and he mentioned building an overhang, so as long as the fabric is like a parka or faux fur it may be dry and warm enough.
I use straw too but I’m in Philadelphia
Also, the house itself is made of nylon, which repels water. Anyway, any shelter is better than none. If you don't like this one, simply don't purchase it. But don't persuad someone from buying a shelter. Some people don't have the means to build their own. And if you keep this one in a dry area it would be just fine.
Rachel Dawn I used to live in SC and people in NY, etc forget the difference in climate and that the cold weather is days long instead of months long, lol
Rachel Dawn moisture in the air is enough to cause a problem. And what the cat will bring on it’s feet and fur . I have been working with cats over 20 years. I know what I’m talking about
Lynn .D I too use a plastic container and styrofoam plus straw for homeless, abandoned and feral cats in Philadelphia.
I agree with what you’re saying but these people seem very kind, caring and intelligent; I’m sure they will do the right thing should the house feel wet, cold or damp.
I used a two piece dog house to put the cat house into. My ferals didn't like the flaps, but tolerated one flap. These houses have held up nicely. The heat pad has a washable cover. Since i put these houses outside in the elements, i bought connection covers for the cords. Thank you for sharing this video and for caring for feral cats!
Thanks you for caring for the feral cats, too! Yes, I do think that a lot of feral cats will be scared of the flaps, which is too bad, because they help keep the heat in.
Thank YOU as well!!
I have these for outdoor cats inside a shed and under the deck of my house where it does not get wet. I have them either in plastic dog houses with Styrofoam or straw between this house and the waterproof doghouse and I also put just a small blanket inside, not on top of the pad because that’s where the heat comes from but around the inside perimeter so the cats can snuggle up to something
Sounds like a great setup. Glad you are caring for those kitties.
I just ordered one. I've been adopted by a stray that spends most of his time on my porch so I hope he likes this!
I think this is a great solution for a porch. I hope he like it!
How has it turned out? I'm thinking of getting one or building one from the Igloo
I never understood pet lovers .I understand that they are caring people who take care of their animals. But there are people out there like me that never wanted a pet or take care of a pet but dont have any negativity to pets or pet owners but just boggles me how much money people spend on their animals a year just to have fleas in your house, urine smell thru your house, picking up feces in your yard . That ain't for me .please no negative comments just wondering why my brain is programmed like that?
@@jamesybarra7947 Nah, nothing wrong with not liking pets. Your choice. Some of my family members are like that. My mom loves animals but prefer not to have them. Although I have 2 pets, my house is clean. If you're thinking about the mini-house for purchase, it's just a human feeling empathy for animals. They get cold and hungry just like we do. It's good Karma for me. Don't get it twisted, I try to help the poor and homeless people as well. Some people only care for animals but do nothing for their brethrens.
@@jamesybarra7947 LOL., thats your preference. You don't dig animals. We do n it gives pleasure to help them out.
The perfect hubby. Its wonderful to see and hear the passion in this great couple who cares about homeless kitties.
Wish i owned a home just for this reason, protecting the unwanted.❤
Those cat houses are nice for milder cold weather. I have several. However in harsh cold & snow, blankets & tarp to cover them from snow or rain is essential. I also used an infrared chicken heat lamp to keep those houses warm in bitter cold & wind.
I bought one of those a month ago and treated it well with outdoor Scotchgard for tents. Works great.
Where can I find the Scotchgard at thanks 😊
This warms my ❤️! I’m over here looking up videos on how to make stray cat shelters for several cats I’ve been leaving food for and I came across this. I wish my husband cared about these poor cats like I do. I have to feed them on the sly bc he would get mad - and my neighbor has threatened me bc he saw me feeding them (I wasn’t too nice to him about it. My house, my property, my business! Not his!). I tried making a few cat shelters last year with styrofoam containers and old towels inside and one cat kept peeing or spraying in it every day 😕 guess he didn’t want anyone else using it. My dog is crazy and hates all other animals so I can only feed and shelter cats on the porch and no electrical outlets up front so this wouldn’t work for my home - not to mention my husband would kill me for buying these 😢 and we live in the city where there are quite a few stray cats and in NW PA where it gets extremely cold and snowy
Try wood boxes with straw its better than blanket and towel as those materials draw moisture making kitty colder.
Keep going sister, you know what is right. My husband tried to do the same, doesn't work with me. People with compassion are better than people with none. Neighbor sounds like an A hole
God bless you
OMG, I live like you,, I live with brother & he hates them because the neighbor complain... They say cat are infection & they poop on their grass,, Mother of God are they going roll in their grass? They don't carry air germs.. poor kittens they end up dead from the cold freezing weather.. thanks for caring bless us to help poor little cats that need us..🐾🐾🤗🙏🙏
Thanks for taking care of them
I love the heated floor idea, but that house looks kinda thin to work for the winters we get in utah.
Yeah I said the same thing it looks so thin I don’t know how well it would stand up to the below 0 temperatures. Of course anything is better than nothing and this guy is very thoughtful to think of the kitties.
I think its wonderful that you bought these cats a warm home, although they are not feral cats.They appear to be strays. There is a big difference. A stray is abandoned, a feral is wild.The best thing you could do for these tame strays is find a home for them before they are subject to predators or disease. It is a very stressful life for a stray to always be alert to watch for ferals and other predators. They can be touched as you showed in your video. They deserve a home where they can come indoors if needed. Finding a suitable home that will allow them inside would be the kindest option. I noticed the black cat was waiting at the door hoping to go in.
so many labels. all animals truly crave warmth and love. many strays can be taken to the humane society or brought into the house. but i think it is unfair to say feral cats are wild and so this can never be their destiny. it can. i have done all of the above. remember this before you give up on a feral cat. their are people that have tamed bear, lions and all other kinds of wild animals. love is love.
Be sure to give feral cats their space. Their bites can be lethal as they are usually unhealthy.
Heck even bites from healthy indoor cats can cause serious problems. A friend's cat was freaking out about something and chomped him on the leg where the shin bone was. He was in the hospital for 2 days getting antibiotics through an IV!
😸 the stray at my work will appreciate this, I was able to get her kittens, but she’s uncatchable, I’ve been feeding her, but now it’s cold (I’ll fill it w/ straw) and I look at her babies and worry. Thank you!
Love the cobalt bottles in the window!💙my mum does this too
Good luck! Hope the kitties stay safe.
I love this little house! It took the kitties a while to get used to the kennel so I think they'll get used to the new house. It came at the right time since it's starting to get chilly now. I'm glad they will have a comfy, warm, and cozy place for the winter!
I just ordered one!
Should be here today, in fact!
This is the first video I watched bc I kept thinking I should try and build something.
It's PURRFECT.
So glad a company is left that CARES about those who will be using their stuff.
You're a good person.
Hope you enjoy it. Our cat lives inside now, so he doesn't use it. We gave ours to a friend and she still uses it for her feral cat.
You are great humans!!! Love this.
What a perfect little house. Got to think of something to keep the food/water from freezing. Thank you for your kindness.
This would be great for my front porch for my ferals, because the porch is covered and somewhat protected from the elaments. No snow worries and this would be great. Thanks for sharing.
I bought this for an outdoor feral that hangs around my stoop. we have the outlet right there so it worked out great. We took the plastic door off until she got used to it. However i live in the Northeast and this is not good enough for our winters. I saw on Amazon a woman who rescues cats put this house inside a pet crate resin outdoor dog house to completely weather proof it. I added insulation too in between the two houses. She loves it.
It is so difficult taking care of ferals, especially as I am disabled . I'm doing my best.
The overhang sounds like it will make it perfect. I hope they love it!
God Bless you , they need all the help we can give , I have 2 of those houses, just wish I had gotten the heated ones , afraid of fires , I add 18 hour heat warmers !, all on Amazon , I also insulated my kitty houses , with blanket warmers and straw 🙏🏾
THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU ARE THREE MINUTES INTO A VIDEO ABOUT BUILDING A HOUSE FOR A CAT.. AND YOUR ROOMMATES LIKE “bro, you don’t own any cats…?”
…. JOKES ON YOU ROOMIE BECAUSE WHEN I MOVED IN I MET A SWEET BOY WHO IS NOW MY SON! HIS NAME IS SONNY AND HES A DAPPERLY HANDSOME SHORT HAIRED ALL GREY CAT AND I WILL LITERALLY DO ANYTHING TO MAKE HIM MORE COMFORTABLE BUT DON’T TELL THE LANDLORD THAT I BOUGHT THE HOUSE FOR HIM…. OR ABOUT THE OTHER TWO I FEED DAILY ON OUR BLOCK… I rent a room and technically don’t live here. BUT SONNY AND FRIENDS YOU ARE WORTH IT. 😭❤️
Wish the entire thing just popped up without the zippers. It seems like the zippered seams would be very drafty. Thank you for sharing and your kindness to animals.
Thanks Amy. We do love helping animals. We have a lot more now than we did then. : ). I actually don't think the zippers are drafty...they are quite tight and snug. There is a huge door (hole) on each end of the house, so even if you have the plastic flaps on the doors, they do not fit snugly (there is a gap around three sides), so that would be the biggest risk of drafts. Even so, I think it keeps out the wind enough to keep the cats a lot warmer than they were if they were outside with no shelter. Having the house be completely airtight wouldn't be healthy for the cats either. In my mind, if it is 15 degrees outside, and 55 degrees inside the cat house, because of drafts and heat loss, that is a WIN. No shelter is going to be perfect. Thanks for commenting.
I have 3. They love them! I put them under bigger shelters that I built, with room to move around them, and 8" 4x4 feet to keep it up out of the snow in all but the worst snowfall, and a slanted back, shingled roof for extra weather protection, and I shovel paths to them and wherever I see their paw prints go. Test the heaty pads, we had one that didn't really heat up with the pillow test, not even with a good bit of weight, but they do love them...I think they do like being up even higher than 8", they feel safer, and sometimes raccoons do come by, so I don't leave food out after dark, but feed them at least 2x/day during daylight hours. They also have heated water dishes in a sheltered feeding station, the blue ones of the same brand work the best (but raccoons think they are bathtubs for them, so they need 2x/daily checks at feeding time. The feeding stations are also built the same as the house shelters, only not as wide They love all of it. If you have a deck or carport or such covered area, the heaty houses will last a lot longer, and not risk the cats getting snowed into them. Even an upturned black cement mixing tray from the hardware store makes about a 6"H by about 16"x20" platform. A few of those strategically scattered around the yard in places for them to easily monitor any incoming activity gives them warmer little "kitty sofas" up off the ground, and they use those a lot, too, in summer and winter, they lounge on them and they are just the right kitty size. About $5-7 each, not bad, and zero work. Just lay them upside down and violà! Kitty sofa or a food platform in summertime. Haha, I originally got them for an oversized indoor kitty litter box, but when cleaning them in the yard, the outside ones claimed them as sofas when I set them upside down to dry. So I got more. If your kitty misses the box at times, they work great as bigger litter boxes, and with training pads under the edge to catch any accidents, it's a happier home.
Kim, I'd like to see the bigger shelters you are talking about. I need to build something to keep out rain, snow and wind that the kitty house can be under. If you wouldn't mind, could you send a photo to my email address? I don't think you could do it here? denigrif@gmail.com
since you have some of these, do you recommend these over building one in the storage containers as many do? I have a carport with an outlet.
Miss Kim Keep up the good work! I’m sure the kitties really appreciate it.
This is neat but I feed and shelter ferals in the north east where it gets really cold in the winter, I use styrofoam coolers, just cut a small hole for entry, and line it with hay or straw, about 3 or 4 inches deep. You can just cover it in a plastic trash can liner and tape it down, and even better, you can also insert the cooler into a plastic storage bin that you get from Walmart, etc, for $5 bucks. Just make a hole for entry, but don't make it too big. Add more hay or straw in the empty space around the cooler that is within the storage bin. The bigger the hole, more cold air gets inside. This is a practical solution when you don't have access to electricity. Thanks to all the folks who see about our feral community cats! The cats already have a hard life, and we just try to make it better!
Odessa Braggs ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️I agree! God bless you 👍🏾❤️
Odessa, do you feel the shelter should have an escape route? maybe this is why the ferals aren't using my shelter.....
Peggy Stevens , I thought my feral needed a second doorway but she used this and one that had just one entrance that was small enough to keep out predators.
@@Andygirl59 Thank you for the response-I have to try something. She is so skittish, the a**hole male that lives in a home, well fed and behind me always wants to whip on her. I want her to feel safe. She won't let me near her but loves my dog... I'll keep it up, eventually she'll come around. And thank you so much for the delightful music! My mom and I enjoy it!
Lovely people, through and through. Thank you for being so kind. 😻
Thanks 13V
Over the years, ive bought tons of cat shelters, most of them sit unused. I currently build a tarp and plywood cave under an outdoor patio table. I lean some plywood panels against the sides of the table to make walls, then drape the table with two tarps. I lay a tarp underneath the table and curve the tarp up on the sides to keep water out. Then i lay down a heavy moving blanket and lay a large heating pad on top of that, and lots of smaller blankets i throw on top the heating pad. It becomes like a cave under the table with exits on each end. Luckily i have an outdoor outlet for the heating pad which is convenient, and a partially covered deck where the table sits. I also have a secondary house atop the table, which is just one of those cat play pens covered on top, and filled with with blankets and small heating pad. They all like the table cave best
I have two of those houses, without the heating pad, mine have the self heated pads inside. I have them in my carport. One on a platform I built just for feral cats, the other is on my porch. 😻
Good for you for helping the cats!
Dennis Mathias - Thanks Dennis.
Thanks for taking car of these cats. We got the same house for are two house cats but they never used it. We had a stray come around and she did use it. The house gets soaked when it rains so good thing you built a roof. WE have brought her (the stray) inside for the winter and she is doing very good. So I'm very happy about that. Thanks again for being kind.
I bought this house 2 years ago and put it on my porch for a very wild Feral male that I trapped and neutered. I initially put in in a very large dog crate in my garage for the feral to heal from his surgery for 2 weeks as he also had an injured leg before I was able to trap him to go to the vet. He used it and seemed to like it in the garage, but he had no choice since he was in a huge dog cage. He is still fairly wild but he just won't use it, I've used everything to lure him in there, but he just eats the food and treats and leaves. I see him sleeping on the cold ground behind my house and it breaks my heart, but he won't let me touch him still without trying to scratch me. He is the only feral I have not been able to tame, he lives here and loves his summer cot, lays and sleeps on it all the time, but still won't use this damn house. Sadly a huge possum that was visiting my yard every night last winter for food and a safe place to hang out (he was very injured and limping when he first showed up, 2 months later he was looking normal and still coming for food, but sadly one cold winter morning I found him curled up in this house and he was dead.) I'm glad atleast it may have offered that poor possum some comfort in his dying hours, but as a feral cat shelter this thing is sadly worse than useless. I've made houses from large storage tubs, from cat carriers with Styrofoam and wrapped in plastic with self heating pads in them. NOTHING!! This CAT just won't use any of the houses I make for him and I can't bring him in cause he is a bully and chases other cats from my house. So there is no way he can live inside with all my elderly cats with his Bully issues and refusal to let me pet him without trying to claw me. This house is cute, and easy to assemble but not a good outdoor house for wet weather either if you have an open porch it's not good, you need a closed porch that doesn't get any moisture if you want to use the heated pad for this kitty house. Your big adorable cat acts the same way this feral does toward the house in your video. LOL I am curious to see all the adjustments you mentioned you were gonna do to protect the house from the elements. That might work out to make this useable for outdoor weather. :) I just can't believe NO ONE has come up with an affordable, water-proof kitty house for outside ferals. I search the internet and see a lot of cute houses, but then when I read the reviews all I see is comments about how poorly made they are, they leak, they fall apart, they are not warm and on and on and most of those cost 100-500 dollars and they are absolute junk. Most people with Big Hearts who try to help these cats don't have huge bank accounts to waste money on crappy expensive shelters. :(
Jane Hyde - good points. I wound up buying the slightly larger house from the same company (K&H) and then I made a platform and tarp roof for it. Here’s a link to the video - czcams.com/video/5gjOJdFbS2I/video.html
Now I have two houses, one for each cat. The one on this video sits on the porch and the bigger one next to it (still under the roof, but just barely, so the tarp roof is necessary.). If we were to get a blowing rain from the east, it could get wet, but I can always dry it out if that happens. Sorry to hear that your cat is not taking to it. Sounds like you’ve done him a lot of good in spite of his stubbornness. 👍
Well, just keep in mind, once you build a shelter, you have to periodically maintenance it. After a big rain storm, you might have to get the water out and dry it and replenish the straw or what have ya...I'm sorry to hear your male feral won't take to your shelters. My Mom used to say that cats are already prepared for winter with their thick coats, but winter can still be quite brutal so I continue making shelters for the ones I take care of. good luck!
When is your book coming out?
Odessa Braggs, Thanks for your concern for my stubborn feral Eastwood. This year he made a few new male friends. A big black cat I call Pantera and another tiger stripe that looks just like Eastwood called Astro who lives around the block. Strangely Eastwood became best buds with these 2 males (both are neutered also) and now they all sleep in the houses I've add this fall. I have 4 houses now. And Eastwood is now sweet and gentle boy. I guess there is truth to that saying about the kind of people you choose to hang out with, must be the same with cats, glad he found a nice friendly crowd. Cheers :D
David Foote, You Busted Me! LOL I'm a Grandma, so I'm always in teaching mode with my grandson trying to teach him love and respect for all creatures and how we can help them. So yeah, I tend to be long winded and detail oriented. And I am actually working on a series of children's books about all my animal rescues and my best friend is a fabulous artist who will be doing the illustrations. Cheers ;D
So sweet of you to do this. This makes me happy:)
grey day - thank you. 😀
I love cats. Thanks for sharing.
I am caretaker of many feral cat colonies for over 15 yrs. My colonies are all over the town I live in. This house is NOT enough to protect any cats in colonies. Obviously, there is no electricity for the pad & heavy snow will crush down the house.
It looks like the cats that you have by you are your own personal, friendly domestic cats, therefore, I hope you do NOT Leave them outside in cold weather for any length of time! Besides the fact that they can get frostbite, it's too DANGEROUS for cats to roam the neighborhood. As a cat rescuer, I have seen every imaginable BAD scenario happen to cats! No-one thinks it going to happen to "their cat", that's of course, until it does! You will NEVER forgive yourself when it does!
For anyone that has feral cats in their backyard that they are caring for I suggest that you contact some rescue groups in your area ones that are active in spade and neutering in the community and caring for feral cat colonies. They will be able to direct you to people that build insulated feral cat houses for them. These are usually made of wood and if you use mylar coated bubble wrap that they use for Human house, insulation, if you line besides the floor and the lid with the mylar bubble wrap insulation and then generously add a lot of straw not hey but straw and you add quite a bit of it and you bird nest it so it looks like how a bird's nest is this way the CAT scan hunker down in the straw and it's also very insulating while helping to be water resistant 4 a little moisture that might be on the cat's coat. It is also suggested to put these houses up on something sturdy to elevated so that the snow cannot pile up in front of the doorway causing the cats to not use the house. It is like why I suggested to face the doorway of the house towards a solid structure for instance your own house to help keep Wind and Rain from going inside. It is best to have the house with additional covering underneath a patio deck per se, or an additional piece of plywood or other heavy durable material going from on top of the house and all the way up to the solid structure ie: your house. In order for that piece of wood to not fall down or fall in front of the opening closing the cats not to be able to get in you would need to put a very heavy concrete brick on the one side that is the cat house. Additionally once the cats are used to going in and out of the housing is it is advisable to put a flap on the front of the doorway to help further insulate. You can use a cut piece of that bubble wrap Miler that you use to insulate the inside of the house and with a heavy duty stapler Staples a piece over the doorway. You want to make the flap larger than the actual size of the entrance so that the cats can easily pull up their paw or their head underneath the flap to allow themselves to enter the housing. Using catnip once you've insulated the house with the Myler and the straw sprinkling it inside and then rubbing it on the outside of the cat house will help them to be curious to want to investigate the housing. It is best 2 always feed these cats at a good distance away from where the housing is. This is because they will be wary of using the housing if they feel that wild life or other animals will come near the house looking for the food, so please keep that in mind. It is important that the housing isn't in an area where there is any kind of regular foot traffic or it will scare the cats and they will not regularly use the housing if they at all feel threatened. Once the weather gets consistently cold they will usually spend the majority of the day in the house only coming out to eat drink and go to the bathroom. It is important to only check inside the housing when you know for sure the cats are not in it because if you do so when they are in it and you open up the lid they will get scared and maybe not use the housing again. It is important to check the straw in the housing regularly to make sure that it is not wet or it will give the cats a chill, get them a cold, and even pneumonia. Again, when you know the cats are out of the house eating that's the time to check the straw take out any wet straw and replace with dry straw always bird-nesting destroy deep so they can borrow into it.
Cheryl Mallon-Bond I agree with you 100 % . This is ok for inside cats but for out door cats is NOT enough .I have a cat colony too I builded a 2 floor shelter for them buying the material from Home Depot and cost me around 100 Dolors which is not bad. The shelter is big enough for 6 cats it has 1 inch wall of foam insulation and Its builded with 2 SmartSide 48 in. x 96 in. Strand Panel Siding it cost me 29.00 $ i also installed 4 heating pads 2 on each floor. They sooooo happy and warm .
You have commented on two cat videos saying this...
if it applies to more than one then why wouldn't she?
Cheryl Mallon-Bond dude stfu
Wow, how long did it take you to right that😂
How cool I have to have one. I have a few wild cats around here. Looks like a must have. Thanks for this video
Awesome information, thank you!
We had to take the plastic flap off on one side as well, since our outdoor cat refused to go in with it on. I ended up hot gluing Velcro to the opposite side of the removed plastic flap and reinforcing the one on the other end, which also served as a way to keep us from losing it, in case we ever wanted to try it again. Then, I measured the open area and cut two squares out of an old, thick, flannel T-shirt, hot glued them together, glued a strip of Velcro to one side and used that to replace the removed plastic. She had no problem using it after that and barely leaves it, during the fall and winter. This really is an awesome product and it’s cheap. I actually spent more money and exceeded my set budget, trying the DYI approach. Not to mention the time it took. The cat never used it either... 😆
Hi Summer! Sounds like a good approach. Yeah, you never know what a cat is going to like and not like. Leon (the dark grey cat) is an inside/outside cat now, and we have bought several (indoor) things for him that he wasn't interested in. I guess we'll put them in a yard sale in the spring.
We have 2 on our porch. Easy to launder the heat pad cover. Keep dry food inside, keep water separately out side. I used a styrofoam board under the house, same floor dimensions. Was very pleased that ours have lasted 4 years with care. Some feral cats have come and gone. One has stayed for 4 years. She accepts pets, uses a litter box, but will not allow being picked up or come inside. Farm country. Magnet for abandoned or lost kitties.
Awesome! It's so fun to help them. Glad you are helping and enjoying it. Spay / neuter is so important to keep the populations down. Both of the fellows you saw in this video were trapped, neutered and returned (prior to them showing up at our house).
@@PatrickParsonWorkshop Charlie is our newest lost kitty, not chipped just had him altered yesterday, he's a new love bug house kitty! Very important to spay or neuter whenever possible!
I used one of those storage bins from home depot. Used a bungee cord to hold the lid on and cut a hole for a door. Lined it with foamular as insulation
You are 2 awesome people thank you for caring. I’m sorry you lost the other cat.
You are so kind
Thanks for this video, I hope we have them on the UK Amazon, as I'll order one for our new stray friend, ready for winter 😊
that cat has the most adorable vocalisations!
Yes, he does. His name is Leon and he actually lives with us inside now. He makes those sounds when he has a toy. Not sure if he is proud he "caught" it, or something else. He's a good boy.
That is so nice, I never thought they had anything for cats when cold. That is really nice. John 14:6
I named our feral cat colony Emerald's Ark after our first alpha whom we lost in August a year ago. We have one of those velcro green houses, one large shed roof wooden house with a pet heater and I built a larger still combo garden planter table and cat shelter with a weighted and hemmed automotive clear vinyl front, self-heating blankets, and wool cat pods. We have at least seventeen feral cats that live in various places. Others are tamed to come and go and five live in our house. We spoil them with the love, veterinary care, foods, and are the human members of the colony.
Awesome! Way to go, Bob! Thanks for caring for those kitties.
how great of you. The Lord greatly bless you.
They are so adorable! Hi Leon!
Thanks Steven Baumann! - Leon
I super like that there are two holes for them to use so that there is an escape if one needs to get out,
Yes. Absolutely.
I've had one of these for years. Cats who hate eachother by day will sleep in there together at night to survive. It sits on a patio. I only have one door now but they still use it. Would not set direct on the ground. Have also put a plastic tarp over it when we had a lot of rain. It still works well, easy to clean even when I had some spraying problems. I also use plastic bins w/ sheets of Styrofoam. I find them via Freecycle or NextDoor in my area.
Nice idea for an area that doesn't get cold. It needs to be mega insulated for true winter protection. Leon sure is tame for a feral. Good people to do this for a little critter.
Leon is beautiful ❤I have 2 of these houses , I don’t use the heating pads but I insulate mine for the winter they have held up for about 4-5 winters so far 😊Thank you
After watching this video last fall, I bought one for the feral cat that frequents my back yard. I also used my own heating pad as the one they provide isn’t sufficient for minus 25. My backyard cat is called, Winter, and she’s done just fine surviving the cold Montana winter these past two nights. She finally came into my home but once I closed the door, she panicked. I opened the door and she flew to her cat house, which btw, has four towels and a warm blanket covering the house which is under the overhang of the shed. Thanks! Great video!
Some cats prefer roaming free. I wish I could do that 😁
Thank you so much for reviewing this product I just purchased this kitty shelter for a stray 🐈 in my neighborhood ❤️
Hope you like it!
Loved watching you guys interact with your kitty at the end. You are like my parents. :)
Thanks for watching Angela! God bless you. : )
I love your house and neighboehood! Very nice!
Thank you. We have since moved, but it was a nice little neighborhood.
This is pretty cool! And inexpensive too, it is heated!
That's really Awesome ! ! !
It is $100.00 now not even close to $35 it is crazy how much prices change have went up ... Great video 👍
It sure is
Thanks Ela! Have gone another route-styrofoam with reflective heat n straw. Still must put it together.....
The kitty house is cool! I also really like your chair with the dots all over it!
Actually this is rated for outdoor use with the heating pad. K&H heating pads are not on full blast all the time like regular heating pads. There sort of on low power until the cat gets on the pad then they heat up to the cats ideal temperature. So the pads are smart and save a bit on the heating bill. I use several of these for cat colony. Electrical note here... Any outlet outside has to be on a GFCI for safety. GFCI outlets are required anywhere there may be water, bathroom, kitchen, garage, and outside outlets. Your outside outlets box should have a cover bubble to keep the water away from the plug. If you have to use an extension cord use a clamshell on exposed connections like this .. www.amazon.com/Twist-Seal-Cord-Protect-Pack/dp/B01N8SRHU9/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=extension+cord+clamshell+cover+safety&qid=1573840184&s=pet-supplies&sr=8-2-fkmr0
I wish I had seen this before I build a house from a cooler and paid about $30 for an KH heat pad with no cover. Looks great.
I have two. They don't like the front flap at my place. Kept the back one on.
That is very cool!
I would turn it so that the house blocks the wind at the back entrance.
Should put the house on the porch where it’s covered, these will not hold up while sitting in and being covered in snow. And sitting in mulch it’s going to get really wet
If you put plastic over the roof like the kind for weatherproofing the snow won't accumulate and if it does just brush it off. Or put it under a large tree where the branches will protect it from too much snow
Lavern Merriweather the bottom need to be kept in a dry place
@@lynn.d1015 That too
Yes, we did wind up keeping it on the porch, on the other side of the door, where it had plenty of roof overhang to keep it from ever getting wet. And yes, don't put it on mulch. The moisture will wick up into it and it will get damp and moldy.
Thank You for sharing!!!!
Very nice!!!
Thanks!!
I have 5. I feed on my porch. I waterproofed them with clear flex seal. My crew loved them and used them all winter. For the summer I’ve taken out the heating pads & added cooling mats
Nice! Hard to beat for the money and I am still definitely sold on them. Thanks for watching.
Did you use the spray can ?
@@nehemiahuriel yes
It looks nice, but the downside of that shelter is it probably gets clammy in there from the body moisture and the walls and ceiling prob gets wet. Alternatively I made a shelter from a storage container, drilled holes for ventilation, fleece for bedding and covered with Tyvek cloth to make it rain proof and is also breathes.
May the God bless u for helping animals outside.
Thanks for telling us the $$, I thought it would be more expensive. I'm convinced, definitely buying one!
I think Leon wants you to switch homes. He will take the bigger one and you can keep the canvas home lmao. He's so adorable!
Haha. Actually, Leon lives inside our house now and is loving it. He does still go outside once or twice a day though. He loves exploring and gets cagey if we don't let him outside.
@@PatrickParsonWorkshop that's awesome! What a lucky boy!
Its very cute and helpful my cats will love it 😻
I just bought this same house without the heated pad. I'm going to put straw inside and have a pallet underneath, it's going on my front porch which has a concrete slab but it will be sheltered.
Wow!! This is super nice
Patrick! The homeless
Fur babies will love it!
and you made it so so nice 🤩👍
Thank you! 🤗
What a nice guy.
I just bought 2 Ecoflex cat houses which look like dog houses, have a door & a window & put them together for my 2 ferals. I put a heated pad inside & some straw in the gap & will also cover w/tarp. The houses are very solid.
I am was thinking about getting this for my cat, thanks to your review I just ordered! I place his houses on my lawn chair & its off the ground and fits snugly. The reason I put it there is because that is where he has slept for 10yrs and he won't go in anything that isn't on the chair.
Great! Make sure you keep it out of the rain. I kept mine on the covered porch. It is water resistant, but not waterPROOF.
I bought a large plastic litter box with the lid, and front door opening. Since the plastic was thin and would still be cold inside I put a pillow and blankets in there for my feral cat to keep warm. For extra insulation I covered outside with a large garbage bag and 2 thick rubber mats on top. He loves it even in the pouring rain.
As long as they are fed good and have shelter they will be happy and survive..we just built a catio fir my cats..THEY LOVE IT..I have that green house and an igloo..the little green house is made out of really nice heavy material..I also have microwavable heating disc's ...
Sounds great!
That is soo neat!!
Thanks for this...we have a feral cat we want to help during our snowy winter.
cubomania3
I have been trying to capture this cat for 2 winters now. I feed him but he just will not get close. The county rescue is 2 miles from my house. They have no room for him/her. I have 5 cats and am at my limit. Very sad he won’t warm up to me.
Please TNR feral cats in the process of helping them, that's the greatest help you can give. And if you are a cat owner, please don't let them roam the neighborhood. It's very dangerous for them and rude to your neighbors
Thanks. Good advice. They have both been TNR'd before we found them. We still have one of them, and he is now mostly an inside cat. However, he does still go outside, but not far from the house. All the neighbors know him, and don't mind him coming around. He is friendly to all dogs and people.
@@PatrickParsonWorkshop 8
I have 2 here in the city of cold Boston. They wait for me to tie my beagle up and feed em daily. This is a great idea.
That is awesome!
The great thing about this is that you can easily keep it free of fleas, because it is very easy to clean. I would close on of the entries though, not nice to sleep in a draft.
cats prefer two ways to exit if they feel unsafe
I love your video. I am shopping for a ready made feral cat shelter also. My concern on the K&H is the reviews indicate it may not be completely water proof and thus better for a garage, shed or covered porch
Angel 1 - I think they say it is “weather resistant”...yes, waterproof would be better. I wonder if you could spray a couple coats of scotch guard on it and waterproof it that way? I built a platform/ cover for mine...should have the video out soon. Thanks for commenting!
Wow - that's great. I was thinking about getting one of these or making a cat house out of an old timber bedside table. This would be a lot easier :-)
When the video was made (2017) the cat shelter was $35. In 2021, it's $65.
Animal rescue suggests putting dry straw for inside temp cat houses as it won't get wet from entering and will keep them dry and warm
Oh wow these look great! I wonder if i can find one in europe we have a few community cats that we share with our neighbors and its getting chilly outside.
I wish these were still that price
Thank you SO MUCH for this video. I was about to go to Home Depot to get supplies to make a winter house, but your video has saved me what was sure to be many frustrating hours!! I just ordered this house (unheated) and a warming pad. Seriously, I cannot thank you enough!!!
Great! Glad it helped. Sometimes it's fun to build things, but with winter coming and me being busy with other projects, I was so glad to find out that someone had already made a heated feral cat house...who would have thunk it?!?! Thanks for watchin Ela!
I might have to get one of these for Mr. Hissy Fit.
thanks. saves me a lot of trouble.
I had not seen this before. I was just starting to look at the ones on CZcams. This looks great. And the price is not bad. Thank You.
Debbie Lehrman - Thanks! The price went up a bit since this video...I guess I caught a deal before it started to get cold.
Check Amazon Warehouse for deals on these. Just search K&H under Amazon Warehouse deals daily and these will pop up. Basically returns for 30-40% off!
Check Amazon Warehouse for deals on these. Just search K&H under Amazon Warehouse deals daily and these will pop up. Basically returns for 30-40% off! Also by searching K&H you'll find a whole range of their products from, heating pads, self warming beds etc for reasonable prices. I bought an unheated house for a friend for $18 and the extreme heating pad for $16 separately. Also I have two strays that are besties so I needed something bigger and found the larger "double wide" heated version for only $42.00!
Of course my covered porch is now dotted with 4 cat houses but every outside cat has claimed their little house and when I walk up at night and see their little glowing eyes reflected back at me, I am soooo happy for them. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy that they have a little place to be warm and snuggly especially since its been soo cold this week. Barely 15 during the day and 4 degrees at night! Brrr!
Girlbytes - Thanks for the info! I have the small AND large K&H houses on my front porch now too, so I know what you mean. 🤗. They really seem to like them.
@@Girlbytes
Thank you for your kindness towards strays! 💟
I wish I could "save them all"...😢