Winterizing A Stray Cat House (Plus, An Update On Our Neighborhood Stray, Tiger)
If you’re a regular around here, you already know about our neighborhood stray cat, who we’ve named Tiger. He’s absolutely adorable, and so friendly. I feed him twice a day, and on days when I’m working on projects outside, he hangs around and keeps me company. He loves to be loved on — head scratches, belly rubs, cuddles, and anything else he can get — and I’m happy to oblige.
But when the forecast showed that really cold weather was coming, I got concerned for him. I wanted him to have a warm place to sleep at night, and a safe place to get out of the cold, rain, and sleet that was in the forecast.
So I went to Amazon to see what was available. After perusing several different options for stray and feral cat houses, I landed on this one. You can find it here. (affiliate link) It had good ratings, and overall, I really liked it. It was super simple to put together. It took me about 15 minutes from start to finish. And I really don’t think I could have built it from scratch for less than what I paid for it.
The slanted roof raises up on hinges for easy access to the inside. The inside has a divider to separate the inside into two sections to provide more wind protection to the sleeping area. Overall, it’s a great design and a really good cat house. But I wasn’t completely satisfied with it. The bottom was just wood slats, and I couldn’t see how that would offer much protection from the cold air and wind.
So I had an idea to add insulation to the bottom. I started by measuring the distance between the legs on the front/back and also on the sides.
And then I used leftover PVC boards that I had on hand (but any scrap wood could be used for this) and cut four pieces to those lengths on my miter saw.
And then I nailed those in place between the legs to create a little skirting around the bottom. I nailed right through the legs and into the edges of the PVC boards using 2.5-inch 16-gauge nails.
Once I had all four boards attached, I turn the house on its back and filled that space with two layers of R-13 insulation that was leftover from our newly insulated closet/laundry room floor. But anything could be used to insulate — leftover packaging materials from Amazon packages, old clothing, a can of spray foam insulation.
And then to hold the insulation in place, I cut a piece of plywood (I always have scrap plywood on hand) to fit inside the bottom.
And then I nailed that in place by nailing right through the skirting boards and into the edges of the plywood.
I wanted to insulate the sleeping area of the cat house a bit more, and after considering several options, I thought to myself, “What do all cats love? CARDBOARD BOXES!” And I always have plenty of cardboard boxes on hand! So I cut some cardboard down to size to line the inside of the exterior walls of the sleeping area. (By the way, miter saws and table saws make quick work of making straight cuts on thick cardboard.)
And then I put a little blanket in the bottom, and…
He loves it! He knows this is his house. He sleeps in there every night, and I often catch him in there taking a nap during the day. I’ve kept it under the carport right by our back door because the first night he had it, the wind was awful. It was so windy and so cold, so I actually tucked the cat house right next to our trash cans to provide a wind break, and then I also wrapped more insulation around the exterior of the house. There were only about two nights when that was necessary because of the cold, biting wind.
I shared the process in this video…
Since I decided to keep the cat house under our carport (for now, at least), and I knew it was about to get so cold, I actually bought a warming pad (specifically for cats and dogs) to go inside. I simply drilled a hole through the back of the house for the cord, and plugged into the outlet right there behind our trash cans. But unfortunately, he hated it! As long as that warming pad was in there, he refused to go into his house. As soon as I took it out, he started using his house again. Perhaps it made him too warm. Or maybe it emitted a sound that bothered him (and that I couldn’t hear). I’m not sure what the problem was, but he’s perfectly happy and comfy without it.
Last Thursday, our weather turned really bad. Not only was it cold, but it rained all day long, and the rain was mixed with sleet. I was so worried about Tiger being out in that because he doesn’t like spending all day in his house. I couldn’t concentrate on what I was working on because I was so concerned about him, so I went outside and found him (he almost always comes running when I call him). Then I put Cooper and Felicity in a separate room, and I brought Tiger into my studio where I was working.
He stayed inside all afternoon and early evening. He got all the attention and cuddles he wanted. I made him a bed in a box with a comfy blanket, and he slept for a very long time. He got some catnip, which he absolutely went crazy over. I thought that perhaps I now had another indoor cat, and I’d just have to find a way to get Cooper to get along with Tiger.
But that evening, after the weather had calmed down, I opened the back door to go get something out of the van, and he darted out the door. So while he enjoyed his afternoon in a warm house and out of the crazy weather, I think he’s just a free spirit who wants to be outside where he can roam around, snooze in the warm Texas sun, and come around for snuggles and food on his own schedule.
So for now, he’s still the neighborhood stray, and not a new addition to the Linauer household. That may change in the future, but for now, at least he knows he has a warm place to sleep at night, two meals a day, and head scratches and belly rubs any time he wants them.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
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He is such a cutie. Thank you for giving him a great life.
So sweet! Thank you for taking such great care of him 💕.
Whether you know it or not, I think you have a new indoor/outdoor cat 😂
Yep….I totally agree!!!! Thx Kristi for being some compassionate to this ‘stray’ animal. He is so loved by you, and he knows he has a home to come home to…whether it be outside or inside
Love this❣️
Love this! He looks so happy in his little house. One thing – is it possible to see if he is fixed and/or get him fixed? Thank you!
So nice of you to go to the expense of setting up a posh place for your kitty friend! I wish more people were so thoughtful of the strays!
Tiger looks similar to my son’s cat. So pretty. He’s livin’ large now. =)
He looks just like our Freckles that we rescued when we were stationed in Ohio. It took a little while for her to get used to being an indoor kitty, but she soon decided this was the thing to be. We had her for 15 years when we lost her to cancer, she was our last cat. We’ve tried barn cats, but with the predation that we have up here, that always ended tragically. I have to satisfy my pet life with chickens and other farm critters. Good on you, the world needs more people with very warm hearts.
Cheers!
Thank you for taking care of this sweet baby!
What a fancy little house for Tiger! I have created several houses for strays using all sorts of materials, from old igloo coolers to domed kitty litters and insulated with spray foam and foam sheeting. May I suggest you check into TNR programs in your area to get Tiger neutered for no/low cost to you? And maybe get him a flea collar and dewormer. You wouldn’t want him passing those critters on to your house cat when you bring him inside your home! Isn’t it amazing how animals instinctively know who their people are!?
The TNR program should apply topical flea preventative at time of spay-neuter. Please don’t put a collar on an outdoor cat. Any OTC flea collar is basically useless and not “breakaway” meaning the cat can get caught & choke/suffocate. No one wants that. Just thoughts from a TNR cat trapping volunteer.
That’s a great first step to provide him with a cozy warm house to escape the bad weather. I bet he might get along better with Cooper if it’s an outdoors date where Tiger has a way of being up high where he feels safe. Also, if you are bringing him intp your studio, place a doogie bed with Coopers scent on it in the room where he can sniff it and get to know him through a door at first. Best of luck, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing so much for the strays.
You are a sweetheart, Kristi. Warms my heart.
I just love this post so much.
You gave him a house…he’s no longer the neighborhood stray, LOL. I love this post so much. Such a sweet kitty & I’m so glad he took to his new house right away. Enjoy the kitty snuggles!
You are just the best!
Is there anything like this to feed an outdoor only cat – but with a way to keep other animals out?
A cat lover after my own heart! Tiger’s one very lucky kitty. I agree with the others suggesting finding a low-cost spaying program to have him snipped, if it’s not already been done. Spring and feline baby-making will be coming all too soon.
(I can’t believe you handle fiberglass insulation without protection!)
Haha! You’ll very rarely see me wearing gloves. Have you ever seen a video of someone putting a leash on a cat, and all of a sudden the cat seems to forget how to use its legs and just flops over on its side? That’s how I feel when I put gloves on to work. 😀
I love this so much!!
Can’t wait to see how you paint the new cat shelter😊. Lucky kitty!
I want to paint it to match our house, but since there’s no door on it, I need to find a way to incorporate some of the coral color that I’ve used on our doors. Maybe a little name plate in coral above the doorway? Or a little welcome sign? I’ll have to come up with something, because it can’t just be gray and white!
I don’t like collars, either. I think I’ll just use the same flea treatment on him that I use on our indoor animals when they need it. Although we really haven’t had a flea problem in several years since we started getting our yard sprayed quarterly, and I don’t like using chemicals unless they’re absolutely necessary. So I have some extras on hand. I could use one of those on Tiger.
This so sweet! I love what you did with the cat house. Tiger is precious.
You have such a kind heart. Thank you for taking care of this guy. He’s so lucky to have you.
Bless you for caring for this sweetie <3 I think/hope there's a special place in Heaven for people who care for animals (and a special place the other direction for those who abuse or neglect critters).
I couldn’t love this more!!! Thank you for taking such good care of him!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading today’s blog. Happy for all of you!
I’ve heard that it is better to use straw for bedding for outside warm houses than blankets, as the blankets can get wet and freeze. But in your area of the country it may not be as critical.
I love that you have done all this for Tiger and, like many others, I too wish that more people could be as loving and considerate as you are towards our furry friends. Tiger’s new digs are great! 🙂 However, at the risk of being a Debbie Downer, please do not wear a scarf or anything that hangs freely around your neck when you are using your table saw. That pic made me gasp. :-{
That scared the be-jeebies out of me too when I saw that scarf. I know there’s a guard on that saw but…
Kudos from one cat mom to another. I have four couch/recliner potatoes. I agree with the poster who said to see if he is fixed. A visit to the vet for rabies shot since they now have 3 yr shots. Considering that you have Felicity, also ck for FEV . If they had a tussle, he can pass it to her if he’s infected. There is a vaccine available.
When my 4 were born, I had their mom tested and she was negative so I didn’t have to test them since I had them from their birth. Give Tiger some snuggles from all of us!
That’s so great that you built the stray kitty a house! He looks like a real sweet cat. Thanks for sharing this story and for the video. You’re doing a fine job with your videos!
Perfect type of cat situation. No litter box to clean!
Absolutely love this!
Thanks for this update. I’ve been worrying about Tiger and the other kitties drawn your way and am relieved to know that he (?) is well-fed and thoughtfully/stylishly protected from the elements. Also thankful that you’re open to making him part of the family and providing neutering and pest protection whether he opts to give up his vagabond ways or not.
I love your thoughtfulness. I used to live in an area where I fed a group of feral cats and would.trap and get them fixed whenever I could. I am a softy for any outdoor animal
Thank you for taking care of this sweet kitty
What a cute cat house especially since you dolled it up. In his box with blanket, you need to put in some straw. That way he can make a bed down in the straw and he will be all set. He is a darling cat. I wish we had a “barn” cat. If you go to adopt a cat and say it is for a barn cat, the shelter will not let you adopt. Our dog would not tolerate a cat in the house, nor would me husband!
Sure enjoy your blog. Glad you are back.
Thank you for taking great care of the sweet kitty.
The best bedding for an outdoor cat shelter is straw. Anything fabric gets damp (even from ambient humidity), and thus isn’t warming.
If you fill the bedroom portion of the cat shelter with straw — 10 to 12″ loosely packed — your kitty will make a nice tight nest for himself, and be cuddled all around against the cold.
Love this! We now have three cats (I know, I’m dangerously close to becoming–that–kind of woman). All are adopted, but my parents once adopted a kitten whose stray mother gave birth about 12 feet up in the hollow of an old oak tree in our suburban neighborhood.
We were alerted to the babies by their persistent mewling and came to the rescue, keeping mama well fed until she eventually carried all six kittens, one by one, down to ground level. After she weaned them onto her adult food, the whole neighborhood (and our local newspaper) jumped in and quickly adopted out each of the kittens and their mama to loving homes.
I love this story!
This is so, so wonderful! Maybe he needed a potty break…