Winter can be a harsh time for outdoor cats, but with a little effort, you can provide them with a safe and warm shelter to escape the cold. Creating an effective outdoor cat house is crucial for their survival and comfort during the frosty months. This guide provides essential tips for building or setting up the ideal winter shelter, ensuring your feline friends stay cozy and protected from the elements.
Key Considerations for a Winter Cat Shelter
Creating a suitable outdoor cat house involves more than just throwing a box outside. Several factors play a vital role in ensuring the shelter is effective and safe for cats. Understanding these principles will help you build or choose the right shelter and placement to maximize warmth and protection.
Shelter Size Matters: Right-Sizing for Warmth
The size of the shelter is paramount for maintaining warmth. Smaller spaces are actually more efficient at trapping and holding a cat’s body heat.
- Small is Efficient: A compact shelter, suitable for one or two cats to huddle together, will warm up much faster and retain heat better than a large, drafty space. Larger shelters, especially with only a few cats inside, will struggle to reach a comfortable temperature.
- Multiple Small Shelters vs. One Large: If you’re caring for multiple cats, providing several smaller shelters is far more effective than one large one. This allows cats to better regulate warmth and reduces competition for space.
- Account for Hidden Numbers: It’s wise to overestimate the shelter space needed. You might only see a few cats regularly, but there could be more in the area seeking refuge, particularly during harsh weather.
Strategic Shelter Placement for Safety
The location of your cat shelter is as important as the design itself, especially for protecting cats from predators and harsh weather.
- Predator Protection: If dogs or other animals pose a threat in your area, position the shelter behind a fence or in a location inaccessible to them.
- Entrance Direction: Orient the entrance of the shelter to face a wall or a sheltered corner. This provides an extra layer of protection from wind and predators, allowing cats to feel safer and more secure inside.
- Discreet Locations: Regardless of how safe your neighborhood seems, place shelters and feeding stations in discreet, less visible locations. This minimizes the risk of disturbance and keeps the cats feeling safe.
Elevating the Shelter: Insulation from the Cold Ground
Direct contact with the cold ground can rapidly draw heat away from the shelter. Raising it slightly makes a significant difference in maintaining warmth.
- Elevate with 2x4s: Use pressure-treated 2×4 lumber or similar materials to raise the shelter a few inches off the ground.
- Straw Underneath: Placing a layer of straw beneath the shelter adds another layer of insulation from the cold earth.
- Enhanced Warmth: Elevating the shelter allows cats to more easily warm the interior space with their own body heat, as they are not losing heat directly to the ground.
Doorway Design: Small Entrances for Maximum Warmth
The size of the entrance plays a crucial role in heat retention and preventing unwanted guests.
- Whisker Width Entrance: Cats only require a small opening, around 5.5 to 6 inches in diameter, which is roughly the width of their whiskers.
- Discouraging Larger Animals: A small door effectively deters larger animals like raccoons or opossums from entering and potentially taking over the shelter or stealing food.
- Heat Retention: A smaller opening minimizes heat loss, keeping the interior of the shelter warmer for longer periods.
- Escape Route Consideration: If you feel an escape door is necessary, avoid placing it directly opposite the main entrance. Directly opposing openings can create drafts and reduce heat retention. Offset escape routes are preferable.
Raised Doorway: Preventing Water and Snow Intrusion
Positioning the doorway slightly above ground level offers crucial protection from the elements.
- Rain Splash Prevention: An elevated doorway prevents rainwater from splashing directly into the shelter, keeping the interior dry.
- Snow Blockage Reduction: Snow is less likely to block a raised doorway, preventing cats from becoming trapped inside during heavy snowfall.
Adding an Awning: Extra Weather Protection
An awning over the entrance provides an additional layer of insulation and weather protection.
- Insulation and Weather Barrier: An awning made from roll plastic or heavy-duty plastic garbage bags creates a barrier against wind and rain, further insulating the entrance.
- Enhanced Security: The awning can also make cats feel more secure and protected as they enter and exit the shelter.
Preventing Dampness: Ensuring a Dry Shelter
Moisture inside the shelter can negate the benefits of insulation and create an uncomfortable and unhealthy environment.
- Slight Rear Elevation: Raising the rear of the shelter slightly higher than the front encourages rainwater to run off the roof and prevents pooling inside.
- Drainage Hole: Drilling a small drainage hole in the side or bottom of the shelter allows any rainwater that does get inside to escape.
- Slanted Roof for Predator Deterrence: A slanted roof can discourage predators from sitting on top of the shelter, as it provides an unstable surface.
Securing Lightweight Shelters: Wind Resistance
Lightweight shelters are vulnerable to being blown over or moved by strong winds, potentially exposing the cats inside.
- Barbell Weights for Stability: Place flat barbell weights (5-10 pounds each) on the floor of the shelter, beneath the bedding, to add weight and stability.
- Top Weighting with Rocks or Pavers: Heavy, flat rocks, pavers, or bricks placed on the lid or top of the shelter will further secure it against wind.
- Interconnected Shelter System: Positioning two shelters with doorways facing each other and placing a large board on top of both is an effective method. This not only weighs down the shelters but also creates a protected entryway between them.
Choosing the Right Insulation: Warmth and Safety
The type of insulation used inside the shelter is critical for providing warmth and comfort, but certain materials are unsuitable and can even be harmful.
- Burrowable Insulation is Key: Only use insulating materials that cats can burrow into to create warm nests.
- Avoid Blankets, Towels, and Newspapers: These materials are not suitable for outdoor cat shelters. They retain moisture, becoming damp and cold, which can actually draw heat away from the cat and make them colder.
- Straw: The Ideal Insulation: Straw is the best choice for insulating outdoor cat shelters. It provides excellent insulation, wicks away moisture, and is less prone to mold and rot compared to hay.
- Regular Insulation Checks: Regardless of the insulation material, it’s essential to periodically check the shelter to ensure the insulation remains dry and clean. Damp or soiled insulation should be replaced immediately.
- No Water Bowls Inside: Avoid placing water bowls inside the shelter, as they are likely to be spilled, dampening the bedding and creating a cold, wet environment. Provide water in a separate, sheltered location outside the house.
Building a Simple and Effective Double-Bin Shelter
One popular and effective design for an outdoor cat shelter utilizes two readily available storage bins with removable lids.
- Earth-Tone Bins for Camouflage: Opt for earth-tone colored bins (brown, green, or grey) as they blend more naturally into outdoor environments. This is aesthetically pleasing and less disruptive to the cats and your neighbors.
- Bin Size Considerations: Common bin sizes that work well are 30-35 gallon bins (approximately 22-32 inches high x 16-20 inches wide x 16-20 inches long) for the outer bin and 20-22 gallon bins (approximately 16-26 inches high x 20 inches wide and 17-22 inches long) for the inner bin. Ensure the smaller bin fits completely inside the larger bin with both lids on.
- Essential Materials: In addition to the bins, you will need an eight-foot by two-foot sheet of one-inch thick hard Styrofoam insulation, a yardstick, a box cutter, and straw for bedding.
By following these guidelines, you can create a winter outdoor cat house that will provide essential warmth, safety, and comfort for your feline friends during the coldest months. Providing shelter is a simple yet impactful way to care for outdoor cats and ensure their well-being throughout the winter season.
