Heating an Outdoor Cat Enclosure in the Winter

It's that time again.  If you have any outdoor cats that you care for, then you will be thinking about how to care for the in the cold winter months.  Because I have Smokey, I search the internet repeatedly to find more ideas on how to take care of her.  We don't get snow, but we have a lot of rain, and it gets pretty cold.  Actually both have all ready started.

Smokey stopped using her outdoor shelter when other outdoor cats came to check it out.  They may have even gone inside.  I'm not sure.  So my plan is to clean the enclosure and the blankets and try to insulate it again.

While searching the internet, I found this great idea for heating  the inside of your enclosure.  It is from a website called "Instructables."

This web article suggests attaching rope lighting to the top of their enclosures. The lights are kept on day and night through the cold weather to keep the enclosure warm. I also like this idea of using a ice chest for the enclosure. It is a good size and is all ready insulated.

There are some great minds out there with many different ideas on taking care of strays. If I find any more good ideas, I will definitely share them here.

And now, onto Smokey's shelter.

More Winter Shelters for Cats

So with my concerns for Smokey, I decided to do more research on the web.  There are a lot of caring people with similar concerns for outdoor cats and a lot of good information.  This is some of what I have found.


I found a great resource for outside winter shelters for cats.  The website is called "Neighborhood Cats" and they have great ideas for building your own or purchasing one all ready made. 

They also have good info for creating feeding stations for outside cats.

There is also a link for making a feeding station that will keep raccoons out.  I have that problem in my yard so I find this information helpful.

Just found another good link for making winter shelters.  This one is from the Humane Society.

And these are some good general tips from Alley Cat Allies:

Maintenance: Shelters should be checked regularly to ensure their optimum quality and function. When deciding what kind of shelter to use, remember that some of the low-cost suggestions will need to be checked and replaced more frequently than some of the more permanent and professionally built shelters.

Doorway: Make sure that the door is only big enough for cats. The door should be 6-8" wide to keep out wildlife and larger predators. The opening should have a flap or an L-shaped entryway to keep cold air from blowing in. If neither option is possible, make sure the door faces away from prevailing winds or faces a wall. Some caregivers prefer shelters that have two doors so cats cannot be cornered.

Protection from the Elements: You can ensure that the cats are protected by making shelters waterproof, windproof (especially in cold climates), and elevated off the ground. Discarded pallets from shipping firms or hardware, farm supplies, or pet stores are a good option for elevation. The space beneath the shelters should be blocked from drafts. Insulation is a good material to use.

Bedding: Straw resists the wet and keeps a shelter warm, and is the best choice for insulation and bedding. Do NOT use blankets, carpeting, fake sheepskin, or any material that holds moisture. You can also use hardwood shavings (not cedar or pine), but keep in mind that softwood shavings are not suitable due to possible toxicity. Some caregivers in locations with long, cold winters use Mylar blankets as bedding. Mylar is a product that retains body heat. The generic term for Mylar is Polyester Film or Plastic Sheet. These sheets can be purchased from survival and outdoor stores as thermal safety blankets, or online at websites such as Amazon.com.

Camouflage: Shelters should blend in with their surroundings so that they are not obtrusive to neighbors. Cover them with leaves or other brush or paint them a dark color. Moving shelters into wooded areas away from buildings, parking lots, and other high-traffic areas is also a good idea for cat safety and to avoid neighbor complaints.

How to Make a Winter Shelter for an Outdoor Cat

This blog entry was originally posted 1 year ago. I have added additional commentary and photos that I thought may be helpful.

We did it! We did it! We made Smokey, our outdoor cat a winter shelter. I was/am so concerned about her welfare outside that I did some internet research and I found instructions on the Spay and Stay website. While we were making the shelter, my husband suggested making a video of the process. So here it is. I hope this is helpful for other cat lover's that are in need of the same information. Credit for the original instructions goes to Jim and Nancy at Spay and Stay.



Additional Comments to the Original Blog Post on 12/9/10

So we had this shelter out last winter and Smokey would not go in it. I think we may have made the tube opening too small for her. That or she was just too spooked to try it. I have had feedback from other cat owners, though, that have had their outdoor cats use it. My sister in NY told me she had a female cat that just had kittens and that the whole family stayed in the shelter for the winter. So it does work.

Here are some photos of my cat Motor, showing us how it works.

First, we have to have our older cat Tiger, make sure his younger brother Motor has made it inside safely.

Yes, he sure did.


And he is looking pretty comfortable in there.


But now it is time to come back out.

You can see that the original outdoor shelter has a lot of insulation to it to keep a cat warm.
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I had a comment left on You Tube by Catweedhigh that I thought might be helpful:

"I use plastic flower pots, for the tunnel in, the vinyl bigger ones plants come in from nurseries, and cut the bottom out, leaving about half inch around the perimeter in the bottom. That lip left in the bottom can be used to secure it with screws or bolts to a wooden feral housing unit or even a plastic storage container. Or, you can reverse it, since they're usually tapered, bigger at the top than bottom, and insert the bottom through from the inside, which makes it also easy to secure."
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Since Smokey is spending this winter in our yard again, I had to come up with something, at least to protect her from the winds and rain.

So here is outdoor shelter #2. No styrofoam and hay for insulation, and no tube entrance. But a larger opening and lots of dry blankets to sleep on. This one seems to be working out better for Smokey. She is actually using it.

And here is Motor again, modeling how the newer shelter looks.




And hanging out with our 3rd indoor cat K.C. on a sunnier day.

Hope this is helpful information for all you cat lovers out there.