How to Buy an Outdoor Cat House

If you have kitties who roam, or you are sheltering neighborhood strays, you'll need to provide some kind of outdoor shelter for cold nights and bad weather. Of course cats will curl up just about anywhere, but if you want to spoil your feline friends you can take advantage of all kinds of pet architecture. Follow these steps to buy an outdoor cat house.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Calculate your needs. Note how many cats you'll be inviting into your feline real estate, and check the space available and the extremes of weather the cat house will have to withstand.

2. Browse online at sites like CatsPlay.com to survey the dizzying options (see Resources below). You can choose a cat house designed to match the architecture of your home, or take a flight of fancy and purchase your kitties a Swiss chalet or a Western ranch house complete with split-rail fenced porch.

3. Choose cedar models for sturdiness and weatherability. Cat houses made from recycled plastics are lighter in weight and easy to clean.

4. Review options. Your cat house can have several "bedrooms" or storeys to accommodate several cats. Cat houses are available in several sizes. Some come with bedding installed; with others it's extra. You can purchase optional weatherproofing and insulation inserts, and even invest in electric heating pads—these are great for elderly cats or nursing mama kitties.

5. Decide whether you will purchase your cat house online or at your local pet store. Online retailers usually offer more variety, but you'll have to assemble the cat house yourself. Shipping costs can be hefty on wooden models.

Tips & Warnings

• There's no reason you can't set your cat up in a doghouse, as long as you don't tell and they don't have to share. Doghouses are often available at rock-bottom prices through discounters like WalMart. They make good options for larger cats or multiple dwellers.

Resources

• Good resource to check out.

[dee1234]

on 6/5/2009 Looking for an out door cat house with electronic collar door so that it will be exclusive to my cat...any ideas?

[mythreecats]

on 4/23/2009 get outdoor cat furniture from http://www.mythreecats.com/categories/cat-furniture. Buy Kittywalk systems that keep your cat safe in the outdoors but still allow them to have lots of fun!