How to Take Care of an Outdoor Cat in Winter

Cats are one of the more finicky animals on the planet. They want what they want, when they want it. However, I still was not ready for my indoor cat of four years to hate my new house and suddenly go native on me.

Through sheer determination, the crazy cat destroyed my screen door until she got outside, and she's refused to come in since (over five years later!).

Needless to say, I have had to come up with some ways to keep her warm in the winter time. Here is what I found to be one of my better solutions.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large Rubbermaid storage container with lid
• Dremel tool, or other rotary-type of cutting tool
• Eye protection (goggles)
• Permanent marker
• Blankets

1. First, purchase a large, deep plastic storage container. I happen to like the heavy-duty Rubbermaid kind.

2. Next, set the container on the ground, lid side up. With a permanent marker, draw the outline of a door near the bottom on one of the sides.
   
   This should be on one of the thin sides (where the handles are located), not the longer sides.

3. Assemble your Dremel or cutting tool with one of the circular cutters.

4. Turn the Dremel on and begin carving out the doorway. Depending on the thickness of the plastic, you may have to allow the cutter to cut through, lift it out and then cut through the next portion, rather than just running it along the outline.
   
   *Be sure to wear safety goggles, as the plastic will fly!

5. With the doorway cut out, replace the circular cutter on the Dremel with one of the small sanding wheels.
   
   Use it to smooth the edges all the way around the doorway.

6. Now, simply make a comfortable bed inside with some old blankets you may have laying around and find a nice place to put the container. If you can place it under an overhang or in a breeze way, it would be ideal.

7. With the blankets and the cat's own body heat within the plastic container, she can be warm and dry all winter long.
   
   Just be sure to replace the blankets weekly, or just wash them and return them, to make sure no mold builds up.

8. Plus, ensure that your outdoor cat has a constant supply of fresh water and is fed regularly. Feeding her more soft food in the winter will help keep her body fat up, which will also help her stay warm.
   
   Of course, in the event of a severe cold snap, setting the cat up in the garage with a litter pan, food and water will help her ride out the winter away from the harsh wind and ice.

Tips & Warnings

• Always ensure your outdoor cat has fresh water. If you see that her water is frozen, replace it with clean, fresh water.

[bmi57]

on 7/11/2009 Great article. My cat really enjoys the sleeping bag we put on our deck for her. When we can finally talk her into spending the night inside the house she sleeps with us. *****

[palegale]

on 12/20/2008 I'm sorry to say - that's not insulated, it won't be warm at all. Blankets won't keep the cat warm. Straw will. Put one rubbermaid container inside another and stuff the area between and underneath with dry straw and styrofoam insulation. Put a piece of solar pool cover overtop to gain heat from the sun. For more info check out these links.

NYC outdoor cat houses using styrofoam
http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/info/wintershelter.htm

Chicago idea incorporating solar pool covers
http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm

NYC outdoor cat styrofoam (in a covered location)
http://www.all-creatures.org/ak/feral-shelter.html

[davedonovan]

on 10/8/2008 Thanks for the comment, kismetwolf. Sounds like you received a cat by proxy, lol! Having a cat that loves the outdoors is tough. They only average about three years living completely outside, but thankfully, through good care (I can only guess), my Bela Lugosi (the cat in the picture) has endured about nine years!

[kismetwolf]

on 10/6/2008 Sorry! Long-winded reply from me and I got cut off LOL! In a nutshell, we needed an option for when we go on holiday and this is great advice! At least when we're not here, she'll have a warm bed protected from the elements that will sit under our covered porch. Thanks!

[kismetwolf]

on 10/6/2008 Similar happened to us! The previous owners of the house moved and left the cat behind in the storage garage! We're renting the house from him but the owner still uses the garage for his tools. There's a catflap on the garage door and when I asked the owner why he didn't take the cat, he said that she lives in the garage and he claimed that there was a warm blanket and basket in there that she sleeps on. Well last week the garage door was left open so I went in for a nosey, and to my horror there wasn't a basket or even an old blanket or towel in there for the poor thing and the garage is a complete danger zone of cutting tools and sawdust! Well needless to say, we've since started taking care of her, and she is really the sweetest cat ever, so gentle. I've never had a cat before as we've always had dogs. She's respectful of our furniture and doesn't scratch or wee inside, (we got her a