How to Keep Feral Cats Warm in the Winter With Doghouses
In very cold weather, shelter can be even more important for feral cats than food. Cats can suffer from frostbite. And they can die from hypothermia very quickly, especially in rain and snow when their fur is wet and doesn't provide as much insulation as usual. While a doghouse can provide adequate shelter for feral cats, using the proper bedding and adding some insulation will keep the cats warm enough to survive even in the coldest weather.
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Things You'll Need
- Straw
- Bricks
- Styrofoam
- Outdoor-rated heating pad
- Mylar reflective blanket
- SnuggleSafe Thermal Disc
Instructions
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Use straw as bedding. Straw is warmer than blankets and stays dry. Cats can get sick from sleeping on wet bedding.
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Place some bricks under the doghouse. The cats will be warmer if their shelter is off the ground.
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3
Put a piece of Styrofoam on the floor of the doghouse to provide additional insulation. If possible, line the sides and top of the doghouse with Styrofoam, too. It will trap the cats' body heat and warm the structure. Several layers of newspaper can also provide additional insulation.
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Add an outdoor-rated electric heating pad, if there's an outlet nearby.
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Line the walls of the doghouse with a Mylar reflective blanket. The blanket will reflect the cats' body heat back into the shelter. Most camping stores sell Mylar blankets.
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Wrap a SnuggleSafe thermal disc in a cloth and put it in the doghouse. Most pet supply stores sell the discs. When heated in a microwave oven for five to seven minutes, they stay warm for several hours.
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Place building materials, such as a stack of bricks, about 12 inches from the entrance to the doghouse to block the wind and blowing snow. Make sure the materials you use are too heavy to blow away in a gust of wind.
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Tips & Warnings
The doghouse should be large enough for several cats to curl up together, but not so large the cats must generate a lot of body heat to keep the space warm. Small or medium-size doghouses generally work better than large ones as cat shelters.
The cats will be warmer if you can orient the entrance to the doghouse away from the prevailing winds.
Never put a water bowl in the cats' shelter. It could spill and get them wet, endangering their health.
