Winter Ready Cat House

 The fall season has been warm during the day and night but when the weather forecast called for winter-like temperatures I knew it was time to get the outdoor cat houses ready for winter.

Winter cat house with insulation and straw 

Today I gathered all of the cat houses and took them apart.  I then wiped them down with Dawn's antibacterial dish soap on a cloth that was wet with hot water.  The cat houses were left to dry. Then I sprayed them lightly with cat-friendly pest control to keep spiders, ticks, and fleas away from the houses. 

During the summer months, I collected styrofoam sheets from packages that I had received and from neighbors who saved this cheap insulation.  I used styrofoam as an extra layer to insulate the cat houses. 

We bought a bale of straw from the Tractor Store and used the dry straw to fill the houses.  I pushed the straw up onto the sides of the house and left a hefty layer on the floor. 

 Each in the shed house has a self-warming waterproof pet mat. Outdoor houses are all insulated with styrofoam or radiant insulation, and then covered with mylar.  The houses are either filled with straw, or they have an extreme weather heat pad by K&H.

All of the cat houses have p; plastic door flaps but have found that the feral and stray cats are afraid of the plastic doors.  So one plastic door covers the emergency exit but none on the front.

If there is snow or rain in the forecast I will set up a plastic container cover as an awning so that the straw will not get wet. 

Here are photos of my winter-ready cat houses.

bale of straw for cat houses

small wooden can house with insulation and straw

Cat house with waterproof self-healing mat 

winter ready cat houses

The house is elevated and overhand added to keep snow/rain from getting into the house.  The house is set up next to a fence that allows the cat a good escape if a predator is in the area