Warm and Cozy Sherpa Blanket for Cats

 

While shopping online at HSN I found a Warm and Cozy Quilted Plush Sherpa Blanket and thought it would be perfect for the feral and stray cats that seek my shed as a winter shelter.

In the shed, I have insulated with straw cat houses but saw that many of the cats do not like to hang out in the houses and prefer to lie on the floor or on top of a box. I decided to use the heavy Sherpa blanket as bedding for the cats.

The blanket and the self-warming pad are to the cats liking.

The floor in the shed is cold so I used two large storage containers that I pushed together as a platform for the cat bed. Since I ordered the full / queen size I did fold the blanket and rolled the one side so cats could cuddle on the side of the warm blanket.

The Sherpa blanket at HSN.com is the highest quality and is really warm

The shed is cool to cold even though I have the oil-filled space heater set at 41 degrees. The shed never freezes and is a whole lot warmer than outdoors but it still feels cool to cold. Because of the average temperature inside the shed, I decided to set self-warming cat pads on top of the Sherpa blanket. These cat pads have a Mylar reflective pad inside of them and your cat's body regulates the warmth of the blanket.

Sherpa blankets are the cat Meow!

I will say that I am glad I bought the Warm & Cozy Quilted Plush Sherpa Blanket at HSN.com because it is quality-made, and warm and it enables the cats to lie in the shed without feeling cold.

Note I do not recommend using a blanket outside or in a shed or garage that does not have heat.  Blankets tend to make the cat feel colder.  However, a blanket that is used with a self-warming pad then you could add to the cat house and also add some straw. 

View my related blog and shop for fleece blankets for pets here

Cozy Beds for Stray Cats

Tonight is the first cold night and we have three stray cats in our garden shed. This shed is not insulated, but it is dry and protects the cats from wind, rain, and snow.

All cats prefer to be warm, they are heat seekers and that is why you will view them lying on the hood of a newly parked car or lying in the sun on a cool day. I have also viewed cats tunneling under a pile of leaves because the leaves block the cold air. So when it comes to stray cats that are in a cold garden shed we made sure that they all had cozy beds that would keep them warm when temperatures dipped into the low 30’s.

We have dog houses that are filled with straw and self-warming beds that are up off the cement floor. Then one of my neighbors gave us a high-quality space heater that has a thermostat, timer, and automatic shutoff when it overheats or is knocked over. Then another neighbor gave us insulated drapes for the windows and my husband picked up a few Berber area rugs to cover the cold cement floor and heat lamps for the ceiling lights.

Presently the temperatures outdoors is 41 degrees and in the garden, shed thermostat indicates that it is 61 degrees. I am thankful to my neighbors for giving us the products to keep the cats cozy and warm on this cold night in autumn.

Here is a photo card that I created from one of the neighborhood cats that goes to my garden shed for shelter. We call this cat Bob and he is sleeping in a bed of straw.

Feral Cat Sleeping in Winter Shelter Post Card

by Susang6

View video to learn how to make an insulated winter shelter for stray or your outdoor cats.

Why Do Cats Sleep on Your Pillow

Ever wonder why your cats sleep on your pillow or around your head? Know that it is not because they want to be close to you and they are not lying on your pillow because it is so comfortable. The real reason for the attraction is because sleeping on your pillow is a way for a cat to keep warm.

Yes it is true and you can put this to the test, note when your cat sleeps on your pillow, I bet it is when your bedroom is cold. (leave me a comment below with your findings)

All of my socialized feral cats sleep on my pillow next to my head and a one will lie on my head making it hard on my hair and I put on a hat. The hat on my head was a deterrent so my cat will sleep on my husband pillow or in a self-warming pet bed on the floor.

Even kittens are heat seekers, this is Hairy and he loved to sleep under the blankets

Never underestimate a cat because if they are cold they will go to the place on your body that emits heat. Okay, it is safe to say that not all cats will sleep on your pillow. Some cats will sleep under the bed blankets next to your feet. Why, because feet put off heat.

Know that any part of your body that is exposed to the cold more than any other part has the potential to lose heat and your cold cats will lie closest to the body part. If you would prefer your cats to be off your bed and away from your pillow then buy them a self warming bed. I did and the cats love them so much that they rarely sleep on our pillow, but do occasionally sleep at the end of the bed.

Gracie sleeping on her Purr Pad.  An inexpensive self-warming bed

Shopped Tractor Supply Co for Cat Products

After getting an email today from a fellow cat caretaker I searched for Tractorsupplycom and found that there was a store on the other side of town so instead of getting into my car and driving there I did call and found that the small store in my area did offer a variety of pet supplies, including bed, outdoor shelters, cat collars, Frontline flea and tick preventative and discounted cat food.

I told the salesperson on the phone that I was a feral cat caretaker and was in the market for cat beds for my shelters and quality cat food that was high in animal protein, low carbohydrates with no soy, corn or grain and she told me that tractor supply carried their own brand that was equivalent to blue buffalo but cost less.

Then I was told that there were Wag Bag Pet beds that were comfortable and warm that were available online. These pets were .36 inches in length and 27 inches in width and were filled with polyester fiber fill that was soft and cedar. In a word perfect for our outdoor cat shelters and for the cats that spend the night in our shed.

Cat in warm bed

The phone salesperson also told me that I could shop online and have the products shipped to the store for pickup. 

 So that is exactly what I did I bought two of the Wags bag pet beds for $9.99 from their online store and then I read about the 4 health canned cat food and liked what I read; 

“ 4health™ Turkey & Salmon Cat Food contains added antioxidants, Omega fatty acids to support healthy skin and coat, no wheat, corn or soy.

Ingredients: 
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Liver, Salmon, Dried Egg Product, Brewer's Rice, Dried Potatoes, Barley, Peas, Guar Gum, Flaxseed Meal, Carrageenan, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Apples, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Salt, Dried Parsley, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.”  Quote by tractor supply Co  

This canned cat food is only available at the store.  Know that the asking price of this food was .59 cents which is unbelievable for a quality food with no wheat, corn or soy. I am not sure it this is a sale price with limited time offer. I plan to buy as many as I can.

If you have not checked out the tractorsupply.com store then I would recommend that you do so because they do have a good assortment of pet products that are priced less than petSmart.com and Walmart.com.