Winter Ready Trixie Cat House

  

We bought the Trixie cat house from Chewy.com a few years ago.  We set up by adding a cooling mat and straw on the floor.   A feral cat went into the house and seemed to like it.   When the season started to change, we knew that we had to make this small pine wood house winter-ready.

The house sits off the ground which is good but the floorboards promote air circulation which is bad for our winters.  So we covered the floor walls and interior of the hinged asphalt shingled roof with reflective insulation.  Then we filled it with a hefty layer of wheat straw.

The insulation was fine for the cool days and nights of autumn but when the rain came the overhang did not keep the interior dry and the water seemed to come in the straw and the insulated walls were wet  So, we took the house apart by removing the wet straw and insulation.

The darkness on the back wall is wet from the rain

We brought the house indoors so it could dry out and once it was dry my husband worked to insulate the house for winter and to stop the leaking.  To get the Trixie house ready for winter we added the reflective insulation on all interior walls. To stop the wind and the rain from coming in from the side walls we wrapped the house with bubble wrap.  Wheat straw was added so that the kitty could burrow in the straw and keep warm during the winter months.

Since the house does not have an overhang, and feral cats are afraid of the door flaps we set the house up under our deck to protect it from rain and snow. 

Our winters are bitterly cold and think that this winter-ready Trixie house will now provide a perfect shelter for a stray or feral cat. 

ecoFlex Albany Outdoor Cat House Review

 I bought mossy oak ecoFlex Albany outdoor cat insulated house for feral and stay cats and have used it for the last three years. This cat house is quality and made to last through the harshest winters and I would recommend this cat house to anyone who has outdoor cats.

 

Know that I liked that the walls of this house are insulated and that it comes with an escape door. The cat house was easy to put together, but I do recommend that you keep the screwdriver because you will need it to take off the roof to clean the house.  I also recommend that add any extra insulation to the house before you attach the roof.

 

 

This past winter it was bitter cold in my area and I did add reflective insulation to all walls, floor, and ceiling. I then filled it with wheat straw and two feral cats lived in the ecoFlex outdoor cat house.

 

This house has a roomy interior that allowed two cats to snuggle in the straw and stay warm throughout the winter months.

 

The only thing I did not like was the plastic door flaps were difficult to open, and they scared the feral cats. I did remove the front entrance and left the door flap on the side entrance.  Also, this particular house design should have an overhang to prevent snow and rain from getting in.  We screwed a plastic container lid to the roof of the cat house and it worked very well.

 

***The photographs shown in this blog are my original photographs of the mossy oak ecoFlex Albany outdoor cat house.

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

Cat Trees at Chewy Product Review

Over the years I have bought many cat trees, some were great and others fell apart quickly, some fell down when cats climbed to the top. So I was hesitant to buy this cat product online until I shopped for cat trees at chewy.com

My FIV cat Sam loves his cat tree

Shopping for a cat tree takes time because not all of these products are quality made. Know that the selling cost is not a guarantee that the product will hold up under daily cats playing. So when I saw that Chewy carried cat trees I knew they must be quality because this website is highly respected for offering the best products to their customers.

Here is a photo of my FIV cat scratching on the post on his cat tree. We bought this tree at a local pet product store, it was very expensive but it did not hold up and the wood is showing on a relatively new tree. 

Scratching posts on the tree are good for cats.

Know that you can't go wrong at Chewy, there are verified customers that review the products and give the product a rating. You can trust what 1K customers say about the cat trees. I always buy products that have many reviews and 5 stars. ed this product with a 5-star rating. They confirmed that the cat trees sold at chewy were very good and all were satisfied. 

Cat tree I bought from Chewy 

So I shopped until I found the right size tree for my cats. I liked that the tree had five scratching posts, a toy for them to play with and a hiding space for napping. I bought a quality cat tree, that was on sale with free shipping because I added it as a one-time purchase to my auto ship. Chewy does ship all pet products with two-day delivery free of charge as long as you spend $49. It is easy to do because they have discounted prices on all their pet products.

Do you shop at chewy.com?  

Here is another chewy.com cat tree review

 

Maintaining Cats Health with Evolve Cat Food

Many people are feeding their cats Evolve food because the maintenance formula has real slow roasted chicken and is made from wholesome ingredients; brown rice, dried kelp, fish meal, dried egg, dried cheese cranberries, and blueberries. A healthy food for your cats that does not contain corn, wheat or soy yet cost less than other cat food in this category.

Feral cat Bob eats Evolve cat food

When you feed your cats the evolve maintenance formula you will notice that your cats are healthier. This cat food provides your cat with protein and natural antioxidants as well as carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics which promotes a healthy digestive tract and immune system.

Feral cat in Winter at feeding station

I would recommend this cat food for FIV cats as the products are quality and sourced from the USA. All natural products with no preservatives added sugars or by-products. A healthy food for cats with immune disorder condition. My FIV cat eats this food mixed with the can food and he is doing great, We rescued him when he was two years old and is now age ten. Has a shiny coat and teeth are good, no sickness.

Senior rescue cat has shiny coat thanks to Evolve cat food

If you are interested in this cat food then I would recommend that you shop for evolve cat food at Chewy.com. Sign up for their auto-ship program and get a discount. You can cancel your order anytime. Know that this is a product that you can trust as it is made in the USA.

Feed adult and senior cats Evolve cat food. This food is not recommended for kittens. Follow the average food portion for an adult cat and do not overfeed. A six-pound cat should be fed 3/4 to 1/2 cup of food daily. A ten-pound cat should be fed 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food daily. A fourteen-pound cat should be fed 3/4 to 1 cup of food daily.

Introduce new evolve cat food to your cat by mixing it with their food. Mixing the new food with the old food will help the cats to adjust to the new food flavor, texture, and kibble. Mixing will also prevent upsetting the cat’s digestive tract.

Reduce your cat's other food daily by adding more evolve. Within a week your cat will be eating evolve cat food only.

Evolve may be an acquired taste especially if your cat has been eating the same food for years. If your cat does not like evolve food they will not eat. You can entice your cat to eat the cat food by adding a little evolve canned food and then mix the kibble into the soft food.

Evolve Cat Food Ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Rice Flour, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavors, Fish Meal, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Egg Product, Taurine, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Dl-Methionine, Dried Skim Milk, Dried Kelp, Dried Cheese Product, Cranberries, Blueberries, Lactobacillus Casei , Lactobacillus Acidophilus Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement) Minerals (Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Iron Polysaccharide Complex, Manganese Polysaccharide Complex and Copper Polysaccharide Complex,Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite).

You will love evolve pet foods

Cat House for Outdoor Usage

Where I reside the winters are long, cold and windy. The stray cats in my area go into my shed to sleep in plastic and cardboard boxes that have thick layers of straw. The cats rest well during the daylight but at night they all leave my shed. I decided that they must be cold and that the straw is not keeping them warm during the night hours. To remedy this situation I decided to buy a heated or insulated cat house.

Here is a photo card that I created that will show you a stray cat sleeping in straw bed in my shed.

Feral Cat Sleeping in Winter Shelter Post Card

by Susang6

While shopping at Amazon.com I saw a heated outdoor cat house by K&H and read the customer reviews. They were very good however, I did learn that the house was not intended to be freestanding, it had to be kept either on a covered porch or in a garage area as it would not withstand rain or snow and would need to be tied down if left on the porch and weather was windy. My needs for this house met the requirements because it was intended for my shed.

The cat house came with a heated pad or without I bought the heated pad with an electrical cord because it would only add warmth when the cat was lying on the pad. (The pad would not heat up if there was no cat in the house.) The cat house was easy to put together all pieces connect with Velcro. It is heavy cardboard with a plastic cover that is water resistant.

Set up for cat house was in the back corner of the shed where there was an electrical outlet. The stray cat's food and water bowels were to the front of the shed and the stray cat arrived to eat right on time. When cat went into the shed I ran to the side window to watch the cat. The cat did see the house and went to investigate, the house was not met with cat approval, the stray hissed at it and left the shed.

Stray tabby cat in my garden

I decided to unplug the electrical cord and put a self-heating pet bed on the floor of the cat house. This bed was sprayed with catnip and so were the interior walls of the house. There is a plastic door flap on the front and back. I removed the front flap because I thought that it might scare the cat.

When the stray cat went into the shed an hour later he did not come out. When I looked in the window I could see the stray inside the cat house lying in the bed.

I sprayed the bed daily with the catnip and the stray cat comes to the shed and sleeps in the K&H cat house nightly. Eventually, I was able to replace the flap on the door and this was a way to keep the cat warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

When the temperature dipped bellow zero I did add a layer of straw to the interior of cat house for extra insulation. The self-heated bed was set in the middle and straw was like a cocoon around the bed.

The heated pad was never met with the approval of the stray cat. I tried several times to plug in the pad for the cat but each time the cat hissed at the pad and left.

I am satisfied with my cat house purchase because The heated/insulated house will keep outdoor cats cozy and comfortable throughout the winter months as long as it is located in an area that is protected from wind, heavy rain or snow.

Here is a photo of the cat house set up on my covered porch.  I needed to move it indoors because the windblown rain was damaging the top of it.  

Feliway Diffuser is Must Have Multiple Cat Homes

Like many cat lovers, I have a multiple cat home. They are from age 1 year to age 15 and they do not see eye to eye on everything. Daily I need to break up cat hissy fits from one of them being territorial with their toys, litter box, or if a cat walks into their space.

I have talked at my cat meetings and found out that many people have multiple cat homes and that their cats do not get along all of the time.  Cats are funny, they can sleep together, groom each other, and seem like best friends but then out of the blue their tempers will flare, and before you know it you hear a hiss, snarl, and the claws are brought out. Kitty wants to fight with their best buddy and if you do not run to break it up the cats may go at it and the fur will fly.

My cats get along until they don't it's a love/hate relationship

Granted we may think that the fight was brought on for no reason but for a cat that is territorial that is a just reason. 

There are other reasons for fighting such as your cat may be suffering from stress from a new person in the house or a new pet. Plus any movement of furniture or their litter box is dirty all reasons are enough to cause your cat to be upset. Know that any changes to their routine are enough to cause your happy cat to feel anxious and you bet they will take their frustrations out on another cat or they will mark your sofa, wall, or chair.


It is safe to say that I have tried a variety of things to bring harmony back to my multiple cat home and found that the best product was the least expensive and it worked like magic. My veterinarian suggested that I buy Feliway Diffusers at Chewy.com because this online pet store offered the best prices. I searched and found the website and bought the products needed for my home.


I plugged the diffusers into my electrical outlet and when they heated up it released a kitty pleasing pheromone into the air. This pheromone calmed all of the cats down and brought harmony back to our home.


Know that I recommend this product because I found that it works. You can view this video and it will show you the before and after-effects of the Feliway diffuser when used as a treatment for a cat that is feeling anxious.

Choosing the Right Scratching Product for Cat

For the last couple of days I have been watching the rescue cats to determine their individual scratching needs. I found that they all scratch different. One of the kittens likes to lie on their back and scratch under the sofa, then the other one likes to sit in front of the sofa and scratch, the smallest kitten likes to scratch with paws stretch to an object above her head like the wood trim that goes around the doorways or my drapes. All of the kittens claws have been clipped so they have not damaged anything, but my observation was needed to determine their scratching habits.

Once I figured out my kittens scratching needs, I knew that a single sisal post was not going to entertain them and a cat that lies on back will not use the upright scratching post. I needed to shop at PETCO.com and choose the right scratching post or tree for the cats. 

I have also found quality cat trees and scratching posts at Petsmart.com and Bizrate.com and overstock.com  If shopping online pick out a tree with many stars and read the reviews.

TIPS

1. Getting the right scratching post is a way to provide the cats with entertainment for hours, tons of fun for the felines. They can scratch according to their needs and play in the carpet covered cubes.
2. Know that cat trees can be expensive but I think they are worth it because once you set up the tree the cat goes to the tree without hesitation. It is their special place where they can climb, scratch and sleep. 
3. If you buy a less expensive cat tree that is not sturdy, then I would recommend that you attach it to your wall and to the floor so that it is permanent. Make the cat tree a permanent structure that does not move around and your cat will be safe and happy. 
4. Buy a quality tree that will not fall over and may hurt your cat, especially if they are older and cannot move fast. 

K&H Verses Wooden Cat House Comparison

We take care of a few stray and feral cats and because our winters can be long and cold we did buy K&H outdoor cat houses.  The cat houses are great but they were not intended for large cats or for setting up in an open space in the yard. 

Here is my review of the heated thermal cat house and the birchwood manor

The roof after one light rain. This house needs to be set up on a
a porch that has a covering or in a garage or cool basement.

If you plan on setting up the K&H cat house in your garage, shed, workshop, or on a covered porch then this lightweight outdoor cat shelter will serve its purpose. But you cannot set it up in the middle of your yard.  It just does not hold up well in wind rain or snow.  

The K & H cat house is easy to assemble; it goes together quickly and stays together with heavy-duty Velcro. It has a heated pad with a fleece cover that is nice too, but this house needs weather protection and it is not meant for the cat to sit on top of it because the house will flatten like a pancake. 

Also, the thermo K&H kitty house needs to be protected from the wind as it can easily be uplifted.

In comparison to the above-mentioned K & H  cat house, we liked their birchwood manor outdoor houses.  It's made from wood and is more durable.  You can set it up anywhere and this house is heavier and withstand, wind, sleet, and snow. 

We set this house up against a hard service; backside of my garage or privacy wooden fence. This location blocks the wind. We also lift the wood cat house up by putting it on cement blocks, this keeps the rain runoff away from the entrance and also keep snow out of the cavity. 

The birch cat house is built well, treated with water protection, and will withstand the weather.  We added a hefty layer of straw to keep the stray cats warm this winter. 

When it comes to choosing a heated or unheated cat house by K&H we choose the birchwood for outdoor usage and the Thermo kitty with a heated pad for the garage or for our covered porch. 

Note: The only thing that was lacking in both houses was the overall size.  Both cat houses could be a tad larger as large cats like a Main Coon have difficulty getting into this cat house.

Petmate Cat Taxi Kennel Bennefits

When it comes to a cat carrier I always recommend the Petmate Pet Taxi Fashion Kennel.  This is a small sized carrier that is ideal for a 16 pound cat.

My cat Sam in Petmate cat taxi

What I like about this carrier is that it is quality made; heavy duty plastic that is light weight when you carry your cat in it.  It also has ventilation openings on the sides which allows for the cat to look out and not feel so confined and it also allows for air circulation. 

When I use this cat carrier for the stray or house cats being transported to the veterinarian the animals are calmer.   I think it is due to the air circulation and because the cats can look out the sides.  

Another feature is that you can put the carrier away in your closet and it does not take up a lot of space or you can slide it under a bed when it is flat as it collapses easily, this is good if you have limited space.

Tips:

1.  This size carrier can also be used for dog or other small animal.  A baby raccoon fits well and also an adult rabbit. 
2.  My Siamese cat Sam loves this carrier and I have trained him to go into it as his "safe place".   I  set up the kennel by lining with a soft fleece blanket. and when it rains or he is scared he will go into the kennel and is comfortable.