Insulated feral cat house

[Persephone]

Hello everyone,

After making a few bird houses last year from old pine bookshelves I was asked by a friend if I'd make her a cat shelter for a feral cat she's fed for 10 years.

I live in a flat and use my living room so it was a challenge! Fortunately I bought a Dyson vacuum in the sales! I used some reclaimed plywood boards I bought from a young lad who gets them from pallets and 60mm PIR insulation that was sold by a lad who was working on a cladding removal job at a local apartment block - he asked how many sheets I wanted and literally climbed up and pulled them off the tower!

The plywood wasn't the best quality but I was surprised how accurate I was able to make the cuts using a track saw. The outside wooden 'frame' is mostly decorative though the corner pieces do act as legs. I gave the whole thing three coats of cuprinol shades sage paint.

My friend loves the house and the local cats have all been inside for a look.

Anyway here are a few photos.

Merry Christmas everybody,
Steff

 

[pe2dave]

An excellent design! If truly feral, I'd be interested to see if the cat would be concerned about going in?
I bet the 'warmth' will tempt it!

 

[Persephone]

An excellent design! If truly feral, I'd be interested to see if the cat would be concerned about going in?
I bet the 'warmth' will tempt it!

Thank you! I'm waiting for photos of the cat using the house. Seems several people have tried to adopt him but he refuses to live in a brick house. I wonder if mine is suitably 'temporary' for his tastes!

 

[clogs]

we use triple ply card board for draught free insulation....
often we get 2 fruit boxes from Lidil's and just tape them together.....top and bottom.....
for ur boxes just find the stuff behind Curry's etc.....bigger sheets....
with cardboard it cheap/free and clean and when it gets scruffy it's binable.....
we get v/young puppies to bring up for a local charity.....
once they can Pee n Poo on thier own they make a right smelly mess....
Lidil's and the like have been good letting us take away the boxes....
we use this dirty cardboard in the wood boiler.....
hope this helps...

 

[dzj]

I made something like that once. It had 2 entrances and a raised platform inside where they slept.

 

[TRITON]

Believe it or not I've just made the exact same thing. Made for my Mothers cat, so he has somewhere insulated on his nightly jaunts. I've covered it in felt, as a way of protecting the osb outer cladding. Just installed it last night.

I thought I was alone in being nuts and building a cat bothy. Seriously more work than first anticipated, and all for something that's unappreciative of your efforts

 

[Persephone]

we use triple ply card board for draught free insulation....
often we get 2 fruit boxes from Lidil's and just tape them together.....top and bottom.....
for ur boxes just find the stuff behind Curry's etc.....bigger sheets....
with cardboard it cheap/free and clean and when it gets scruffy it's binable.....
we get v/young puppies to bring up for a local charity.....
once they can Pee n Poo on thier own they make a right smelly mess....
Lidil's and the like have been good letting us take away the boxes....
we use this dirty cardboard in the wood boiler.....
hope this helps...

This is a really good idea. I'll tell my friend. Thanks.

 

[Persephone]

I made something like that once. It had 2 entrances and a raised platform inside where they slept.

I was going to put a second entrance in as an escape hatch but the house sits behind a wrought iron railing so it's quite protected. I was also conscious of size - it stated out much bigger and my other half referred to it as a cat hotel! The raised platform is a good idea and I could integrate one I to this with a heater underneath if we have a cold spell.

 

[Persephone]

Believe it or not I've just made the exact same thing. Made for my Mothers cat, so he has somewhere insulated on his nightly jaunts. I've covered it in felt, as a way of protecting the osb outer cladding. Just installed it last night.

I thought I was alone in being nuts and building a cat bothy. Seriously more work than first surmised, and all for something that's unappreciative of your efforts

Felt is a good idea. I considered it but I ran out of time for Christmas. I've told my friend if she wants I'll get some and attach it to the roof.
The lad who sold me the PIR insulation asked me what it was for and when I told him I could tell he thought I was mad!
And I completely agree about the resident - he won't give a damn about all the effort put into this!

 

[TRITON]

I use a double foil fronted bubblewrap stuff was supposed to be for insulating sheds. I needed something to cut easily into strips as the construction is stud partition, which was needed ...

...To accommodate multiple windows
I also used part of a camping mat for internal flooring, kind of a warm to the touch foam.

Chances are the cat will be afraid of it and never use it.

I was going to clad it in this. But came to my senses

 

[jonn]

Corer blimey, better stay out of this! Only good cat is a flat cat (looks a bit like a funny-edged pizza).

 

[dickm]

Daughter was moving compost heap with a fork, and managed to stab a hedgehog which was hibernating there. Fortunately, there's an animal rescue place not far away that deals with injured animals, so husband took it there and it is now convalescing. But to expunge her guilt, daughter asked me to make a home for it when it comes back. The pic shows a design off the web, thrown together using some blockboard that had been "saved" from a monster unit in the village hall. Will be interested to see if the beast likes its new "ho(g)tel".

 

[Stu_2]

Corer blimey, better stay out of this! Only good cat is a flat cat (looks a bit like a funny-edged pizza).

Shame you didn't, then!

 

[Orraloon]

Never made a cat house but had to make a house for this guy.



Someone else likes my shed-p1010829-jpg

Someone else likes my shed-p1010828-jpg

Felt guilty evicting him so made a couple of boxes and not sure if it was the same possum but the box in my back yard was occupied within days of going up. They usually live in tree hollows but realestate is keenly contested and they will invade house roof spaces if they can get in.
Regards
John

 

[Persephone]

I use a double foil fronted bubblewrap stuff was supposed to be for insulating sheds. I needed something to cut easily into strips as the construction is stud partition, which was needed ...

...To accommodate multiple windows
I also used part of a camping mat for internal flooring, kind of a warm to the touch foam.

Chances are the cat will be afraid of it and never use it.

Ah windows, when this was more the size of a cat hotel than a cat house I considered putting some in. Maybe next time.

That bubble wrap stuff is supposed to be very efficient and it's what all these stealth camper van conversions use.

 

[Persephone]

Daughter was moving compost heap with a fork, and managed to stab a hedgehog which was hibernating there. Fortunately, there's an animal rescue place not far away that deals with injured animals, so husband took it there and it is now convalescing. But to expunge her guilt, daughter asked me to make a home for it when it comes back. The pic shows a design off the web, thrown together using some blockboard that had been "saved" from a monster unit in the village hall. Will be interested to see if the beast likes its new "ho(g)tel".

Glad to.hear the hedgehog is recovering well. The hotel you're going to build looks very good. Post pictures when it's finished.
Edit - Just had a closer look and realised it's not a SketchUp model but the real thing. It looks great! Do these just sit in the garden or do you place them at the bottom of a compost heap for warmth?

 

[dickm]

Glad to.hear the hedgehog is recovering well. The hotel you're going to build looks very good. Post pictures when it's finished.
Edit - Just had a closer look and realised it's not a SketchUp model but the real thing. It looks great! Do these just sit in the garden or do you place them at the bottom of a compost heap for warmth?

Not entirely sure where it will go! Think daughter was proposing to put it up against a block wall, then cover it with leaves, bits of branch or anything else that will compost to give a bit of warmth. Have suggested she puts a polythene sheet draped over the hog house, as the blockboard won't last that well when damp, and she said specifically not to treat it with anything. Suspect one of the wax based fence paints would probably be safe, but would need expert advice. It's got solid plastic feet underneath to keep it out of direct soil contact.
(one of these days I'll get round to learning to use Sketchup!)

 

[Persephone]

Never made a cat house but had to make a house for this guy.
View attachment 125200


Someone else likes my shed-p1010829-jpg

Someone else likes my shed-p1010828-jpg

Felt guilty evicting him so made a couple of boxes and not sure if it was the same possum but the box in my back yard was occupied within days of going up. They usually live in tree hollows but realestate is keenly contested and they will invade house roof spaces if they can get in.
Regards
John

Aw this is sweet. Unfortunately the site you lined to would not let me join to see the photos of your boxes but it's wonderful you made them.

 

[Orraloon]

Did not think that one through so try again.

I got a plan from a wildlife group site. Boxes are supposed to hang in a tree but as I made 2 one is in a tree next door and that one is above the back deck. They do not seem to have much fear of people and will take a bit of carrot or apple from the hand. They are well armed with claws and teeth and I have heard of some people getting a good going over if they corner one.
Regards
John

 

[Persephone]

Did not think that one through so try again.
View attachment 125318View attachment 125320
I got a plan from a wildlife group site. Boxes are supposed to hang in a tree but as I made 2 one is in a tree next door and that one is above the back deck. They do not seem to have much fear of people and will take a bit of carrot or apple from the hand. They are well armed with claws and teeth and I have heard of some people getting a good going over if they corner one.
Regards
John

Thanks for posting the photos John. You've created a very nice home for your cute little friend there!