advice wanted

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robincooper
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advice wanted

Post by robincooper »

Hey!
Has anybody tried outdoor cat house? I have got two cats who lives in my garden
I can't take them home, so want to put outdoor cat house in my garden. Has anybody tried it? Was it ok?
Found these review bestadvisers.co.uk/cat-houses are there good variants? What should I consider?
Catotum
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Re: advice wanted

Post by Catotum »

So, I think we are dealing with a couple of strays who visit your garden. Are you feeding them? I imagine so, if you are their favoured person.

Cats readily take to almost any sort of outdoor wooden house, which is waterproof & provides easy access. My cats have serially occupied a craftsman-made (& many times DIY repaired) Bantam house, originally bought for my tortoise, although they are really indoor cats. They'll want to be able to sit & watch what is going on in the garden.

Synthetic would be OK. Sometimes, suitable homes come up for sale 2nd hand on eBay. Or you could make your own. I think these are the most important points:

place the box away from the prevailing wind
somewhere away from constant sun but sun at some time of the day is good
whatever it is, raise it up from the ground on bricks or tiles so it doesn't get damp
provide bedding: straw if you can change it occasionally or anything in the blanket line if you can wash it similarly. Soft cushions would be appreciated.
supply drinking water

Remember that if these cats are stray or feral, then they will have fleas & worms. If you can apply proprietary wormers & flea treatments, so much the better for their health.

If you are in a position to buy something readymade, make sure two cats can sit side by side to watch the world. They may be very unhappy if only one is able to do this. The designs with an entryway only might not be the best but also might be better than nothing. Nothing wrong with fancy upstairs balconies but check that the wood is not too thin or it will rot through quite quickly. If wood, be careful with occasional wood treatments as many have additives. A good decking oil without additives (check) would work just as well although the cats would probably not use it for a few days. Best applied in hot weather so the odour will dissipate rapidly.

Good luck. It's a super idea.
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robincooper
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Re: advice wanted

Post by robincooper »

Thank you!
Will keep update
Going to buy it on these weekends
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Kay
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Re: advice wanted

Post by Kay »

I have housed two outdoor strays for two years now in these https://www.bitiba.co.uk/shop/dogs_acce ... ll_kennels

the sleeping area stays dry whatever the weather, and food bowls can be placed in the open area when it's raining

this design of kennel is the only one, I have found, that is guaranteed to keep out rain and snow - I put self-heating pads in during the winter, and the cats share when it's particularly cold

I only have one each because I need to feed them separately, as one is much more assertive than the other
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ThorpeDave
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Re: advice wanted

Post by ThorpeDave »

robincooper wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2019 11:49 am Hey!
Has anybody tried outdoor cat house? I have got two cats who lives in my garden
I can't take them home, so want to put outdoor cat house in my garden. Has anybody tried it? Was it ok?
Found these review bestadvisers.co.uk/cat-houses are there good variants? What should I consider?
Mr Snugs are very good. Easy to clean, have drain holes, good wind and rain protection and you can also get liners is you want.

We bought one a couple of years ago for a feral and our 2 kittens now use it if they want to chill

Regards

Dave
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Kay
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Re: advice wanted

Post by Kay »

How do you stop rain getting into the Mr Snugs when it's blowing around, Dave? I have two Mr Snugs outside for my strays, and move them around according to the wind direction, but on very wet and windy days the bedding inside still gets soaked, and I've had them filled with snow too. And of course they get wet inside when a wet cat goes into them. Wet also used to get inside via the drainage hole, but I've stopped that by putting them inside a wheelie bin liner.

I'd love to find a way to keep them dry whatever the weather, as the cats do prefer them over the wooden kennels, and with the lining and a flectabed inside I'm sure they do a good job in keeping them warm, especially as it's easy to add extra outside insulation by covering them with a tarpaulin or two. But I have never down the years found a way to stop rain and snow blowing in. I have seen them with a flap but I'm pretty sure the wariest of the two would not go inside with a flap in place.
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