DIY Outdoor Cat Shelter
Вставка
- Опубліковано 14 гру 2021
- Help outdoor cats in your neighborhood stay warm this winter by building this simple Outdoor Cat Shelter.
Watch this video for tips to place your shelter once built: • Outdoor Cat Shelter Pl...
Equipment List:
• 30-gallon plastic storage container
• 20-gallon plastic storage container
• Box Cutter
• Straw - it is very important to not use hay as hay can soak in moisture which can lead to mold growth and freezing.
• Permanent Marker
• Hairdryer - or another heat source to soften the plastic.
• Insulating Sheeting - this insulation comes in 4’x8’ sheets so make sure that you have something to cut the sheet with to get it in your vehicle. One sheet should make at least two shelters.
• Weatherproof tape
• Plastic flowerpot - Ideally 6-8 inches wide. Make sure to choose a flowerpot that does not taper too much at the bottom, because this will be turned into an entrance later.
© 2021. Animal Rescue League of Berks County.
Great video. Love the flowerpot entrance tunnel. Whatever works I always say. Thank you for caring for homeless cats.
Tip .. heat a coffee can up and that will burn a perfect hole . Thanks for the video and @jmo2104 thanks for the back door tip too!
You could also fill the top also,
heat rises
Makes more sense than any I've seen.
Great video! Thank you for all you do for the animals!
Great idea. Thank you.
YES EVERY OUTDOOR CAT SHELTER NEEDS 2 DOORS . IF A PREDATOR COMES IN ONE THE CAT INSIDE HAS A WAY OUT . ALWAYS HAVE 2 DOORS NO MORE THAN 5 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
Thank you. We are making one now. Helpful comment.
I love you for this!❤
I need 8 of them
Great video! 10/10
Thanks ❤
Great vid, have several shelters I made. Large black Sterlite, cut two large round holes on EACH side! Cats must have an exit route, they do not like to be trapped. Be sure to file your holes with sandpaper so they do not get cut. Next, large styrofoam beer cooler, slice the two long sides, place snugly on insides of your Sterlite. This ensures far better insulation. Put a blanket on the bottom. This way you will know if they have had an accident and it needs to be changed out. Then Use STRAW, not hay. It traps air and insulates well. Also, straw has no nutritional value so other predators will not come around it like they will for some tasty hay. Straw is cheaper to boot. A large bale is usually around $10 and some change at a farm store. Stuff and press down straw as much as you can until it meets your entrance/exit holes. Lastly, get stickers from Staples and slap them on the side of the Sterlite. Mine says, “CAT SHELTER, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE”! Voila! Thank you for reading and for looking out for the kitties!😻
I would use 2" Hemp wool. . has a R 7.4. WARMER!
Brilliant. you are the first video I have come across, with building a shelter using a flower pot to trace the hole, and also add the pot as more protection from weather. I also liked the idea of preheating the plastic before cutting. I just made a shelter and cut it square like I saw on another video. I started with a razor knife but wasn't strong enough, so I used a folding knife and made a mess, the plastic started to crack on top (I put duct tape on the cracks, hope it holds ok).
Hi John! Thanks for watching, and also for building a shelter to help cats stay warm this winter! You can watch our second video with tips for placing your cat shelter here: ua-cam.com/video/Ng2hndkKpCA/v-deo.html.
@@berksarl Hey, another comment said to heat a coffee can and use that to cut the hole as well as pre-heating, great idea! I bet cutting the top off a coffee can so you have a jagged edge to cut with would be even better. you could even fashion an actual hole saw, I suppose. You could use a dremel tool to make the teeth.
You need a back door to that shelter. We learned the hard way that cats are easily trapped and mauled inside. It was tragic. Please don't make the same mistake.
Hello. If placing a second entrance to the shelter, make sure the openings are catty-cornered from each other to avoid making a wind tunnel. We touch more on the second entrance hole in our video on placing a cat shelter. ua-cam.com/video/Ng2hndkKpCA/v-deo.html
Ugh 😔
Unfortunately I learned that the hard way also😢😢😢😢
In the country?!?!? Because I live in town.... do I still need 2???
@arielevenson-starr3171 we live in L.A., in an extremely populated area around all major freeways, and we have coyotes all over within neighborhoods. They are killing peoples pets in backyards, and also wiping out feral cat colonies.
I would suggest adding some weight to the box otherwise strong wind will push it over (if there are no cats inside). Also add a weather flap, just a piece of visquine with a slit down the middle and taped at the top over the entry/exit. Or you can make a little roof over the holes.
Hello, we touch on the above topics in our follow-up video with tips for placing an outdoor cat shelter. That video can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/Ng2hndkKpCA/v-deo.html Thanks!
This is a good idea.
I've been researching cat shelters. Your video is by far the best I've found.
Question: How important is a second entrance?
Hi James, thanks for the kind words. A second entrance is not necessarily a requirement of a cat shelter, but it works as another escape route should the cat need to leave the shelter in a hurry in case of a predator near the shelter. It's important that if using two entrance holes, they are placed caddy corner from each other to prevent a wind tunnel from forming. We touch a little more on the second entrance hole and the placement of an outdoor shelter in this video: ua-cam.com/video/Ng2hndkKpCA/v-deo.html
@@berksarl Thank you. I'll check it out.
@@jamestaylor8217 Six years at Animal Control here. Completely disagree. They always need an exit - kitties absolutely do not like to feel trapped and was on more than one call of disastrous results when they were trapped by predators. ALWAYS make an entrance/exit.
Thank you. I've been trying a one-holer with little luck. I'll try a second hole.@@DayOneAdeleFans
@@jamestaylor8217 I also added to this video a comment on how to make a shelter as well. Thank you and thanks everybody that tries to help these babies!
Another very cheap option is to make a shelter out of shrink wrap surrounding an improvised cage and wood pallet floor....
can't see the description of the full equipment list
I was told to use a Styrofoam container instead if a second tote. The styrofoam would be insulation as well rather than adding a sheet of it. Someone also said cedar chips instead of straw? I really dont know the difference so I'm hoping you can clear it up. And I have 2 cats on my property, don't get many in the winter. I was going to make 2 shelters, no real predators do i need a back door?
My property is wide open next to a creek and my pond. Often in kitten season, people dump cats or just the kittens here and i nurse them til they're old enough to be adopted or if old enough I take to the sheltet with a donation for their care. This is the first time I've had a cat issue on my property and have not been able to catch the very feral cats.
I want to make them as comfortable and safe as possible til I can get them to a vet.
A styrofoam container can be used in place of a sheet of insulation. A back door is completely optional depending on wildlife/predators in the area. We used information from Alley Cat Allies who recommend straw to insulate a shelter: www.alleycat.org/community-cat-care/straw-not-hay-for-outdoor-cat-shelters/
@@berksarl thank you for responding. I totally took the easy way out and bought heated cat shelters from Amazon. I have arthritis in my hands and everyone says they want to help the cats but I'm the only one who does and it got cold here out of nowhere so I bought individual cubes that have 1 entrance but are heated. We have no predators, just squirrels so it works out for the best.
looking for the list of components needed which you said were in the comment section. Sorry if I've missed it.
nv, I found it!
Where can I get a 20 gallon container?? I can't find one
Hello. Would you also put food water in there? We are trying to locate a missing cat and have a trail cam at a sewer where we think the cat went to ground. Crows and fox and raccoon eat food we leave out.
Hello! You should not place food or water inside the shelter as it can cause unwanted creatures to enter the shelter and deter cats from using it. You can place catnip inside the shelter in hopes to lure the cat to use it.
Also, if placing water outside during the winter months make sure to avoid using metal dishes as the water inside tends to freeze faster than that inside a thick plastic dish. Hope this information helps. Thanks!
Straw is not at big box stores 😞 we've had a guest the last 3 nights and it's going to winter storm tonight, but I get one trip to Lowe's because I don't drive/ have to take the bus. Any secondary ideas?!
Try a pet store.
where will i find straw though ;{ are there alternatives?
Can you use a regular roll of insulation instead of a foam board?
I don't see why not. Anything is better than nothing right?
How thick should the insulation sheet be?
We used a ½" thick piece from the hardware store.
Could you give the brand/model of the plastic tubs you use? It's hard to find two tubs that are large enough AND one can be put inside of the other. WIll immensely appreciate any recommendations.
Hello! We used containers that we had around the shelter, so do not know makes and models. Sorry.
I purchased sterilite containers. I just picked some up last night at Fred Meyer. Walmart carries them too. I believe mine was the big one. 30 length w/lid on. Therefore the big one allows you to put a smaller one in. Make sure the larger one is solid color.
@@sterlinghawk_g20 Excellent! Many thanks!!
I went to Home Depot and found two that fit together - I test fitted them in the store before purchasing.
I live in Florida and I don't understand how water isn't going to blow into the hole
Specify what type of straw? Pine? Wheat?
The type of straw used in your shelter does not matter. You just want to make sure that you use straw and not hay.
can more than one cat share the same shelter?
Depending on the size of containers used, more than one cat can use a shelter.
These are really expensive feral cat shelters in my country
Always two exists for cat safety please please 🙏 they need escape from predators its true fact
A better idea is to buy a used cooler for $5 or $10. It's already insulated.
Keep hole's small so predators can't eat your cats
The entrance hole is way too big, especially if there are predators around. Raccoons, coyotes for example.
Pff... le travail d'arabe !
ADOPT FUCKING METRIC!!!