Winter is fast approaching, and if you live in a cooler climate it’s time to think about protecting your kitties from the cold. Most people think about kitty houses as shelters for their cats, but there are other options out there that can help keep Fluffy warm during the colder months. Today we’re going to make a DIY heated cat house!
If your cats are like mine, they’ll love being warm and toasty all winter long. With this homemade heated cat house, you can have the luxury of a heated cat house without breaking the bank.
See Also: 15 DIY Cat Puzzle Feeder
1. DIY Cat House For Cold Nights
No matter how cake the weather turns, some cats will still prefer sleeping outside. The only thing you can do for such a cat is to upgrade its shelter to a heated one. This particular shelter is framed by some 2×2 boards. It is 18″ by 26″ by 18″ tall, though the height can vary according to your cat preference.
2. DIY Heated Cat House For Winter
An extreme weather kitty pad with fleece cover can provide your igloo cat shelter with additional warmth during winter. This kitty heated pad is perfect as the cat bed because there’s no need for the house to be heated 24/7 as long as the pad can attract heat from the cat body. You’ll need a styrofoam cooler as well to provide adequate warmth.
3. Heated Outdoor Cat Shelter DIY
A normal cat house can be converted to a heated one during winter. This modification can be done in different ways. I’m this guide. The normal wooden cat shelter is lined with a heated pad and covered with straw to keep it warm. A small hole
4. Feral Cat Winter Shelter DIY
This is a low-budget or minimalist type of cat winter house. A feral cat shelter! Insulated and cozy for your cat during winter. It can be made from a recycled/new plastic storage bin with a removable cover or styrofoam bins (one used in shipping perishable food and medical supplies). When building this, you need to keep in mind that the house needs strong insulation, as such straw is preferable to blanket or hay. Another is that the house needed minimal air space.
5. Building A Heated Winter Cat Shelter
Cats love spending time outside but the cold winter period sure makes it quite difficult sometimes. So to ensure your feline friend enjoys the outdoor environment without any difficulty, you need to make the outdoor house heated. In the process of making the heated house, you need plywood, a drill, screws, clamps, and a speed square. The first thing you need to do is to build the frame for the house using plywood.
6. How To Build A Heated Cat Shelter
A heated cat shelter doesn’t have to be complicated, perhaps you can build one with just a heating pad and it will be amazing. The heating pad will radiate heat and hold much of the heat in the shelter. Other tools needed along the heating pad include DeWalt 60-volt air compressor, a 20volt DeWalt impact drill, and a 20volt DeWalt multi-tool/ oscillator. The shelter frame is built from wood pieces, screws, and a hot glue gun. You can check out the full details of the simple heated cat shelter from the link below.
7. Keeping A Cat Shelter Warm
You can modify a store bought warm cat shelter to suit your desire. This cat shelter has some panels but the insulation is not quite effective, so, the instructor added styrofoam on the inside and an additional reflective coating on it to make it well-insulated. Then, he added some polyurethane coating and some clear caulking on the exterior. The cat padding was made from an old wool sweater that’s convenient as a sleeping bed. With the heating pad, the cat can survive even the coldest day without difficulty.
8. How To Keep Cats Warm During Winter
Your cat shelter doesn’t have to be elaborate to be effective just some simple cage with straws will keep your little kitty warm during the coldest days. It’s suitable to use a straw for the shelter instead of hay or a blanket because the latter holds moisture. Straw on the other hand repels moisture and makes good bedding for outdoor cat shelters.
Another way to keep your outdoor cat shelter warm is to get an enclosed oil-filled radiator heater. And since they’re enclosed you are free from the risk of fire or other hazards. You can also set up a heating pad inside the shelter to make the cat feel warm. Check out other ways to keep outdoor cat shelters warm from the link below.
9. DIY Heated Cat House For Winter
Some sheets of pressure-treated plywood, 2×2 pieces for framing, styrofoam for insulation, hardware (basic hinges and latches), a heated pad, an A.C unit, a thermostat, and other components are required for this excellent heated cat shelter. It has various features that make the shelter conducive for the cat at all times (either summer or winter). There’s a temperature control installed inside the shelter that allows you to adjust the temperature from your house. The bed was made from a soft heating pad.
10. Heated Cat House DIY
An outdoor cat house is good but it will be great if it’s heated because this will make the house suitable for all weather. You’ll need four particular types of wood to achieve this: some sheets of plywood, one pressure-treated pine, one clear fir, and two bead boards (pine). The rough sketch provided in this guide gives you an idea of what the cat house looks like. And another amazing thing about this cat house is that it is raised!
11. Low Budget Heated Cat House For Winter
Though this heated cat house is a low budget, it gives an amazing outcome that’s worth more than the cost. It’s simply put together with cheap plywood, a warm and thick blanket, some wires, a cheap light, an electrical box, and a PVC elbow. The purpose of the electrical components is to keep the cat house warm and conducive. All you have to do is connect the wires and make your cat an amazing house.
12. DIY Insulated Cat House
An insulated cat house is the best option for your cat during the winter. It’s built from different components that keep the wooden frame warm and cozy. There are two methods you can use to insulate a cat house as explained in this guide; the first one involves using foam board for the inner layer of the frame.
The second method involves using spray foam; spray the inner layer of the frame and cover it with wood pieces. But in case there’s not much space inside the frame you can spray a thin layer of the foam and leave it open.
13. DIY Heated Outdoor Feral Cat House
If the indoor cat can enjoy the windowsill or fireplace during the cold season, the outdoor cars should be able to enjoy at least a heated house! The outer layer of this heated cat house is made from pieces of wood and the exterior was decorated with various amazing plaques. There are candles hung at the corners of the frame as well. A plug-in electric heated house with a heated pad is inside the frame. The floor of the frame is covered with warm beach mats that are easy to clean.
14. How To Build A Winter Cat Shelter
You need three materials for this winter cat house. The first one is a plastic tote; it should be at least 32 to 64 liters. This should be enough for 1-2 cats. The second material is a tight-fitting foam cooler or foam sheet that fits inside the tote. The third material is straw for insulation. The straw can be replaced with hay or a blanket but these are not as quite effective as straw. Aside from these main materials, you’ll need extra insulation (mylar or emergency blankets), duct tape, an exact-o knife, and scissors.
15. Heated Winter Shelter For Cat DIY
This heated cat shelter is made from scrap lumber and little pieces of insulation. It’s a wooden box 30-32 inches wide, 2 feet deep, and 2 feet tall. The box is lined with reflective foam board for insulation and a synthetic sweater.
There’s a small sloped roof on top of the door to keep rain and snow off. The roof slopes to the rear and shingles overhang to protect the plywood and hinges. The corridors and doors are about 5″ wide. There is a smaller box of 14″ wide to 18″ deep inside. The box has a doorway of 5″ by 6″. The bottom is lined with plush carpet covered with warm fabric such as acrylic fleece or quilted fabric.
Conclusion
If you have an outdoor cat house, these are really easy ways to build a warm cat house during winter. One thing that is common to all heated cat houses is insulation. The insulation materials, therefore, vary due to cost and effectiveness. Among the effective insulation recommended in this guide are straw, heated pad, reflective foam, and styrofoam cooler.
