Building a DIY Outdoor Pet House for Cats

Community cats are resourceful, but providing a safe haven, especially during harsh weather, makes a significant difference. An Outdoor Pet House For Cats offers a warm, secure place for neighborhood felines or even your own pet who spends time outside. Creating a shelter is a simple, inexpensive project that provides essential comfort and protection.

Why Provide an Outdoor Shelter?

Cats living outdoors, whether community cats or pets exploring their territory, face challenges like cold temperatures, rain, and snow. While they are adaptable, an insulated Outdoor Pet House For Cats provides a crucial refuge. It helps them conserve body heat, stay dry, and find safety from predators or harsh elements, significantly improving their well-being during challenging seasons.

Creating Your DIY Outdoor Cat House

Building a functional and warm outdoor shelter is easier than you might think. This guide uses readily available materials for an effective solution.

Materials You’ll Need

• One large plastic storage tub (approx. 30-gallon size) with lid
• One smaller plastic storage tub (approx. 20-gallon size) with lid (that fits inside the larger one)
• Box cutter or utility knife
• Straw (Important: Use straw, not hay, as hay absorbs moisture and can mold)
• Permanent marker
• Scissors
• Hair dryer (optional, to soften plastic for cutting)
• One thin slab of Styrofoam insulation
• One plastic flowerpot (choose one with fairly straight sides, roughly 6-8 inches in diameter)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mark the Entrance: Place the flowerpot opening against the side of the large tub, near the bottom. Trace around it with the permanent marker to create the outline for the entrance.

   Marking the entrance outline on the large plastic tub using a flowerpot as a guide for the DIY cat shelter.

2. Soften the Plastic (Optional): Use a hair dryer on a low setting to gently warm the plastic along the marked outline. This can make cutting easier and cleaner.

   Using a hair dryer to soften the plastic outline for the entrance of the outdoor cat house tub.

3. Cut the Entrance (Large Tub): Carefully use the box cutter to cut out the circular entrance you marked on the large tub. Always cut away from yourself and exercise caution.

   Carefully cutting out the entrance hole in the large plastic tub with a box cutter for the cat shelter.

4. Add Bottom Insulation: Cut the Styrofoam slab to fit snugly in the bottom of the large tub. Place the smaller tub inside the larger one, on top of the Styrofoam base.

   Placing a Styrofoam base inside the large tub before inserting the smaller tub for the insulated cat house.

5. Mark the Inner Entrance: Align the smaller tub so its side is close to the entrance hole of the larger tub. Trace the outline of the large tub’s entrance onto the side of the smaller tub.

   Aligning the tubs and marking the inner entrance on the smaller tub using the outer hole as a guide.

6. Cut the Entrance (Small Tub): Repeat steps 2 (optional softening) and 3 to carefully cut the entrance hole in the smaller tub. Ensure the holes align when the small tub is placed inside the large one.

   Cutting the corresponding entrance hole in the smaller plastic tub for the DIY pet shelter.

7. Add Wall Insulation: With the small tub nested inside the large one and entrances aligned, loosely pack straw into the gap between the walls of the two tubs. Fill it generously – this is the key insulation. Remember, only use straw as it repels moisture.

   Packing straw insulation into the space between the inner and outer tubs of the DIY winter cat shelter.

8. Add Bedding: Fill the bottom of the small tub with a thick layer of loose straw. This provides warm, dry bedding for the cats. Avoid blankets or hay which retain moisture.

   Filling the inner small tub with a generous amount of straw bedding for the outdoor cat house.

9. Create the Entrance Tunnel: Cut the bottom off the plastic flowerpot. Slide the flowerpot through the aligned entrance holes of both tubs, creating a tunnel. This helps keep drafts and precipitation out. You might need to trim the plastic edges slightly for a snug fit.

   Inserting the bottomless flowerpot into the aligned entrance holes to create a tunnel for the cat shelter.

10. Finish: Place the lids securely on both the small and large tubs. Your insulated outdoor pet house for cats is complete! Position it in a safe, relatively sheltered location.

    The completed DIY outdoor pet house for cats with both lids secured, ready for placement.

Conclusion

Building a simple DIY outdoor pet house for cats is a rewarding way to help feline friends stay warmer and safer during cold or wet weather. Using inexpensive materials like plastic tubs and straw for insulation creates an effective shelter. This is just one design; many variations exist, including pre-built options, if DIY isn’t feasible. Providing such a refuge significantly contributes to the comfort and safety of cats braving the elements outdoors.