How To Make a Waterproof Cat House? [Procedure, Time & Cost]
Even though cats are adaptive animals, providing them with an outdoor cat house can make them sleep, relax, warm up, and make living outside more comfortable. Building an outdoor cat shelter is cheap, straightforward, and your feline pals will adore it!
Indoor cats are unquestionably the safest. They are safe from predators and vehicles, fleas, ticks, infected wildlife, and possibly life-threatening conditions such as freezing temps when they are inside your home. Not all cats, however, are kept indoors for a variety of reasons.
Therefore, providing proper shelter for an outdoor cat is one of the most critical things you can do to safeguard them, whether you like your kitty to have more freedom or you care for stray and wild cats.
The first step, of course, is to think about getting insulated and waterproofed cat housing to keep them warm over the winter.
How To Make a Waterproof Cat House?
While choosing outdoor cat houses for winter, making your own can be less inexpensive! If you have a large plastic bin, it can be turned into a domestic cat shelter by making an entry/exit on the sidewall.
Choosing a plastic box/bin helps build a 100 % waterproofed cat house because of its water-repellent nature. And also, you can choose materials such as straw to repel moisture, whereas hay and blankets can absorb the moisture and leads to mold formation.
Required Items
- A large plastic tub (approximately 30 gallons)
- A small plastic tub (approximately 20 gallons)
- Box cutter
- Straw
- Permanent marker
- Scissors
- Hairdryer
- A thin slab of Styrofoam
- Plastic flowerpot
- Procedure [Step by Step]
Procedure [Step by Step]
1. Mark the outline
Keep the plastic flowerpot on the side of the plastic tub and mark the outline using a permanent marker.
2. Blow hot air on a plastic box
Then blow hot air on the plastic container to soften the plastic.
3. Cut the plastic box
Now, cut the plastic tub using the box cutters by following the marker line.
4. Place the Styrofoam in the tub
In the bottom of the huge tub, insert a thin piece of Styrofoam, place the little tub within the large tub.
Align the tubs and mark an entry in the small tub using the large tub entrance.
Then place the thin piece of Styrofoam in the small little tub.
5. Prepare the cat’s bedding
Add a generous amount of straw to the small tub. This will be the cat’s sleeping quarters. Make a tube entrance with the plastic flowerpot.
Simply cut away the bottom of the flowerpot and slide it into the large and small tub entrances to do this.
You need to cut off some plastic tubs to make room for the flowerpot.
Now, finish by putting the lids on the tubs.
Precautions
- Always ensure all the raw materials involved in the building of the cat house are VOC free and chemical free since it can deteriorate your kitty’s health.
- Cats enjoy being on high heights and putting the house on a high ledge not only attracts the cats but also protects them from predators such as coyotes.
- Placing the house in the sun is a good idea. During the day, the sun can operate as a natural source of heat.
- You do not want the cat home to be entirely shaded, but you also do not want it to be in the middle of nowhere. Cats are rarely comfortable sleeping in or even across a large open space.
- There are also heated pads that can be used on the cat house floor. But make sure the pad isn’t on all of the time (you can use a timer if necessary).
- If your home is built on a crawlspace or basement, you can place the cat shelter near a vent where heat escapes from beneath your home, providing additional heat to warm the cat house’s walls.
- It’s also a good idea to keep a thermometer in the house so you can check it regularly to make sure it’s still providing appropriate protection.
Time
The preparation and the building process of the cat house take a minimum time of 30 minutes.
The total processing time is around 30 -60 minutes.
Cost
Approximate cost of required items:
- A large plastic tub – $37
- A small plastic tub – $20
- Box cutter – $9
- Permanent marker – $2
- Hair dryer – $15
- Thin slab of Styrofoam – $8
- Plastic flowerpot – $2
The total estimated cost: $93.
Top 5 Best Waterproof Cat House
If you are looking for the best waterproof cat house available in the market, please check out the below options:
How to Select the Best Waterproofed Cat House?
The perfect waterproofed outdoor cat houses can be built or purchased. There are a variety of insulated cat houses on the market so, there are several things you need to consider:
1. Size
Most cats like a little space, but if you are caring for numerous cats, you will want to acquire something bigger, but make sure they will all be able to sleep together. You may wish to create a separate, smaller shelter for each animal if they are not eager to live together.
2. Doors
Some cats are adamant about having two exits and will avoid even the best-insulated cat house if they do not have them.
They want to know that in an emergency, such as when another animal enters their home, they can get escape. You want to make sure the door is big enough for the cat but tiny enough to keep larger animals out.
3. Durability
Wood can be a good insulator on its own, but it must be pressure treated and weatherized to survive outside. You will need to clean your carpet and keep it dry. If necessary, you can add a straw, heating pads, or other materials, depending on the features of the cat house.
4. Insulation
Go for thicker insulation material to retain the hot and cold air.
5. Ease of Cleaning
Because you will need to clean up any spills or replenish the straw or other bedding material, having easy access to the interior will save you a lot of time. A lift-off top is one option that makes cleaning easier.
Final Words:
If you are planning to build a waterproofed outdoor cat house on your own, carefully check for each raw material whether it is free from any toxic chemicals.
Also, you can customize your pet’s cat house according to its needs. Moreover, building a cat house can be way more affordable than purchasing an insulated cat house.
You aim to keep your kitty friend safe and warm during winters, and you can achieve the same by building a waterproofed pet house. But if you are looking for ready cat houses you can purchase them online along with heating pads and required insulations.
If you do not know yet, setting up an outdoor cat house for your cats might improve their quality of life and possibly save them from health issues. Say make a cat house to keep your feline healthier.
