I need to try to insulate a cat house/box just for temporary use. I want to be able to use material I have around the house rather than buying something since it will only be used for a week. Right now I'm using a cardboard box as the cat house and I'd like to inuslate the sides, top, and back. Will either of these materials work and if so, which one would be best: carpet or styrofoam that's commonly used as packing material for VCRs, DVD players, TVs, and computers.
I had originally wanted to buy some styrofoam insulation from a hardware store but the stores around here either don't have it or it costs way to much. Plus, the sheets would be to big to fit in my car.
Never thought I'd answer a "cat-house" question!LOL..When You build the new cat-house use dimensions that will allow using the temp as an insulated insert before the roof goes on,,that way Your efforts/ materials are'nt wasted and that pussy will be warm n snug in the cat- house! You do'nt happen to have a small solar panel,,a rechargeable battery and a red LED light do You?*grin* Dean
If you place it against a outside window and seal the connection to your home, even with the window shut the heat otherwise wasted leaking out your window will heat the home nice and cozy.
On Feb 2, 7:47 am, "Mike S." wrote: Will either of these materials work and if so,
Anything will work if your goal is to build something fast and cheap. My cats have superb fur and routinely go outside in sub-zero weather. I don't know how cold you expect it to get but most cats are well adapted to cold conditions.
They instictively huddle down in a place where the wind is blocked and pull their paws underneath their body. They can also bury their eyes and nose in the fur.
Mine usually come back inside pretty fast when it's cold though, for sure. They can make themselves heard by scratching and clawing the storm door. Occasionally they go out when I am at work all day and they seem OK when I get home though are quite ready to go inside, lol.
It is a good idea to do what you can for cats that will be outside. Barn cats are quite a tradition and if you have any outbuildings then that is a place where the outside type cat can be given shelter.
Use a cardboard box for sure. Cats love boxes and are naturally attracted to them and for sure you want to help the cat stay warm if you can. If you can put a heating pad on low inside the box that is the best solution and the cat will find it for sure. If you are really worried then old blankets are the best idea, as Steve said. I have stacks of moving quilts that I buy cheap by the dozen and they are handy.
Cats make heat, and warm air rises. Can you make an entrance below the house or a platform inside so the cat can sit above the top of the entrance? A plastic flap hanging over the door would also help.
An ASHRAE-standard normally-active 6.61 pound cat makes 68.02 Btu/h. Under a 2 ft^2 R1 cardboard roof, it can be 34 F warmer than outdoors. Add some carpet under or over the roof to make it warmer.
Boy, your felines sound like clones of our cat, "Lard Ass". He'll get ready to make a break for freedom anytime he hears the doorbell or the noise of a door opening and doesn't come back until he's hungry again.
The only time I ever saw him not scramble through an open doorway was when I opened our front door and found there was nearly a foot of snow drifted against it. Lard Ass just sat there giving me his pissed off look:
"styrofoam" insulation (forget the actual name of the material - the pink stuff that looks like styrofoam) shouldn't be that expensive. Home Depot has it, if you're in the U.S.
Bring a utility knife with you, and cut it up in the parking lot to fit it into your car.
How cold is where you are, and how long will the cat be left outside in this box?
Haha, that's a good one but I got it beat. Here's a pic of what my "Donny" does when he wants to get my attention. He's a real piece of work. In this photo he is clinging to the storm door using the window screen.
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