How To Heat An Outdoor Cat House

There are times that our cat would just like to stay outdoors or we deliberately have them stay outdoors. We get a cat house to keep them safe and warm during times that the weather may be too cold or when the rainy season comes along. However, depending on how cold it gets outside, we may need to know how to heat an outdoor cat house.

It is the same when we have a feral cat in the community. We set up a cat house to keep them safe and dry from the harsh weather that we may experience throughout the year. The question is: Would providing them with a cat house be enough to keep them warm and safe?

What else can we do as responsible pet owners to provide our feline friends what they need to survive the winter cold and the rainy season? In this article, we will discuss how we can warm up even the best cat house designs that we provided them, at the end of this article, you will finally know how to keep a cat warm outside in their cat house.

Why do we need to heat an outdoor cat house?

One question that we always get is why do we need to heat the outdoor cat houses? No matter how resourceful and independent our outdoor cats may be, they definitely need a heated cat house. They need shelter from the cold weather just as much as we do.

A cat’s normal body temperature must be around 38 degrees C or 100.4 degrees F. In some cases, their natural fur is not enough to keep them warm during winter.

Just as we humans can suffer from frostbite and hypothermia, our cats can get that too and can lead to severe injuries and some result in harsher consequences. Those most vulnerable are senior cats and the kittens and short-haired cats.

Best to keep in mind that if you think it’s too cold outside, it must be too cold for your feline friends too.

Ways to heat an outdoor cat house

Now that we know why we need to provide them with some heat outside, what are the ways that we can keep them warm and toasty? We have compiled a shortlist of some ways that you can keep the warm temperature inside your outdoor cat houses.

Outdoor Cat House With Built-In Heater

There are many different types of cat houses that you can purchase. One of them is a cat house with built-in heaters and heating pads. One example is the Outdoor Multi-Kitty A-Frame Cat House by K&H.

You will have an option to choose from either a heated cat house or a non-heated cat house. If you do choose the heated version of this cat house, you will be getting a 40 watt MET Safety Listed heated pad for outdoor cat house to keep your feline friends warm.

Warming Pads

Outdoor heated cat pads are a great way to keep them warm inside during winter. Warming pads are those pads that are powered by electricity and can provide heat to your cats when they get too cold.

The great thing about these is that you can place them anywhere that your cat hangs out. If they mostly hang out inside the cat house, then that is the perfect place to put it. If alternatively, they hang out somewhere else like inside the garage or the shed, then you can place one or two of these to keep them warm.

Weatherproofing

Whether you are building your own cat house or purchasing one online, one detail that you might want to consider to weatherproof your cat house or purchase a cat house that is already weatherproof.

A weatherproof cat house can help protect your cat from any weather that they may encounter, especially rain. A cat house being waterproofed means that no water or moisture can go inside the cat house. This means that your cat can stay dry and warm inside their own sanctuary.

Solar Powered Cat House

If you do decide to build your own cat house, a solar-heated cat house would be the best bet for you. By building your own cat house, you can decide on how big you want the cat house and decide on how you want your cat house to be heated.

Our Final Thoughts

There are many ways to keep your feline friend warm inside their cat house. You just have to find what they like and stick to it.

As mentioned above, You can keep cats warm by purchasing a cat house. When you purchase a cat house, you can choose to purchase a cat house where there are heaters and heating pads built-in, and even choose a cat shelter for multiple cats if you own more than one kitty.

In the case of feral and community cats, a great way to keep them warm is to provide them with outdoor cat shelters and feeding stations with heating pads and weatherproof material to keep them dry from the rain when it comes.

Whatever your outdoor cat house plans are, make sure that it will keep them safe, dry, and warm inside the cat house. You don’t want to provide them with shelter then eventually getting wet inside the house because of leaks and poor insulation.

Click the link to see our list of the Best Outdoor Cat Houses.

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