I am looking for something to put in a homemade feral cat container. I have a feral cat that I am trying to keep warm will this work for this purpose
417463
If it gets down into the 30's (Farenheit) or colder, I'd put an electric pet bed heater under this to keep the kitty warm. That's what I've done in both my garage and in a box on my front porch for the two feral kitties who have claimed my property as theirs. I also put half of a micro fleece blanket wrapped in a donut shape around this pad, so the cats have a bit of a "bowl" to snuggle down into.
417464
Kim, I can't say how warm the pads get, but they do seem to retain the cat's body heat very well. We have several of these pads around the house to protect furniture (we'd rather the cats sit on these pads then directly on a chair, etc.). Our cats love them and sleep on them all the time. However, if the feral cat and the container is outside in cool temperatures you might want to consider an electrically heated pad.
417465
A little bit. If it gets quite cold, I put the heat on a little, in addition to the crate pad.
417466
I use mine outside for feral cats and they love it. I had put some catnip on it in the beginning to attract them which worked immediately. The cat lies directly on the pad which picks up the body heat. As long as the cat lays on it it stays warm. Mine love it and also a blue one that's a bit larger from another manufacturer. It's listed on Amazon as well. It works the same way but it's a little bit bigger and plushier.
482015
this is PERFECT for your feral cats - the "upstairs" area is a bit small because there is an opening in the middle, down to the ground level but .. if you do NOT take out the wire - elevate so there is an up and down level...and make sure it is shielded below from driving rain or wind, should be big enough for both ...i am nuts about cats ...and i bought one for each ...sleep upstairs, litter box in the bottom for when i have to bring them inside and contain them ..these shelters are perfect for cats !!!
150097
I don't see why not. We have it in an outside dog house on top of a one inch deep mat. Our stray kitty stays in there a lot. Anything to help give them some warmth.
1365090
We just got one for our little semi-feral community, too. They took to it right away. They've had an extra-large cat carrier to sleep in for a few years (most of them were born in that carrier!), which sits under our back porch. We got the igloo because the community grew by one litter of kittens :-) Everyone is spayed/neutered now, so hopefully the community is stable! Hope this worked for your kitties!
1212982
The pillow would actually take away the cats' body heat! A cat has to sit on top of a pillow and it's body heat just drains away. Straw is highly insulating and surrounds the cat and traps its own body heat. NEVER USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS in a winter feral cat shelter. Always use straw. I've been doing trap-neuter-return and caring for feral cats for many years. Check it out on the Alley Cat Allies website.
2246786
Instructions when purchased said it was good for small animals. I use it for my aging outdoor kitty. I put it under her kitty bed inside a wooden box. She sleeps there at night and many cold days. It is a little warm to touch and increases to a preset safe temperature when the animal's weight is on it.
2061916
It depends on the cat. A real feral cat might want to see what might be approaching. Try facing the Tube away from the wind or putting it in a sheltered spot. I think as long as there is a good escape path the barrier would be fine. Good luck
417178
I'm not sure. I only have one indoor only cat, so she gets it all to herself. I think it would depend on how the cats in the colony get along. Just a heads up, if you're going to be placing it outside, the heat won't last as long. Mine is inside our house, burried in her cat bed and it stays warm almost for 24 hours. If its outside in the cold, and not insulated (wraped in a thin blanket or towel) it will cool off rather quickly. Also, the pad isn't "hot" its warm, so if it has been burried in too many blankets or something similar, the warmth of it may not reach the cat at all. It takes a minute for me to be able to feel the warmth through the pillow I have it under, but my cat loves this! She's on it all day!
716274
I have the heated version and it has a heated floor that you blow up so it's somewhat like a heated, air mattress. I have not seen the non-heated version. But if it gets below freezing in your area, I recommend the heated version for your animal. It took a couple days for my feral cat to get in it, but she loves it now.
1151487
I used it inside an unheated garage, but have inserted a smaller type cat shelter inside of this one, since the weather is turning colder.It works for one very old cat, that was no longer loved,
1408266
No, it's good as is. It's already insulated, and the cats will keep each other warm though body heat. The 2 feral cats in front of my condo existed during the last winter with -15 degree weather with the cat barn.
727143
Since I use mine outdoors in a cat house for the local strays, I do place an old thin towel on top of the light fleece cover that the warmer comes with. This way I can wash it and the cover doesn't get dirty. I would not use a cat bed on top of it. I'd be concerned that the bottom of the bed would get heated, but not the cat.
727138
It says in the directions not to sit anything on top of it to just use the fleece cover they send with it. If you sit a cat bed on top it may be too thick for the heat to go through and warm your pet. I wouldn't recommend it as I have seen reviews of the heating pad messing up if you put anything on top of it.
726451
Oh yes! That's what I got it for... I used a small kitchen pan as a litter box that would fit inside along with food/water. I will say that my particular kitten didn't seem all that enamored with the small space though... she did attempt to claw her way out at one point, though it held up to her attempts til I could let her out. Is a nice way to keep a kitten out of mischief if you can't watch them, and can be staked outside for a bit of fresh air.
174400
i use mine on an open porch, have used this type for years. porch is set back, but roofless. could try slitting an old Styrofoam cooler and feeding cord thru slit in back....i feed feral cats and use them for both wet food and water. for food i but a stainless pan with water in first and then a more shallow pyrex over with canned food in. works well. hope this helps.
1048867
Probably only if they're sitting underneath it. It'll really only heat a small space. I use it to keep the contents of a 55-gallon drum above freezing, but I think it's really only designed to heat a lizard tank. I'd think even a small room would be too much space for it to keep up with. For a cat room you'd be better off looking at an oil-filled radiant heater or equivalent.
1591846
Cats are skeptical creatures, and it will take longer for some than others. My feral cats are female and took to it immediately. If your cat is a male he may take longer, but having the two exits will help him not to feel trapped. It may be the nights haven't gotten cold enough yet for him, but I'm sure he will seek a warmer place when the temp. drops more. I also have a male feral cat who hasn't made any attempt to go inside yet. But the other three have all made it home. Give it more time, cats have to gain trust. Good luck.