Many cats love being inside a warm, loving house. That is not the case for other cats that live in the streets, or simply just enjoy the outside. That’s perfectly fine for them to stay there until the winter wind comes blowing in. However happy they may be outside, they still need some protection from the rough and sometimes unpredictable weather conditions that we have. In this article, we discuss how to get outdoor cats to go in a cat house. We will be giving you some tips on what to do to get them to go into the houses you purchase or build.
The question for every animal lover is how are those strays, outdoor and feral cats that live in the streets day in and day out. They may have fur that protects them but sometimes that is just not enough. You can definitely build or buy them a cat house to keep them toasty, but what if they don’t want to get in? How do you get a feral cat to use a shelter?
Where Do These Cats Go?
Feral cats are cats that have no human interaction or are not socialized to be with humans or other pets. So, where do feral cats go in the winter?
They are normally strolling along the neighborhood or sleeping by a bush or any place that makes them feel safe while resting. They go anywhere and everywhere that they can. Don’t be afraid though when you see a feral cat on your walk. Do not approach them lest try to interact with them. One of the best things that you can do for them is to give them an outdoor cat shelter or cat house where they can retreat to when it gets a little cold for them and learn how to get outdoor cats to go in warm cat house.
Outdoor Cat Houses
Outdoor cat houses or shelters are small house-like structures that can keep stray, feral, and outside cats a place to keep themselves warm in the colder months. There are many different types and designs of cat houses and shelters that you can choose from. You can easily purchase this online or at your local pet store.
If you do not feel like spending too much money on a cat house, you can always make it a personal project and build your own. Some have built their own and created it with different materials that are conducive to the cold temperatures.
You can even build it with styrofoam and build a styrofoam cat shelter. It doesn’t take much to create and design your own outdoor cat shelter for multiple cats, or just the one going around your neighborhood.
What You Can Do & How To Get Outdoor Cats To Go In A Cat House
Most of us know how to take care of the cats that live with us inside our house. What’s challenging is learning how to have an outside cat and how to get outdoor cats to go in a cat house. We must give them a little more care and attention because they are battling with different situations outside that indoor cats sometimes don’t even know exist.
Once you have a cat house set up for your outside cats, There is no guarantee that they will go inside even if you know it will be better for them. Here are some things that you can do to try to get them inside.
Heated Beds
You could provide them with a heated cat bed inside the cat house. This will definitely make their stay better and warmer. They will come back to it every time now that they know they can feel warm inside with the heated cat beds. In our opinion, a heated cat bed is the best bedding for outdoor cat houses.
Alternatively, you can use warming pads for cats. Warming pads are a great way to keep your cats feel safe and warm during the colder months.
You can also consider a heated outdoor cat house and one of my favorites is the K&H Pet Products Outdoor Cat House. This is a definite help towards handling the issue of how to get outdoor cats to go in a cat house. This cat house is inviting for your feline friend!
Mylar Blankets For Cats
A mylar blanket, also known as a space blanket, is a low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective plastic sheeting. The main purpose of mylar blankets is to reduce the heat loss in a person or animal that would otherwise occur during thermal radiation or convection.
Mylar blankets for cats can be used as a liner for the floors, wall of the cat house to reduce the loss of heat in cold weather. This can help greatly to keep these cats warm during the wintertime
Warm Meal and Water
Ultimately, what might help with the challenge of how to get outdoor cats to go in a cat house is access to food and water. With no one taking care of them, what they most need is a hot meal and some water to get them through winter. When you see the neighborhood feral or stray cat, the best way is to show them yourself that there are food and water inside the cat house.
You can also build outdoor cat shelters and feeding stations around your neighborhood to give them the nourishment that they need. But make sure that the water doesn’t freeze or else they’ll be left with nothing to drink once again.
The best way is to know where they stay and the times that they are in that area so you can put out some food and water for them while they are there.
Our Final Thoughts On How To Get Outdoor Cats To Go In A Cat House
Overall, what you must do is to make them comfortable with the idea of going inside the cat house. Make it a place where they feel safe, warm, and protected. The ways that you can do this is by providing them with things like a warm bed and blankets and nourishment.
This will really get them going inside. Soon enough, you will see them going inside on their own and they will be the ones waiting for you to feed them. We hope you enjoyed our article: how to get outdoor cats to go in a cat house.
