How to Build a Cat House

When winter hits, dogs can simply take shelter in a well built dog house. Cats, however, are rarely afforded such luxuries. When's the last time you heard of a cat house? Granted, more cats than dogs are indoor-only. However, there are still hundreds of thousands of cats that are free to roam indoors and out. When the temperature drops, these cats are in desperate need of a cat house.

My husband and I have three cats, which we allow both indoors and out (to the shock of one particularly overprotective, Pet Smart cat owner). For one, we don't believe in keeping cats inside at all times (neither do our cats) and for two, we can't stand litter boxes (the verdict's still out on how the cats feel). Our cats happily roam our yard, often staying outside for hours on end. As the temperature has dropped, they've begun to spend more time inside. Since we are averse to litter boxes, on the rare occasion when we are gone for more than a few hours, we typically put them outside. No big deal during Oklahoma's boiling summers. However, when the temps fell into the forties, we knew it was time to build them a cat house.

After a night researching the best way to approach building a cat house, my crafty husband had a design in mind. He built it the next day and we have since caught the cats regularly hanging out in it.

How to Build a Cat House

For a cat house to work, you must have an enclosed structure. When the ground freezes, it isn't enough to simply have a roof and sides, the bottom must also be protected. For the cat house, my husband purchased a medium sized plastic storage tub (the kind you put Christmas crap in). He flipped the tub upside down and cut a hole along the side, towards the top, just large enough to allow in a small light fixture (to provide heat). 60 watts is ideal. He then sealed the light to the hole with caulking and used an extension cord to keep it lit. He cut an entry way along the front of the cat house, not much bigger than our largest cat, and placed a towel inside along the bottom.

The light, insulation and towel keep the cat house warm enough that I can feel it by simply putting my hands a few inches from the cat house. The cats, which voluntarily spend hours outside in it, seem to be pretty pleased.