Review on 🐱 K&H Pet Products Original Outdoor Heated Cat Shelter - 19 X 22 X 17 Inches - Heated/Unheated Options by Sonia Hills

We live in an area far enough from the city where many idiots discard cats, so we always have stray and wild animals. We also live in an area that is very cold in winter. There are 3.5 crazy cat people in the house and we have exhausted the number of house cats so we continue to expand our stray/wildlife feeding and animal shelters. (Yes, we also have a cat trap and local TNR options.) We've built a few homemade shelters, but they're a lot quicker and easier to put together, and I really like having a heating pad. It only heats up when pressure is applied to it, and the temperature doesn't get very hot, but it's enough to make a cold, wet kitty more comfortable. However, we don't just throw them on the floor, we plug them into an outlet. , and get out - it takes a few mods to build these good outdoor hideouts. First, our outdoor population doesn't seem to like flappers, so I usually leave one and remove the other. However, snow gets onto the wingless side quite easily. In addition, they are only partially waterproof - I would not trust them to withstand heavy rain or sleet. The solution to both problems is to get a roll of reflective foil insulation and use it under and over the shelter. I put a rectangle of this under the house to insulate it from the ground - even better with plywood or something else under the insulation. Then I cover the top with a piece large enough to extend a few inches past the vented inlet. The insulation is sufficiently waterproof and also helps to keep warm inside the shelter. I use very large clamps to attach the top which means the overhang can't be screwed in all the way, but this has worked pretty well so far. Another option would be to wrap the whole thing in insulation - bottom, sides, top and back on the other side. If you must place the shelter where it cannot be plugged in, add a piece of insulation under the pillow and/or replace the pillow with a self-heating cat mat to keep warm. I recommend placing them as far away from high-traffic areas as possible so shy kittens aren't afraid to hide in them. Thanks to the modifications described, they can be left outside with us for several years all year round, maintenance-free. than washing pads from time to time. The oldest has been around since 2017 and apart from a small tarnish it is as good as new. I recommend them as an affordable option for anyone looking to help stray kittens.