Cat House Outdoor Insulated Feral Cat Shelter for Winter

I was considering building my own shelter and came across this. I could not have bought the wood at this price, so I ordered it expecting basic pine parts. First surprise – it’s all cedar! Sure to weather well and smells good too!Be sure to unbox and lay out all the parts before trying to assemble. Check closely – I found all the parts were marked with a letter, but you had to search on some of them to find it.You may be able to put this together using just the tools recommended but to get a good result be prepared to get the cordless drill out along with a few different drill bits, a punch/awl/nail, and maybe a small hammer. Most holes are pre-drilled but there are other parts where you’ll need to mark and drill pilot holes. Cedar is soft wood and will split easily so don’t try and self-tap the screws.As you go, loose join the parts, then go back and hand tighten them with a screw driver. Don’t be the person that tries to do it all with the drill or you will strip out the screws. Also, hand tighten all of the screws in the pre-assembled parts to make it sturdy. I went back over each screw 3 time to snug them up. There was one piece of trim at the bottom of one of the walls that was a bit loose. Tacked that up with a brad nailer to make is secure. Probably wasn’t strictly necessary, but that’s just me.The floors: There is a front & back to the floors, so if they don’t seem to fit right the first time, take them out, turn them, and try again. Really look at where the supports are and how the floor goes in. Don’t force them. Especially the upper floor.The casters: Expect to have to drill these out a little for the casters to fit properly.You can probably follow the instructions and get it together, but a few DIY tweaks will really make a difference.Overall a good product at a good price.

I bought this two-story feral cat shelter because three cats, a mother and two kittens, showed up living under our shed on our property. They are not tame, but they are not quite wild either. I think in time, one day I will be able to pet them. Since it normally gets into the 20s in the winter, I was worried about how these cats will make it through the winter on their own. This cat shelter should do fine. I plan to move it closer to the house every couple of days, and hopefully once I get it alongside the garage, I’ll be able to buy an electric pad and plug it in. In the meantime, this shelter will keep them safe from predators and warm enough.Shipping was fast and the shelter was securely packed, and I could tell that it was not a return. The last feral cat shelter I purchased was from Geguri and it was clearly a return that had been assembled and disassembled, and parts were broken and missing. I made sure not to purchase a replacement shelter from them. There were no missing or broken parts with this one.The instructions were super easy to follow and even for one person, it was easy to assemble. It seems quite well-made to me, and it appears to be waterproofed well. It’s a good size and three cats should be quite cozy inside. With two levels they can even spread out if they like. I love the window and all the little porches and places for them to play and lounge. The two little pet doors will help keep the cold out. It’s always good to have two doors, one escape door just in case. Fortunately, the doors are small, a perfect fit for a cat, and too small for predators to enter.I was so impressed with the interior insulation liners and how they all zip together into a box shape, one for each level. There is even an insulation pad that Velcros underneath the roof. They thought of everything. The insulation liners also have zippers so that you can remove them for laundering. The design really is ingenious.I have no complaints whatsoever about this feral cat shelter. I’m very happy with it and I think the cats will be too. I may paint it a more cheery color and add a few whimsical touches, but I think it will serve its main purpose – – keeping the cats warm and safe – – quite well. I think it’s a great value for the money.

I ordered this product for relative that has several cats that do not like to be indoors, even during the winter season. Anyone who's looking to get this for animals that stay outside during the winter should definitely know that while it will work well and keep them out of the elements, there should also be hay or some other sort of item inside to help keep them warm. The bottom is not solid and comes in two separate slabs of wood with a small gap that somewhat appears where they would be laying. That can allow for some cool air to pass through, which is good in the summer but not winter. A layer of hay would take care of this though.The walls of it are very sturdy and the assembly is extremely easy. There were only two parts at which the assembly seemed somewhat difficult. The first area where it was someone difficult was to put the roof on as I was assembling it alone. It was awkward to try to hold it and then also place it and drill it into place. It's also worth noting that the hinge that the roof has to hold it up may or may not have the place that needs to be attached to pre-marked. I ordered two of these and one had the markings and the other did not, but it really isn't that big of a deal. The only other part to really critique on the assembly steps is that it's better to put the top of the steps on before you start doing everything else because it's going to make it easier for you to assemble. It has you put the supports on early on but the top of it it says to do later which doesn't make any sense.Another thing to note for people... You can definitely smell the wood... A lot when freshly opened. Give it some time to air out as cats have much more sensitive sniffers than we do. It isn't a bad smell, just a strong one.Overall, I'm definitely satisfied with the purchase and may even get another one. They are worth the purchase, and if you are going to get one for feral cats, then I'm sure that they'll use it. I have no worries about anything trying to get to the cats as the product is actually sturdy enough to withstand a small little beating. They come with wheels so that it can sit in place or be moved easier to another location. Personally, I did not attach them and we'll just use a dolly if needed, but you do you.