Winter Shelters
There are as many winter shelters out there as there is misinformation on what is best. The first video on the home page is one of the best I've seen. It's thorough but not overly long... she does everything right and uses all the right materials. The second video is also a good shelter and a quick way to put one together but still using good materials. Start gathering supplies and making your shelters about a month before the first cold weather is normally expected in your area. Also, schedule a "clean-up" day before winter for existing shelters to replace the straw and perform any maintenance and cleaning on your existing shelters
Links and Resources
Here are some of the links I found most helpful and thorough for DIY shelters and reviewing available shelters for purchase.
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Dakin Humane Society: DIY: Winter Shelters for Feral Cats - I really like the idea of using the flower pot as an awning on this one. These are similar to the ones we've made.
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Alley Cat Allies: Community Cat Shelter Options Gallery - There are a lot of options here, both for purchase and do-it-yourself.
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Cats In Action: Winter Preparedness Top 10 List - Includes shelter options, for purchase and instructions to build
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The Spruce Pets: The 5 Best Outdoor Houses for Cats - Reviews for five outdoor houses they rated the best. We have two of the Kitty Tubes and they are awesome and very well-insulated. I can't vouch personally for the Clawsable house but I have read many favorable reviews for it.
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Cats.com 5 Best Outdoor Cat Houses: Tested and Reviewed - More reviews of outdoor houses for purchase
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New Age Pet ECOFLEX Outdoor Cat House Shelter
We have several of these in our colony. They are easy to assemble and have held up very well over the years. I would suggest leaving off the plastic doorway from the front. Yes, it does help keep heat in but a lot of cats will not use it if there is something blocking the entrance.
They are also easy to paint and the paint has held up well too. If the shelter is going to be visible at all, we paint it to look like the area where we're placing it. The manufacturer had a camouflage type version available a couple of years ago. When we couldn't find one last year, we painted one in camouflage colors. Make sure you use outdoor weatherproof paint.
The Kitty Tube
The Kitty Tube is hands-down our favorite shelter in our colony. It is well worth every penny and we are lucky that we had two donated to us. They are sturdy, discreet, and very well-insulated. There is a thick wall of foam that is removable and a top layer that is also removable plus an awning on the newest version. Make sure you order the version with straw if you're using it in an unprotected area outside.
The top can be twisted to reveal vents that allows air to circulate. Just make sure they are closed in cold weather!
Custom-Built Insulated Wood Shelter
This is a custom-built wooden shelter that was built for us several years ago. It has two levels with two entrances and a hole inside so the cats can easily go between floors. The inside is lined with Reflectix radiant insulation and filled with straw. It has a metal roof so the rain runs off. At the time that we put it in place, there was a row of tall bushes and trees that concealed it from the back and it faced a narrow path on the side of a business. All of the greenery has been removed so there's not much to conceal it now. We're not really able to move it so we purchased a camouflage tarp-like material and draped it across the back which helps a lot.
DIY Insulated Storage Tub Shelter
Sometimes it is necessary to make shelters that you can shove into bushes and other out of the way places. Just make sure you don't miss any steps, especially insulating the shelter with either styrofoam, insulated styrofoam board, or Reflectix radiant barrier insulation. You can also use a smaller tub or styrofoam cooler inside and fill the gap between the two with straw or spray foam. Make sure the lids are tight fitting and completely sealed to keep out rain and snow. There are many videos on Youtube for this type of shelter too.
