How to keep barn cats warm over the winter?

Ours just curl up in the hay.

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I'm running so far behind I thought I was first!

http://hickahala.blogspot.com/

Wow, some really great ideas from everyone, thank you!

What a great idea! Do you happen to know what store she got it at? I'll have to look around and see what they have here....but even if not, I could use some of those microwavable heating pads to do the same thing. Hmmmm......

My main concern is the brutally cold snaps we get her in Canada; some nights are terrible. Well, we'll see what I can set up here!

Thanks again!

DD

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

If you give them an external source of heat they won't have as heavy a coat. I'd think they would be better off if you just give them a small well insulated place with bedding they can snuggle up in. I think I've seen cat beds, maybe on Jefferspets.com, that are designed to hold the heat the cat generates. If you could stuff one of those onto a small enclosed space?

Just let them have a way into the barn when they want. That is good enough for our cats down to 40 below. And make sure they have food and water when they need it.

last year I took old bed pillows and made fleece cases for them. the cats love them placed in the holes in the hay. Soft cuddly and warm.

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Trish

Seriously, I am COMPLETELY dressed!

Just keep moving...just keep moving!

in my latest successful farming issue there is a tip from someone who made a dog house from an old chest freezer. he said it worked really well, as it is insulated and has a door for easy cleaning and bedding changes. i believe he cut some sort of door in it.
i remember we had a thread going awhile back about uses for old freezers and this is another idea.
there would even be room for a litter box.

We just built a wood shed and reserved one corner for the cats. We built a cube into the corner of the shed: put leftover blue board insulation on the bottom, covered that with plywood so they don't scratch at it, put plywood walls and roof on the cube (not insulated, the wood is stacked beside and above it so that adds thermal mass), and left a hinged door on the front. We cut a cat sized entrance on the lee side (away from wind) and we stuffed it with straw. They go in when they feel like it but mostly they seem to sleep on the step by the house!

Last winter I had a cube I found (part of some old office furniture I think) of particle board, I glued insulation to the insides and put it on the ground with some straw in it. They snuggled in there all winter quite happily.

The trickiest part of keeping the cats in teh winter is keeping the water thawed, if you don't already have a stock waterer that stays clear of ice. I will probably end up with a heated water dish for the chilliest days.

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Apple Jack Creek
near Edmonton Alberta
author of Just Keep Knitting: a journey of healing through forgiveness, faith, and fibre and The Rookie's Field Guide to Supported Spinning

The hunting section of most stores will have those pads that you can sit on that generate their own heat (using body heat). It feels like they have little styrofoam balls inside. They are made out of vinyl (I think) so you could put a pillowcase on it or place it under the blankets or sweaters.

My husband cut it so I'm really not sure, something at the shop.

It Makes Me Happt To See So Many Persons Interested In Taking Good Care Of Their Outside Cats. I Wish I Could Send A Couple Of Mine Outside.

I am not logged in so not sure this will post. I rescue cats and the best thing is to include the following elements ( according to the animal welfare groups I got this from). :
protect from the wind and wet-ie out of the eelements..
get it off the ground by at least 12 inches ( they do feel safer) from racoons etc.- 24 is better unless they are old or young and then they would love a ramp etc.
a cheap box of anytype-lined with pink insulatin panel cut with a serrated knife to line it
cover insulation with one of those cheap $1 space balnkets- (reflects body heat back to animal) so no electricity needed.
don't use blankets, they can't snuggle into them, soem actually wick heat away- it is better to use something like straw, leaves, shavings,etc they can burrow into
make openings into box just big enough they can see it is not already occupied. They do like an 'emergency' exit. another hole but with a flap covering it so it is only out not in.
My 2 cents if helpful. -Kitty

Oh I maybe forgot to mention that this cat shelter would be being built inside the barn...I was thinking a box shape, something that I could make up a bit off the floor, but low enough they can jump on top. I thought I could place their food on top---occasionally the ducks get into the barn and eat the catfood if it's down low---or maybe someone else has a better idea to keep the catfood safe?

What great ideas, everyone!

DD

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

This has been my experience also...although we're in "wimpy" Florida...when I had to keep some of my cats in an unheated house one winter (along with me, love it when they sleep on the bed with me - 100 degree heating pad that purrs!) they grew beautiful thick coats, with an undercoat like rabbit fur - and when I had central heat they stayed smooth...

M

edited to add: Dixydoodle, I'm not on often enough to know what your situation is - do you have other animals in you barn - horses, cows, goats, etc?

Ah, yes... The OTHER white meat...

(You're sure in an interesting mood...)
Pony!

mustard, yes, I have a mini horse and a donkey in there. Ducks occasionally, but because they sneak in when the door is opened, they are not supposed to be in there.

Actually, I guess some people don't think cats have a place in barns at all. On the equine forum, someone posted a note saying that cats should stay out of barns because they can carry toxoplasmosis even though you are way more likely to get toxo from uncooked meat than anything else, and catching toxo from cats is actually quite uncommon.. Personally, I prefer to have some cats around to kill rodents before they cause problems and become so prolific that they spread worse diseases around, chew wiring, poop in my horse hay bales, etc. but that's just me. And how do you stop your horses from coming into contact with cats, etc. outdoors?

DD

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."