Feral Cat Shelter Materials

April 12, 2015 1:40 PM

I'm making a shelter for a feral cat (born outside/ has always lived there, can't adjust to indoor life.) I'd like it to be wood for durability/longevity. Treated plywood is okay outside but not inside with kitty due to toxicity. What is the ideal inside material? No direct water exposure but it will endure much moisture.

Ideas so far:
-Untreated pine plywood and polyurethane? But what polyurethane for low toxicity in a small, enclosed area?
-Masonite or similar "barn panel"?
-Interior hardwood plywood? Or would that rot?

posted by Shane to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

Are you committed to self-building? Because you can get an extra small dog house for $47 and they are usually good for 10 years.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:13 PM on April 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

Whatever you use, be sure to line it with straw, which will repel moisture. Alley Cat Allies has a lot on the various materials you can use and types of shelters you can make -- if you can raise it off the ground, do so as well.
posted by Locative at 2:29 PM on April 12, 2015 [4 favorites]

Best answer: If you keep the wood away from direct ground contact, regular pine plywood or even boards (hemlock lasts well) should survive one or two cat's lifetimes. Cedar could be the foundation wood touching the ground. A good roof with a generous overhang that keeps some of the elements at bay would be helpful. No interior finish is needed. Ground contact and wetness are the problems. If you can keep the wood off the ground and in a spot where sun and wind will dry it, your cat home should be fine.
posted by Hobgoblin at 2:31 PM on April 12, 2015

Also, there are detailed plans for several wood shelters pictured midway down the page here. Hope this helps.
posted by Locative at 2:33 PM on April 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Depends where you are but you are looking for a naturally rot resistant wood, like cedar. You can get cedar shake (the stuff that forms the shingles on the outside of houses), 2X4's, etc., at big box stores. There are non-toxic wood preservatives you can make at home but I would gauge them too smelly and 'not non-toxic enough' for a creature in close quarters--better for fence posts, garden structures, etc.

It's possible you can buy a shelter more cheaply than it would cost to make one, but nice to make one because you can customize it so well to the space.

I would also ask someone more expert whether cedar might repel a cat--it smells nice, but kitty might have other thoughts on the matter.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:54 PM on April 12, 2015

Best answer: Also (I spend kind of a weird amount of time concerning myself with moisture) if you build it to your own spec keep an eye on airflow and moisture retention and heat - make sure it's what you want. Things that don't get air and rest in shade don't dry out easily without ventilation, but on the other hand you don't want a January blizzard whipping through it.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:57 PM on April 12, 2015

Best answer: A Terrible Lama is right about ventilation in summer.

For double duty interior finish use rigid (extruded) foam insulation. It comes in sheets at places like lowes and you cut it with any knife by scoring and snapping. It's water resistant plus provides thermal benefits. You can use it for a bottom/floor surface too. Sun exposure will degrade it after a while.
posted by mightshould at 5:28 PM on April 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

We once made the zero degree cathouse for our porch, in case the kids accidentally left the cats out overnight. We used a double plywood with foam filler so the walls were about four inches thick. The door hole was small enough for cats only. We left it on the porch, so it was out of the snow. The insulation made it OK for all seasons. We put carpet in the bottom amd a pillow, so a clever cat could block out the cold at will. I have thought about a model to go up in a blue spruce tree, so the cat is safe from dogs. We have some feral cats around now.
posted by Oyéah at 8:30 PM on April 12, 2015

I saw a design somewhere online (sorry can't find a link) that I thought was brilliant. A large ice chest (insulated plastic, not styrofoam) with an entry/exit hole cut out on one side. Additional holes could be drilled for ventilation. I don't remember how the edges of the hole were sealed up, or if they were, but I imagine even duct tape would work to pad the sharp edges and keep debris from getting inbetween the panels. Cover the bottom with straw and pop the lid on. This would be so easy to clean and change out the straw.
posted by dmvs at 4:48 AM on April 13, 2015