How to seal up Joe the Cat's new home

September 8, 2023 11:24 AM

So my cat Joe has decided to take over the bottom level of my granddaughter's old playhouse. But it's an open air thing made of hard plastic. What materials would you use to seal it up for him, considering it's outdoors in the south east of the USA?

I'm thinking some hard plastic that is drilled into the structure to cover the large holes, then sealed up with some glue, so rain and wind wouldn't be a huge issue. But am open to ideas if people have recommendations for a specific type of hard plastic or glue/sealant that will survive several years in the southern heat and humidity of the USA.

posted by Brandon Blatcher to Science & Nature (17 answers total)

I mean, I wouldn't mess with it if he likes it as is, but what specifically is the goal?

Those things get HOT iirc & even partially blocking airflow might make it very unpleasant. The "ceiling" looks solid and that's the main thing, I'd say.

So for colder months, I'd actually go for removable panels if you want it a little warmer for him.
posted by Baethan at 12:15 PM on September 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: In your position I’d probably zip tie panels over the smaller holes, leaving several exits free (because our older cat insists on multiple exits for safety).
posted by telophase at 12:16 PM on September 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

I'd be concerned that glue/sealant smells would put him off, defeating the purpose. If it were me, I'd just loosely drape crumpled tarpaulin around it, leaving the entrances(s) open, and perhaps tie some rope around the whole thing to keep the tarpaulin from blowing away if the weather gets dramatic.
posted by Rhedyn at 1:53 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

If this we're my Mimi i would assume all these various openings are what makes it so attractiv. Like a rain proof look out post only on the ground.
I would just put in some flooring, like an old yoga mat or camping mat (the kind made of plastic foam and therefore damp proof). Or perhaps just add some covering to the two sides of a corner, but not all the way.
But you know Joe best! If you want to shut Most of it in, i would use said plastic foam, and cut to size Insert inside the walls from the inside. Me being lazy i would use duct tape and / or zip ties.
posted by 15L06 at 1:55 PM on September 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

Right now, it's his "secret" place. You updating it might make it less fun. Yes, I know Joe is a cat - they have fun too.

You could try building him a treehouse with similar features. That could be more attractive and more visible to you (for safety).

Closing most of the openings might make the current structure less safe: if an unfriendly animal decided to attack him, he might need the extra holes to make it possible to escape. If there's only one entrance it can feel a little trap-like. Smaller holes, also, make it possible to see if another creature is approaching.
posted by amtho at 2:27 PM on September 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

I enjoy reading about Joe. He seems like a righteous fella.
posted by armoir from antproof case at 2:33 PM on September 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I'd go with tinted plexiglas (maybe drill some holes in that for more ventilation) and five-minute epoxy, but I am not where you are geographically. I am mainly here to admire Joe because he is wonderful.
posted by queensissy at 3:13 PM on September 8, 2023

When a cat attempts helpful improvements to a human being's living space -- a couple nice new slashes in the upholstery; a vermin entrail to keep things homey -- the human rarely loves the result.

Why imagine a human's taste in interior decoration is any more agreeable to a cat?

Joe knows what Joe likes. Don't make any changes you can't undo.
posted by foursentences at 3:18 PM on September 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

Yeah, based on my experience of cats, the sequence of events will be:

- cat enjoys a space
- you put effort into making the space nice for the cat
- cat disdains space

Years ago, my friend's roommate's cat Tabitha-- an ancient orange strip of cat jerky-- took to sleeping in the bottom shelf of her Ikea bookcase. We went to Ikea, bought a nice soft bathmat and cut it in half to fit the space, so there'd be something soft between the shelf and her old bones. She gave us a filthy look and never slept there again. We were left with a bisected bathmat and the lesson never to presume we knew better than a cat.
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:25 PM on September 8, 2023 [7 favorites]

I bought an outdoor cat house for a feral that was hanging in the back yard last winter. It has flaps of clear flexible plastic on both ends so the cat has escape routes. They attach with velcro at the top, so they can be removed in the summer. I also bought straw (not hay, not blankets) for winter insulation but I do not know if that is necessary for the southeast. The point of straw is it traps heat even if it gets wet, unlike blankets. This house also had a weight-activated heating pad but again, we're in Chicago not the southeast. That may be overkill for you.

Of course, I'm not sure said feral ever used it. His original hangout was on our outdoor couch cushions underneath the canvas cover we use to protect it, and when I put a cardboard box in the corner to keep it from being weighed down in the snow, he preferred that to the cat house. Even when the cat house was on the couch under the cover too! Cats, man.
posted by misskaz at 4:27 PM on September 8, 2023

Response by poster: Mild update to explain a few things:

Bought a house for Joe. He did the classic cat move and never used it, despite being fed repeatedly in it. He's an outdoor cat and sleeps wherever during the night or rain.

Then Hurricane Idalia made plans to come this way and I did yard work to keep the debris to the a minimum. On a whim, I stacked the bags of debris around the pictured play set, leaving a small opening for Joe that he could crawl into during the storm. He seemed to like the house and before the storm arrived, would come running from the 'house' whenever it was feeding time.

The storm passed and eventually I had to throw the bags of debris away, but Joe still slept in there, so I'm looking to seal it up a bit, make it more of a house for him.

I do worry about glue/sealant creating an annoying smell for him, so am now trying to think or find a few heavy objects to place in front of the holes. Ideally something like an outdoor bean bag would be great to "plug up" the holes while also "sealing" them, but that's just me spitballing out loud at the moment.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:32 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Heavy clear greenhouse sheeting or blue tarp (Ikea bag) ziptied or screwed into place. (Something that won't photodegrade outdoors) Ideally so that he can push his way out of it.

More expensive but more elegant: plexiglass, carriage-bolted into place.

Outdoor-rated heating pad for colder times and for senior cats.

Design tips, including using an outdoor plastic flowerpot to make entryways: https://alleycatadvocates.org/creating-winter-shelters/
posted by sebastienbailard at 5:51 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

If he liked the debris, maybe decorative concrete or breeze blocks? Clay or plastic pots with flowers might be nice too.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:50 PM on September 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Ideally something like an outdoor bean bag would be great to "plug up" the holes while also "sealing" them, but that's just me spitballing out loud at the moment.

Sandbags.
posted by Rhedyn at 1:25 AM on September 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Hello, Joe.
Be advised that any improvements to the structure/interior of the aforementioned domicile may invalidate the terms of your current sublet. This may result in loud, ongoing protests from your leaseholder. See also, barfing on the welcome mat/resurfacing the front door.
Clear any/all permits from the leaseholder before continuing improvements.
Joe looks like a tough character to mess with.
posted by TrishaU at 7:47 AM on September 9, 2023

Thanks for the update! Yeah, i agree, sandbags would be ideal i think.
Joe looks like he might be Mimi's brother.
posted by 15L06 at 12:17 PM on September 9, 2023

I should have been clearer that I brought up the house I bought as a possible model for covering the holes- maybe find some way to velcro thick, flexible plastic above the openings as flaps that can block wind etc but still provide opportunity for egress. Not sure how easily you can get adhesive velcro strips to attach to plastic like that, but maybe you could superglue it instead.
posted by misskaz at 7:40 AM on September 10, 2023