Build an Insulated Cat House for 22 TL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3- sheets of thick white styrofoam (each 100 x 50 x 4 cm)

2- tubes of water-proof glue with NO solvents in it

2- rolls of water-proof sticky shelf paper in a natural wood design (each 50 cm x 2 m)

1- roll of duct tape or similar strong tape

 Cut the styrofoam as follows:

Sheet 1: two 50cm x 40 cm pieces for front and back of house
Sheet 2: 50 cm x 50 cm bottom, and 40 cm x 42 cm side
Sheet 3: 50 cm x 58 cm roof, and 40 cm x 42 cm side

To cut the styrofoam, draw a line where you want to cut. Place a board or other straight, solid surface along the line. Holding the board in place, use an Exacto-knife (razor blade) to cut the line as deeply as possible.

Turn the board over, place a knee to one side of where you made the cut, and pull up on the other end of the styrofoam. The styrofoam will break crisply and neatly along the line.  Here is the stack of cut pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut an 8"-9" hole in the top right sector of the front panel. To do this, I "whittled" out chunks of styrofoam, beginning in the middle of my drawn circle. Be very cautious when doing this, as you don't want to break the narrow edge pieces.

Now take duct tape or similar strong tape and place strips of tape to protect the circle from being scratched by kitty paws. I used red/white "caution" tape.

Now, glop lots of glue on the edges of the pieces and assemble like a puzzle. Remember that the entrance hole should be in the top corner (right or left) of the front of the house. The overhang of the roof should be in the front, to protect the entry door. Tape everything in place to hold it steady until the glue dries overnight.

 

The next day, you can use any remaining glue to patch up cracks where you can see light coming in. When this dries, cover the sides with sticky paper. If you find a roll of sticky shelf paper 50 cm wide, one roll will go all the way around the sides without needing to be cut. Use the other roll to do the roof, making sure to leave an extra 8 cm or so to fold down over the sides (for water-tightness). Use any remaining paper for the floor and interior walls, to prevent scratching by the occupants.

As a last step, I sacrificed an old Polarfleece jacket for a bed. Straw is preferable, but I can't find any in Istanbul. Polarfleece or wool will both insulate when wet. If the only thing you can find is a pillow or cotton blanket, it's better to use nothing at all. These will soon get wet and suck body heat from the cat.

Here is the finished house, which is quite attractive. The flash photo makes it look shiny and fake, but in real life it looks like actual wood. I don't think anybody would complain about a house like this in the back garden.

Place the house outside in a sheltered area. Raise it on a few bricks, if possible, and weight it down with a board, light log, etc. to keep it from blowing away. I placed this house on four bricks in an ivy-covered corner of our walled garden. It has brick stairs, and is facing a pile of building materials as a wind-break. I also have an old table next to it, under which I feed the occupant (“Happy”) when it rains.

Happy didn't want to go inside, so I brought out our kitten, Casper, to show him that it was fun and safe. Happy went in after a minute or two, and slept there all night.He has now been using the house daily for about a month.  Not only does he spend most of his time in the house, but he also shares it with his kitten girlfriend, Clara (who will be spayed next month when she is old enough!)

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