Gordon the Feral Barn Cat pix and question --- sort of aside on heated cat house question #21

[Foxglove]

The friend I’ve had the longest --since we were 12 years old and two horse-crazy girls --long ago gave up the horse life --but kept her “box turtle” that she found as a kid --well Tardis is now 50 pounds of tortoise and a few years ago she moved him out of her house into his own house in her backyard, close to or attached to her house --not sure, never saw it.

For all those years Tardis had a heat lamp --yesterday my friend’s house burned down. She did manage to save Tardis and her cat, at the cost of her hair and eyebrows. She’s fine, she says. But she had to surrender Tardis to Tortoise Rescue as she can’t take him to her motel where she’s staying (with the cat) until her house is sorted --probably demo and rebuilt but that’s going to be along process . . . so I guess be cautious with heat lamps and heating pads . . .Gordon will be just fine in the hay mow, I’ve decided --and I think he agrees. He’s letting my scratch his head with my hand!

[PintoPony]

My sister takes care of 2 feral females at her house and she uses the cooler houses for them.
She put a self warming pad in each along with a blanket and they do just fine in the nasty Pittsburg winters.

She does wash the blankets every other week. The girls are both TNR.

[2DogsFarm]

My money says you’ll have a Gordon Lapwarmer pretty soon

How awful for your friend!
Houses get replaced.
Cats & Tardis, not so much.
I hope she can take Tardis (Love the name!) home again once she’s settled.

[CindyB59]

I kept a heated pad in a bed for our barn for the cats. It was only like 5 watts. But with body heat, they stayed toasty

[Foxglove]

My friend said the rescue has given her 10 years to change her mind --she can have him back any time in those 10 years --or should she die, her son can claim Tardis until 2033. Guess things move slowly in the tortoise world (sorry, couldn’t resist). She texted and said that she is glad Tardis is at the rescue, she has visited him there. It is a much better situation than she could offer him --he has a “real” tortoise enclosure and two friends --one bigger (almost 100 pounds) and one smaller --closer to 30. My friend said that the past two nights are the first she can remember when she didn’t worry if Tardis was warm enough in his shelter.

[SusanO]

So how do those “self-warming” heating pads work? I don’t think they use electricity. I have wondered about buying one for the outdoor cats. I am in the south, so I don’t deal with bitter cold here.

[2DogsFarm]

I’m thinking they work like the lightweight foil spaceblankets they give to Marathon runners.
Trap & reflect body heat.

[Peggy]

There’s a layer of something that reflects heat. It makes a crinkling sound. We have one in a a fabric igloo thing for our barn cat and it’s quite toasty when he’s in there.

Decently warm if you sit on them. Also good if you have a sore back and lay on them.

[LCDR]

I have heard those large, jowly cats referred to as having “tomcat heads.”

Hay is a great insulator. I doubt that Gordon will need anything else to keep warm.

[red_mares]

I had a Lectro-Soft mat for Norman when she was around. She was also a mouthy semi-feral.

Anyway, these mats are pretty well made. They don’t get hot like a typical hot pad & have a grounded, chew proof cord. I found one on eBay that was lightly used and half off. I would worry a lot less with this in a barn than many of those Amazon specials.

https://khpet.com/products/lectro-soft-outdoor-heated-bed

[Foxglove]

@Peggy --one person who saw Gordon said he had a “Muffin Face.” I like that --seems friendlier than “Tomcat Head.” --Gordon has very small eyes --at first I thought it was swelling from the trauma of fighting, trapping, extensive surgical repair under too long anesthesia --but now it’s been 2-3 months and he still has deep set eyes --kind of look like raisins in a muffin? Anyway, he lets me carefully and slowly pat his head and scratch behind his ears.

[2DogsFarm]

Soon…sooooonnn…
Gordon will be asking for laptime
He may even, some day, display The Belly! *

*Proceed with caution!

[Peggy]

I’ve always referred to it as Tomcat head.

It’s a distinct look—like the stallions with eyebrow muscles.

[chestnutmarebeware]

Around here it’s tomcat cheeks’.

[Marla_100]

Gordon would probably LOVE
the Back on Track mini blanket,
20x27", reflects heat from his own body- $39.
My cats used to use mine all the time in winter.

[paint_hunter]

OMG, where can I get one for the members of my tribe?

[Marla_100]

BOT website, just saw them yesterday.
They were unavailable for a while but now in stock again.
I still sleep ON mine for old broken back. Love it!!

[paint_hunter]

Cool, looking at the website. Do you recommend the liner (rectangular) or the oval “bed”? My crew is completely indoors, have full access to every piece of furniture (I gave up on restrictions on that eons ago, lol). I realize I will have to purchase at least two of them.

I’m thinking also for my friend who has two outdoor “community cats” in addition to her half dozen house kitties. The community cats have a heated bed on her covered porch but was thinking maybe add in the liner for the really cold nights? (Yes, living in the SF Bay Area, our idea of “cold” differs significantly from those of you in “less temperate climes”, but we pride ourselves in being “weather wimps”).

Now back to “The Gordon channel”

[Marla_100]

I have the rectangular “mini blanket” for humans. So don’t
know about the others but the oval pet bed looks great. As long as they have welltex they should work.

[BrownDerby]

Chiming in from the cheap seats, if BOT pads are too dear. Nic has one of the inexpensive self-heating (crinkly) pads and LOVES it. Currently going apeshit on it with his Silvervine stick (he don’t do nip). His electric heating pad sits empty except for when his Rubenesque tortie girlfriend uses it. The pads are reversible and easy care.