Question about house for my barn cat Gordon . .

[Foxglove]

Gordon is a feral from the big city (where he attacked dogs at an apartment complex) who was trapped, neutered, and released by me). I thought he’d join my feral colony of about 9-11 cats who live in surrounding outbuildings --but no, Gordon moved into my barn --in fairness, he was a pretty sick boy for about a month after I trapped him.

Gordon pays his keep with mice he catches.

I was worried he was cold, even though he has a tight barn, and 400 bales of hay in the mow where he generally hangs out. When heated cat houses went on sale Black Friday, I bought him one.

From the start he LOVED it --I keep cameras on him and the feral feeding station.

(I am getting to the question)

For the first week, I “pinned” open the front flap (clear plastic). The camera showed Gordon in the heated cat house pretty continuously much from 4PM until 8AM, with the occasional meander out of the house to eat or patrol (he takes his job seriously).

Yesterday the temp dropped to 0 to I unpinned the front flap. The cat house has a front flap and a back flap. Both a clear.

Last night the camera showed Gordon more out of the house than in. He would go in the front, then after a half hour or so walk out the back. He did this about every two hours --never staying in the heated house more than 1/2 hour.

At 4 AM he went in and stayed until 8 AM when I came to feed.

I wonder if he feels trapped? Should I just let him sort it?

Or should I pin the front door open again?

Here’s Gordon in his house with the front door pinned open. The yellow blob is his cat food staying thawed for his next meal:

[Bogie]

What a lucky boy to have a heated house! I’d keep the flap pinned open if he prefers it.

[trubandloki]

I have multiple heated cat houses and the cats all seem to prefer no flap. I simple do not put the flap on when I put the house together now.

Edit to add clarification - All my heated cat houses are inside the barn, so there is no need for the wind block that the flap might provide if the house was outside in the weather.

[luvmyhackney]

My kitties hate a flap. I cut them off my kitty house.

[usernameTaken]

@trubandloki

I have multiple heated cat houses and the cats all seem to prefer no flap. I simple do not put the flap on when I put the house together now.

Edit to add clarification - All my heated cat houses are inside the barn, so there is no need for the wind block that the flap might provide if the house was outside in the weather.

Same here.

[LCDR]

My outdoor cat preferred the front flap remain open, showing similar behavior to Gordon.

There is also the possibility that with both flaps closed he gets too darn warm in there. My indoor cats abandon the bed with me at night if I turn the electric blanket too high, and they jump down to cool off on the wood floor.

May be you could slip a max/min thermometer in rhere anf see how warm it gets with Gordon in there behind closed flaps.

[colorfan]

Cats do love heat but I wonder if it gets too hot or stuffy with the flap down? He will have a thicker coat since he has been outside, I would pin the flap up again and see if he stays in longer.

[2DogsFarm]

Agreeing with the idea it might be too warm for Gordon with both flaps down.
Better unpin that front door or he’s not going to bring you take out

[cayuse]

Late to the party, but I agree he probably gets hot and stuffy with the flap down. Kinda like sleeping with the blankets over you head.

[Foxglove]

I put the flap back up. Gordon is now extremely happy. He lies in the cat house on the heated mat with his head out. I think that was ‘his deal’ the whole time. He likes his head out of the house so he has a better view of the barn activity.

[skydy]

Guard Kitty.

[BatCoach]

Love the Gordon update! I bet he loves his toasty warm cat house. He seems to be voting “no flaps please.”

I need to get one of those, but it would need to be 100% rain proof and those seem to be upwards of $100, which is too rich for my blood.

[pony_baloney]

Use a cooler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht7efNutAi4

[Foxglove]

@pony_baloney --good video, however, the cost of the cooler, tape, heating pad, plus the cost of buying the tools shown, would come close to the $100. I looked into making one when considering what to do for Gordon in the barn. The heated cat house I bought was $50 --but as @BatCoach pointed out, mine is for limited outdoor use --needs to be on a covered porch or barn.

On the other hand, if one has the tools on hand, and an old cooler, the only expense would be the heat pad. One would need to buy an “animal specific” heat pad --those for humans can become too warm.

[Mosey_2003]

You can get a big plastic tote for pretty cheap and cut a big door out of it. Then it would be dry and kitty would have a bit of an unheated porch area even. Can fill the space around the cat hut with straw too.