Seriously.
That plastic storage bin sitting in your basement or garage could become a warm, dry little home for an outdoor cat this winter. You don’t need to be particularly handy. You don’t need a workbench full of tools. And you definitely don’t need to build a tiny cat cottage with shutters and a welcome mat.
A plastic storage bin, a Styrofoam cooler and some straw can give an outdoor kitty something pretty important when cold weather arrives: a cozy place to get out of the wind, rain and snow. Pretty cool for a plastic bin, isn’t it?
Okay, What Do I Need?
- A large plastic storage bin with a tight-fitting lid
- A Styrofoam cooler that fits inside
- Straw
- A marker
- A utility knife or other appropriate cutting tool
- Bricks, pavers or sturdy wood to raise the shelter off the ground
One important thing: use straw, not hay, blankets or towels. Straw resists moisture and gives cats something they can burrow into. Blankets and towels can absorb moisture and become cold and damp.
Easy way to remember it: Straw for strays.
Now Let’s Build This Thing.
1. Make the entrance.
Draw a cat-sized opening, about 6–8 inches wide, on the side of the plastic bin and carefully cut it out.
2. Add the insulation.
Put the Styrofoam cooler inside the storage bin.
3. Make the second doorway.
Line up the cooler with the opening in the bin, trace the entrance onto the Styrofoam and carefully cut it out.
4. Bring on the straw.
Add plenty of loose straw inside for bedding and insulation.
5. Put the lid on.
Make sure everything fits securely, close the lid and — would you look at that? — you just made an outdoor cat home.
A Few Things Before Your First Tenant Moves In
Raise the shelter a few inches off the ground with bricks, pavers or sturdy wood. Put it in a quiet, protected spot with the entrance facing away from the wind. Check it occasionally, especially after heavy rain or snow, and replace the straw if it becomes wet or dirty.
That’s really about it.
No architecture degree required.
No Outdoor Cats at Your House? You Can Still Help.
This may be our favorite part. You probably know someone who feeds or looks after outdoor cats. Maybe it’s the neighbor down the street with food bowls on the porch. And maybe you’ve got an extra plastic storage bin sitting in the garage.
Put together an Easy DIY Outdoor Cat Home Kit. Put a Styrofoam cooler inside the bin. Add some straw or tell them where they can get it. Print these instructions and tuck them inside.
Maybe you supply the bin. Someone else has the cooler. Another neighbor picks up the straw. Nobody has to do everything. One neighbor has the supplies. Another has the cats. Together, they give an outdoor cat a warmer, safer place to sleep. That’s neighbors helping neighbors — and helping animals at the same time.
Help a Cat. Help a Neighbor. Pass It On.
Look around. Use what you’ve got. Help where you can. Share these instructions with someone who cares for outdoor cats. Better yet, grab a friend or neighbor and make a shelter this weekend.
Sometimes helping an animal doesn’t require a huge commitment or a lot of money.
Sometimes it starts with an empty plastic storage bin sitting in the garage.
Help a cat. Help a neighbor. Then pass it on.
Pet Parents’ Place is free, online and nationwide, connecting past and present pet parents and providing hope through connection.
