Cat problem - ideas wanted

Look into a "Hotrock" for snake cages. Basically it's a brick with a heater
cast in. It never gets too hot, just warm and if you put it in the cats box
it should be plenty of wattage.

--
Bill Pounds
http://www.bill.pounds.net/woodshop
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.
> Ken, making dust in NS

If he hangs out in the garage He is already partially protected. If he has
a cat bed he is partially warm. If you create a small "cat house" (snicker)
with insulation, that is in your garage, and that covers the cat bed, his
body heat should keep him warm.

--
Young Carpenter

"Violin playing and Woodworking are similar, it takes plenty of money,
plenty of practice, and you usually make way more noise than intended"

{Put the fiddler back "on" the roof to reply}
"Andy Dingley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:14:03 GMT, [email protected] wrote:
>
> >What i
> >would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> >keep him warm in the winter months.
>
> I use a half barrel on its side with a lid and small access hole.
> Double layer plastic (like corrugated cardboard) inside gives some
> floor insulation, and some old polyester fleece. But then I'm not in
> Canada's winters. If I was, I'd probably make a cube with a raised
> floor, and walls of 2" insulation board.
>
> Cats are largely nocturnal (and furry !) so they don't sleep much at
> night because they're out hunting. Your cat bed might see most of its
> use either during the day, or in bad weather.
>
> >I would like to rig some sort of
> >device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> >provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure.
>
> Buy a low-wattage anti-condensation heater and leave it on, either
> continuously or on a timer. These are self-regulating for temperature
> and a lot easier than trying to assemble your own and waterproof it.
> if you rig it to a PIR cat-detector, it won;t be warm to attract him
> and he might never realise to use it.
>
>
> --
> Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods




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Iron Skillet. Turn heat to low and simmer for a while
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.
> Ken, making dust in NS

Seriously though. How about a reptile heater.
"Kevin L. Bowling" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Iron Skillet. Turn heat to low and simmer for a while
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> > stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> > quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> > but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> > cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> > would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> > keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> > device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> > provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> > material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> > really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> > his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> > little easier on him.
> > Ken, making dust in NS
>
>

On 19-Oct-2003, Hasdrubal Hamilcar <[email protected]> wrote:

> I don't know about insulation (fibreglass, or air might do it)

I'd stay away from fiberglass unless you seal it. For our cat, I used
scrap foam for insulation. It's a closed cell foam that was used to
wrap stuff. I had lots and just layered it. If you make a double wall,
pour in old "peanuts" type foam packing material. You can get lots of
that in a retail area on the night they put out garbage (or ask inside
for them to save you some).

> you want to provide heat, then you can put a pop can (cut in half) over
> a light bulb to block out the light. The pop can just fits over the
> bulb, and will efficiently (its made of aluminum) radiate heat but also
> block the light.

It won't take much wattage to provide a lot of heat. You could make a
false floor hinged on one side with a momentary-contact switch opposite
the hinge. If the switch is soft enough, the weight of the cat will turn
on the switch. You could also put the bulb _under_ the floor - cats
love to sleep on a warm surface. This will avoid the need for a pop can.

Mike

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:14:03 +0000, ke wrote:

> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop.

[snip]

When I lived in cold country, the cat always found the top of the HW
heater in the gar^H^H^Hshop when it got cold. We just put an old towel up
there to make it a little more comfy.

-Doug

As long as you don't make it to big and you insulate it, no heat is really
necessary. Many cats live in worse conditions. They do just fine.



<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.
> Ken, making dust in NS

first make sue he likes enclosures - not all cats do.
csj

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.
> Ken, making dust in NS

Had a friend who kept his old Siamese out in the garage. He had a simple
cardboard box with a small blanket and some sort of low watage heat lamp
inside. That provided adequate heat for a Northern Ca winter.

Hey, in case that cat doesn't work out, there was a free one on here a few
weeks ago. DAGS :-)

--
Bill Pounds
http://www.bill.pounds.net/woodshop
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.
> Ken, making dust in NS

On 19-Oct-2003, "Kevin L. Bowling" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Seriously though. How about a reptile heater.

Never heard of it, so I DAGS. These sound like
the perfect solution. No water caused short circuits
or other problems, regulators available etc. Not too
expensive either.

Mike

http://myweb.cableone.net/andya/cathouse.jpg

The inside is lined with used carpeting and there is a shelf over the
entrance tunnel (the tunnel blocks the wind) that the cat cat sleep on above
the floor of the box.

The carpeting on the walls, floors and ceiling of the box keep the insides
warm enough that no other heat source is required. This house sits on the
back porch and we get snow and below freezing nights here in Idaho.

The owner of the house (We built it as a gift from his wife) reports that up
to three cats have been found spending the night inside. The top is outdoor
carpet and the cat snoozes there on warm afternoons.

Andy



<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.
> Ken, making dust in NS

http://myweb.cableone.net/andya/00brewbox.jpg

Here's another idea. To build this beer brewing cabinet I took a $4 jelly
jar porch light, put a 40watt bulb inside and used engine spray flat black
on the glass. I wired this to a $12 line voltage thermostat (I also have a
fan in the base of this box, for a a cat shelter you could leave out the
fan) and it keeps 5 gallons of brew at 75 degrees without a problem.

The box gets cool, the thermostat clicks on, the light goes on, light gets
converted to heat by the paint and glass, the box warms and the thermostat
clicks off. What could be simpler?

Andy

"Hasdrubal Hamilcar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>
>
> > keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> > device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> > provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> > material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> > really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> > his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> > little easier on him.
>
> I don't know about insulation (fibreglass, or air might do it) , but if
> you want to provide heat, then you can put a pop can (cut in half) over
> a light bulb to block out the light. The pop can just fits over the
> bulb, and will efficiently (its made of aluminum) radiate heat but also
> block the light.
>
> I read about this "pop-can oven" in "Practical Robotics" by a UofT
> robotics expert, W.E.R. Davies.
>
> > Ken, making dust in NS
>
> Nova Scotia eh.? Minus 15 centigrade at times?
>
> Hasan
>

[email protected] wrote:




> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.

I don't know about insulation (fibreglass, or air might do it) , but if
you want to provide heat, then you can put a pop can (cut in half) over
a light bulb to block out the light. The pop can just fits over the
bulb, and will efficiently (its made of aluminum) radiate heat but also
block the light.

I read about this "pop-can oven" in "Practical Robotics" by a UofT
robotics expert, W.E.R. Davies.

> Ken, making dust in NS

Nova Scotia eh.? Minus 15 centigrade at times?

Hasan

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 16:21:25 GMT, Phisherman <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:14:03 GMT, [email protected] wrote:
>
>>We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
>>stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
>>quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
>>but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
>>cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
>>would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
>>keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
>>device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
>>provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
>>material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
>>really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
>>his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
>>little easier on him.
>>Ken, making dust in NS
>
>Wood is an excellent insulator by itself. Dead air spaces or
>styrofoam-sandwiched ply insulate well too. Put some feet on the cat
>house to raise it up off the floor and keep it dry, and add some straw
>for bedding. Where's NS?
In Nova Scotia. Tnx for the suggestion about off the floor. Will
certainly do that.
Ken, makin dust in NS

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
> quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
> but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
> cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
> would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
> keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
> device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
> provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
> material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
> really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
> his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
> little easier on him.
> Ken, making dust in NS

A friend uses a heating pad set on very low for a cat bed on her porch.

For your, er ahum, cathouse, I suggest the extruded polystyrene
insulation you find at home centers with the sheet goods. I'd
sandwich it between 1/4" ply inside and out, and put a nice towel
that can be easily washed in the bottom.

Fact is, a corrugated cardboard box with a hole in the side
would provide warm shelter too. The cat won't know the difference.

No, I don't think you need a heat source in an enclosed shelter
though the cat would surely appreciate one.

--

FF

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:14:03 GMT, [email protected] wrote:

>What i
>would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
>keep him warm in the winter months.

I use a half barrel on its side with a lid and small access hole.
Double layer plastic (like corrugated cardboard) inside gives some
floor insulation, and some old polyester fleece. But then I'm not in
Canada's winters. If I was, I'd probably make a cube with a raised
floor, and walls of 2" insulation board.

Cats are largely nocturnal (and furry !) so they don't sleep much at
night because they're out hunting. Your cat bed might see most of its
use either during the day, or in bad weather.

>I would like to rig some sort of
>device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
>provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure.

Buy a low-wattage anti-condensation heater and leave it on, either
continuously or on a timer. These are self-regulating for temperature
and a lot easier than trying to assemble your own and waterproof it.
if you rig it to a PIR cat-detector, it won;t be warm to attract him
and he might never realise to use it.


--
Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:14:03 GMT, [email protected] wrote:

>We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
>stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
>quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
>but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
>cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
>would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
>keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
>device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
>provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
>material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
>really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
>his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
>little easier on him.
>Ken, making dust in NS

Wood is an excellent insulator by itself. Dead air spaces or
styrofoam-sandwiched ply insulate well too. Put some feet on the cat
house to raise it up off the floor and keep it dry, and add some straw
for bedding. Where's NS?

I am about to build a small cathouse (similiar to doghouse) for my old
cat. GFigured he deserved something for all the mice he has caught. A
lightbulb would work but I would be a little cautious of the fire
hazard. Maybe if temps were in teens or below. A good soft blanket
worksds well. Just out of curosity, have you ever seen a dog or cat
die of the cold?

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 13:14:03 GMT, [email protected] wrote:

>We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
>stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day. He is
>quite friendly and will allow us to pet him. Really a good looking cat
>but we don't want him inside since we already have a (used to be) male
>cat. So i put an old cat bed in the garage which he sleeps on. What i
>would like to do is make some sort of enclosure that would help to
>keep him warm in the winter months. I would like to rig some sort of
>device that would turn on a low wattage light or something that would
>provide warmth as long as he is in the enclosure. What kind of
>material would be the best insulator in this case? Is a heat source
>really necessary if i make a well insulated enclosure? This will be
>his second winter in the garage but i would like to make this one a
>little easier on him.
>Ken, making dust in NS

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have a male cat that lives in my garage/workshop. He comes and
> stays all day on the porch and we feed him several times a day.

I had a couple of cats that we left out side in North Dakota winters. To
help them out a bit I built a small house out of some scrap plywood, double
walls, with some fiberglass insulation. I put a piece of canvas for a flap
door, and a twenty five watt light bulb for heat. They would use it only
when it was quit cold as I think it got to hot for them.
Greg