i live alone in a little house with my girl cat. some nights i go stay with my boyfriend, and when i do, i try to keep my little cat inside where it's safe and warm. but sometimes she's out on the prowl and i cannot find her to put her in. she really is fine with staying outside because she's a fiesty thing who enjoys being out, but i feel so awful when i get home and she's runnin' for the door to get in!

i've been thinking about ways to make her a little bed so she can have a covered place to stay dry and warm. i have been having flashes of the "dogloo" which is a plastic igloo for a dog. the problem is, those are very expensive, and i'm not even sure she'll use it.

so i have been brainstorming, and i have come up with an idea. i thought i could use one of those big rubbermaid containers and cut a little cat door in it, and furnish it to her delight. it should work, but i thought i might run it by all of you talented and brilliant people out there and see if there are any things i am overlooking or if you have any better ideas.

That sounds like a good little shelter for her. The only suggestion I would make is to weigh it down a bit with some bricks or something else heavy so it doesn't blow away during a storm. And maybe put a couple old towels in there so she has something soft to lay on.

good luck, your kitty sounds sweet!

SpanishFly

will the kitty house be out in the open or will it be under cover - like on a porch?

My neighbor's cat was an outdoor only cat, but had a little kitty house and food/water on the front porch. The house was a box made from carpet reminants and lined with a bunch of old, soft towels. It was also very small, not much bigger than the cat - this was done so he would stay *very* warm and curled up while sleeping. On warm days he would lounge on the top of the house.

The rubbermaid idea could work well, and it would be weatherproof...would you put it right side up or down? I would also make the hole pretty small (to keep dogs out) and higher up so that she can huddle down without a draft right on her.

i plan to put the house on my patio table, and that is situated under a porch (but the porch does not serve well as cover from the rain--water comes right on through!). originally, i thought i would turn the container upside down, but then i was a afraid the water would go between the box itself and the lid and not be so watertight. so i think i will leave it right side up. i need to find the right size container so she can be very cozy with minimal drafts!

spanishfly: good idea! the winds have been fairly crazy around here this season! also, i bought her a little $2.50 rag rug from ikea to keep her warm....