The time has come: the babies need new cat houses.
Currently, there are 28 cats at Cat Cottage. Their names are:
Tommaso, Sebastiano, Oliver, Lilli, Alice, Maurizio, Filippo, Arianna, Valentino, Vittorio, Giorgio, Paolina, Margherita, Elettra, Alberto, Greta, Pepita, Conni, Fosco, Fulvio, Minni, Gigi, Linus, Regina, Miuccio, Titti, Rebecca, Rodolfo. Yes, I remember them all, and yes, they all know their names.
Some of them are strictly indoor cats, while the others are almost entirely outdoor. The choice of whether to make them live inside or outside depends on their personality and health issues. Some of the cats have a somewhat feral attitude; they hate being confined, and they couldn’t care less about the comforts of a sofa or a bed. They have stayed here because where I live is the safest place for an outdoor cat. No roads, no predators, and we all love them.
I have a patio where the garden gang, as I call the outdoor kitties, resides. I turned the Ikea Ivar shelves into cat houses, placing insulated boxes here and there, and it worked until a couple of months ago. But these self-made boxes are very difficult to clean, and I must admit they were quite ugly. I’m a cleaning freak, and I worked in design my entire life. I cannot stand to be around something that looks ugly and is not clean enough. So I decided to dismantle the cat residence and do something different.
I’m taking a leap of faith in wanting to get something new for my cats: right now, my finances are close to non-existent. This is why I have decided to try the Amazon Affiliate program. I really dislike Amazon and all it represents, but my cats come before my beliefs. They are my main priority, so if I can make some extra cash through Amazon while I get back on my feet, fine.
I chose these 3 cat houses while browsing at my local pet shop. I live in a tiny town, but we have three very well-furnished pet stores. One in particular is strong on pet houses and beds. These might not be the exact types I’ve seen at the store, but they look identical, and they are what I plan to buy before next winter, when the cats will need a warm place for the night. By clicking and buying from these links, I might get a small commission that I’ll spend at my local pet store, though. Because Massimo and Marco, the owners, are nice guys who always help strays.
The 3 Cat Houses of my choice
I have a couple of babies who love to shelter under one of my trees when it rains, if it’s not too heavy or cold. I’ve made a little tent with some scraps to protect them because I worry they might get wet. They enjoyed their little camping situation. The tent is long gone, as the rest, but I think they would appreciate this house very much. The one I saw at the store seemed very sturdy, and I loved that the lid at the entrance is removable, for when it’s not that cold anymore, but they still need protection. It’s also very easy to clean. I could use this as a replacement for the tent under the tree, and when it’s cold, I could move it under the patio.
Same thing for this house, which I will buy in larger numbers because of the size. Cats like to sleep next to one another, especially in winter, and this has room for two or three cats, depending on how fat they are. I’ll place at least four of these on the Ivar shelves. And then I’ll paint the shelves the same colour as the houses. Because cats won’t care about how it all looks, but I do.
But my number one choice would be this one. Despite the material, it looks very easy to clean, and it’s very sturdy and well-made. It lacks some insulation, but it’s a problem I can solve with this roll and with this self-heating pad. I live in a very windy area: sometimes the wind gets so strong that even the things under my patio fly away. A few years ago, even my pool, filled to the brim with water, was thrown a few meters off. This is heavy enough to prevent a Wizard of Oz kind of scene, and I can tell it’s made with durable materials. So even if it’s a little small and needs additions, it’s worth it.
If I won’t make enough money by winter, I’ll rely on my diy abilities… But this time I’ll make sure to give it more time, to build something that doesn’t hurt my eyes every time I watch it. 🙂
