# Yes, my cat has an electric blanket outside



## wahoowad (Oct 27, 2006)

I figured out which of several indoor cats was "the pisser" and she immediately became an outdoor cat. But knowing she lived a cushy indoor cat life for several years, I made her a cat house with a small electric blanket for the cold weather. I used a back heating pad for the blanket and it is sandwiched in between a thicker blanket she lies on. Worked great last winter - cat showed no sign of suffering from the cold. I kept that heating pad plugged in 24x7 for 4 months and it is still working great. Low wattage so not concerned about what little electricity it uses.

I put a probe through the wall of the cat house to make sure it was warm enough. I recall getting an upper 40 degree reading on a pertty cold day and that seemed good enough. She has thick fur and is adequately fat.

So anyway....I was thinking of getting some kind of radiant blanket to put on the roof directly above her. The hope is some of the blanket heat and some of her body heat will get reflected back down on her. I'm not sure what that shiny reflective stuff is called - the kind I'm picturing has a little thickness to it, not just a sheet of mylar. Think it is worth doing? A few degrees of reflected warmth could make a difference. Guess I'm feeling guilty and want to ensure she is comfortable. We're already having below freezing nights in Virginia.

Oh yeah, the new carpet is nice. I'll miss the motorcycle.


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## Corey (Oct 27, 2006)

First of all, shame on you for putting such a terrible burdon the electric grid and adding to the global warming crisis just to keep a cat warm!

OK - just kidding!  Good of you to even think of the cats needs! and the ol' Earth is really just a snowball with brief warm periods, so I don't put too much faith in the current alarmist "crisis".

The stuff I think you are thinking about is called a radiant barrier and looks like silver plated bubble pack?  Insulating the "attic" space is always the best bang for the buck, but if the indoor cathouse temps are in the 40's I don't know that there is much radiant heat to reflect.  You may be better off just using a bit of fiberglass or styrofoam insulation on the top and sides.  If you can get a decent R value, she may keep warm on body heat alone.  If you plan on doing any renovation, make the door a little lower than the floor (like the eskimo's build igloos) and all the heat will be trapped up in the living quarters.  It will be one pampered kitty.

Corey


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## Dave_1 (Oct 27, 2006)

Wahoowad,

Someone threw out our cat when it was a kitten. But it has been a good outdoor cat, she keeps mice out of the woodpile. Her first winter I got a cardboard carton twice her size, put 2” packing foam on the bottom, sealed the carton with shipping tape, cut a 1’x 1’ hole into it, ran an outdoor extension cord from a GFI outlet to our woodshed, wrapped an old towel around a heating pad, set the pad to low, connected it up, & then put the cat in. 

She *shot* out of it like a rocket! 

So I waited until diner time &, while she was eating grabbed her, put her in again, this time blocking the exit. After five minutes meowing went to *growling*. So I unblocked the exit & she again shot out like a rocket.

That night I went out for a load of wood. Looking into the box the l.e.d., on the heating pad switch, was just enough light to show her face. Sticking my hand in she responded by licking & purring. By late spring I threw the box away because she would not use it.

However, that fall, when I was making her another “house”,  she gave me trouble. I was being licked as I built it. :lol:  

If you will get them out of the wind, up off the ground, insulate the bottom, & keep a heating pad on low that is all they need. Do *not * put the pad on high because your will damage their organs.  

Dave


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## begreen (Oct 28, 2006)

What, they don't have their own stove? Shame on you heartless people.


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## DavidV (Oct 28, 2006)

my dogs go into the garage when I got to work because the "E-dog", the one we rescued thru the internet, likes to whiz in the house if left alone.  Doesn't do it in the garage for some reason.  I worry about the cold out there. If the furnace comes on the risidual heat should keep the garage fairly warm.  But since I load the stove before leaving during the day that seldom happens. I'm thinking of making a small box for them in there so their body heat will keep them warmer and more sheltered.


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## Dave_1 (Oct 28, 2006)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> What, they don't have their own stove? Shame on you heartless people.



What?!? 

You want that I should build her a miniature Stoz double barrel heater out of old Folger‘s coffee cans? :wow: 
Why ... she can't even read the operating instructions. :lol:


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## EatenByLimestone (Oct 29, 2006)

You have an illiterate cat? 


*grumble* What's public education doing these days? *grumble*


Matt


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## Dave_1 (Oct 29, 2006)

EatenByLimestone said:
			
		

> You have an illiterate cat?



No, it's fluent in *Cat*_on_knees 

http://www.cantonese.ca/



			
				EatenByLimestone said:
			
		

> *grumble* What's public education doing these days? *grumble*



Yes, I agree, its just totally *cat*_a_strobic, or is it *cat*_aclys_mic *!? * 

I can never remember, guess that is why I installed our  heater *caty*_whompus in a corner, Matt. :lol:


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## wg_bent (Nov 1, 2006)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> What, they don't have their own stove? Shame on you heartless people.



Gotta second this one...  You'd think that a nice little tarm boiler in an outdoor insulated shed with kitty door.


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## Dave_1 (Nov 1, 2006)

Warren said:
			
		

> BeGreen said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Then I take it that this does not qualify if one has a true *backwoods* cat? :lol: 

http://www.seefido.com/cats/html/cat_house_heater_-_cathouse_ai.htm


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## smirnov3 (Nov 2, 2006)

DavidV said:
			
		

> my dogs go into the garage when I got to work because the "E-dog", the one we rescued thru the internet, likes to whiz in the house if left alone.  Doesn't do it in the garage for some reason.



That's how you can tell that she's a smart dog.

She's pissed off that you went & ditched her for the day, so she takes her revenge.

But there's no point in whizzing in the garage - it won't tick you off 

Now, if you had a dumb dog (like an afgan hound), they wouldn't even know you were gone.

"Wha? You went somewhere? I thought you were in the bathroom. Is it time to play?"


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