The ideal size will depend on your cat's height and weight, as well as the number of cats you want to shelter. But according to Quandt, one cat typically needs around four to six square feet of space. "For reference, the area of a medium-sized dog crate per cat is about right," he says. Your cats should have enough space to stand up and turn around, but not enough room to let their body heat escape. Keep in mind, too, that the smaller the house, the better it can retain heat. Do outdoor cat houses need litter boxes?

One of the unique things about Cat coolers is that they aren’t manufactured or delivered by Caterpillar. We think it's the first time we’re reviewing a cooler like this. There are some breed, physical, and medical factors that can increase the risk of a cat having issues with the heat. These include: Cats conserve body heat by curling up in tight, cozy spots that are safe from wind, rain, and snow. Many outdoor cats seek shelter somewhere elevated to take advantage of rising heat or find their way under the hood of a car to the still-warm engine. Others will huddle together with other cats to share body heat. Because cats burn through so much energy trying to stay warm, they also benefit from eating frequent large meals to make up that lost energy. How do you shelter an outdoor cat? Lindsey Wolko is the founder and CEO of the Center for Pet Safety in Reston, Virginia. In her work, Wolko advocates for the safety of pet products and the pets who use them. Wolko helped us better understand the best types of bedding materials and how to safely use electricity in these shelters.

Cat Cooler vs Yeti

In general, full-time outdoor or stray cats don't use the best cat litter boxes like indoor cats do, so you don't necessarily need to add one to your cat house. That said, a 2020 Japanese study found that when outdoor cats were provided with litter boxes, they used them exclusively within weeks. So, if you're tired of finding cat "gifts" in your garden, setting up an outdoor litter box near your cat house could make both you and your kitties happy. Do feral cats use outdoor cat houses? Generally speaking, cat houses are safe, but there's always the chance a predator may get into the house while a kitty rests inside. Most commercially available cat houses have two exits so feline residents can easily escape if another animal comes calling. But Phillips warns that two doors also leave a shelter less protected from the elements. "Cats who are living outside are like raccoons. That's their natural environment, that's where they live, so as soon as they hear something, they are going to jet right out as fast as possible," she says — even if they only have one door for them to escape from. Where's the best place to put an outdoor cat house? Caterpillar understands this. They fashioned the hinge of the lid on their Cat cooler out of an aluminum rod. The lid will hold its position when you open it and you don’t have to hold it up as you do your business in the cooler.

With the Lymax though, you don't use it while observing so I install it while setting up and pull it just before observing. There isn't a way for me to know whether it helps as I can't observe while turning it off. I just assume it helps, use it, and don't stress about what benefit it supplied. Unlike my Mak fans, at least it has air filters. The easy-to-assemble Petsfit house is the ideal size for keeping a kitty warm in cold, wet conditions. The pitched A-frame shelter is made with spruce wood and lined with high-quality plastic sheeting for waterproofing. An asphalt-covered awning over the front door keeps out the rain and snow. Steps or a ramp could give older kitties a helping hand, Quandt says — and this cat house by Trixie comes equipped with a handy ramp to give older cats easy access. The slightly elevated floor helps promote air circulation while keeping cats off cold or wet ground. But at just 2 inches off the ground, the entrance is also low enough for most cats to easily hop inside. Other measurements such as the PV and RMS are important too. With these measurements, the lower the number the better as it shows less curvature on the lens. The flatter an optical lens, the better it will perform. The PV rating (Peak To Valley) is a measurement from the highest point (Peak) to the lowest point (Valley). From this we get the RMS (Root, Mean, Square). This is a similar figure to the PV and measured exactly the same way. The RMS is basically an average height difference from the PV so again, the lower the better. As you can see form the example below, we measured an RMS of just 0.027 wave which is a very good value. Add apersonal touch to your Cat ® cooler with UV protected graphics. Make sure yourcooler is all about you, each time the cooler lid is opened. Create your own graphic by uploading in our configurator. NO MINIMUM quantities required. Specs

Cooler CAT is equipped with a fan that collects and focuses the airflow. Through a long tube, air from the outside enters the inside of the telescope and blows around the optical surfaces. This allows you to speed up heat transfer and reduce the cooling time of the optics by several times. The device is equipped with a double filter to prevent dust from entering the telescope while the fan is running. Warm air exits the tube under pressure through special holes in the telescope adapter. Yeti pioneered the roto-molded cooler industry and in my opinion make some of the best roto-molded coolers out there. What sets Yeti apart from the rest of the industry is the build quality of their products. Although the Feralvilla Outdoor Cat Shelter II requires more assembly than all but our DIY recommendation, its unique two-level design makes it one of the best cat houses you can buy. After entering via one of two doors on the ground floor, a cat will pass through a wind-breaking baffle. Then, they can hop up through an opening to a completely protected, cozy upper level that's 20 inches wide and deep and 12 inches tall. The Lymax cooler shortened this to 30 to 45 minutes, of which the first 30 was with the fan running.

Even if you need a house that will fit more than one feline, it's still best to think small: If the space is too large, the cats will have a harder time maintaining the internal temperature, Wolko says. Unfortunately, cats can be very good at hiding health problems. If you notice your cat exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms, it could be an indication they are suffering from heatstroke or some other condition that warrants medical evaluation.

The manufacturer behind Cat Coolers

Ensure that your cat always has easy access to plenty of fresh, cool drinking water. Add extra bowls of water around your home. To help keep the water cool, use refrigerated water or place an ice cube in the water each time you change it.