From what I've read hot water bottles can be placed in an outdoor cat shelter for strays. Would this be safe, and can the water be hot, not just warm?
578053
I can't see any reason this wouldn't work. It may cool down faster outside in winter than it would in the house. It may be counter productive if the temperature drops below freezing.
150403
I'm unsure. I placed mine in a cedar cat house for a feral cat. I put some fleece around it, as it says to not put anything on top of the pad except it's own fleece cover. It works nicely directly placed on the wooden floor of the cat house. Doesn't get too hot. Good luck!
727143
Since I use mine outdoors in a cat house for the local strays, I do place an old thin towel on top of the light fleece cover that the warmer comes with. This way I can wash it and the cover doesn't get dirty. I would not use a cat bed on top of it. I'd be concerned that the bottom of the bed would get heated, but not the cat.
2011654
I would say yes, but you must be sure it won't get wet. You can buy another type more intended for outside weather that is safer in case water gets on it. The Thermo-Kitty turns fully on when the cat gets on it, my cats live on them, love them.
1190243
It is not recommend to use hot water in it. It can distort the appearance of the bottle and can be very hot to the touch since it is a plastic bottle.
759342
Just keep the cat inside a warm home. Or inside somewhere its warm like humans live in. Just wondering. Sounds like you don't need a cat box shelter, need to keep it inside a warm place so it can run free.
958774
I've also used Mylar blankets as wall-paper for wooden outdoor cat shelters and it definitely seems to help keep them warm. You could also use Reflectix insulation in the same way. It's a bit thicker (5/16") and a little harder to manipulate, but I've cut it into sheets and secured it to the interior walls with silver foil tape.
1123629
Yes, it is. I have 4 feral cats and they take turns using it. The weather here has between icy, snowy, and sometimes in the single digits, but mostly in the twenties. It comes with straw and that seems enough for my cats.
3034
Because it is rubber I would advise against it. Most rubber hot water bottles degrade much faster with boiling water. Also boiling water can cause damage to the rubber on the inside where you cannot see, which could cause the bottle to fail. It is best to use hot tap water. You could also mix boiling water with some cold to bring the temperature down. Hope this helps.
911774
Use one or the other. Straw is recommended for feral cats, as you can easily clean it out. Unless you know that the cats you shelter are free of fleas and other parasites, you want to be able to completely clean out the shelter periodically. Parasites can burrow into the heating pad, and it's very difficult to clean out an infestation in it. Also, as someone said, there is a fire hazard with the electric warming pad being used with the straw. Personally, I got the thin reflective self-heating pad and put it on top of the straw to help my kitties stay warm. I think it's made like a space blanket, with reflective mylar inside a soft cover, to reflect the cats' own body heat back to them. It's thin, no fluffy filling, so not much for parasites to burrow into, and it's relatively inexpensive, so I can throw it away if it gets too dirty to be cleaned.
482015
this is PERFECT for your feral cats - the "upstairs" area is a bit small because there is an opening in the middle, down to the ground level but .. if you do NOT take out the wire - elevate so there is an up and down level...and make sure it is shielded below from driving rain or wind, should be big enough for both ...i am nuts about cats ...and i bought one for each ...sleep upstairs, litter box in the bottom for when i have to bring them inside and contain them ..these shelters are perfect for cats !!!
1717195
I am not a specialist, but I am living with three cats, so I learned some things empirically. I think the best place to keep the water fountain is somewhere where cats spend most of the time, your living room or your bedroom or whatever the place may be (in my case, I work from home and cats usually keep me company, so I placed the fountain near my work place). Cats are lazy, so if the goal is to make them drink more liquid, it is important that the source is convenient and readily available to them :)
911770
I wouldn't combine a warming pad AND straw...I would be concerned about fire. If you are talking about the Extreme Weather Kitty Pad with fleece cover, I have one and it is not flexible at all. My cats like it but it is made to lay on a flat floor. Since I only have 1 cat using the Kitty Tube, I have stuffed straw in about 3/4 of it. My cat crawls in and makes a nest. Since the tube is so full, it really is quite warm for him. I check the straw every few days and add more (and cat nip too) as needed.
1763729
The only thing about outdoor pads is they can't be run off of extension cords. They have to be plugged directly into the outlet to stay safe. Because my cat barn is out in the field, I take a brick that has been in the fireplace and got hot, wrap it in a towel and put it inside to help create heat for the kitty. I tried putting the snuggledisc inside but it won't fit through the door.
2144602
This bottle is a bottle meant for cold liquids, as it has a straw and flip cap for drinking, therefore drinking hot liquids through a straw would be an unpleasant experience. Also, this bottle is a single wall stainless steel bottle, and therefore it is not meant for hot liquids. All stainless steel water bottles will become hot when hot water is put in it, so it is not intended for this type of liquid.
2197297
The Heated K&H Outdoor Kitty House would be the more sturdy of the two and provide sufficient heat. It has an excellent thick heating pad you put inside which is very cushionyyy. I took off the plastic on both sides since the movement of the plastic seemed to scare the feral cats away. Heating pad is warm for them and works with the heat of their own bodies. Keep this out of the rain and wind. Garage would be perfect if for a feral cat, otherwise place it where it wont get wet and battered by wind and where dogs cant get to the cats. I bought this for our feral cat we have had since a kitten when her mother put her up on our wall and left her there. We took her in and kept her in our garage and she has always remained very warm, and that was 2 years ago. She roams the neighborhood but always comes back at night for food and her house.
432673
I have used warm water regularly in the bottle and it's fine. I am not sure if temperature as high as 100 degree centigrade could be withstood.