It's very hard to find outdoor housing for cats. I spent a lot of time online and kept coming back to this website for its low pricing, and this house, because it is very attractive. I liked the idea of being able to open the windows in the summer, although the cats never spent any time in the house once the weather warmed up. This house has a lot of good features, whether using it for a dog or cat. I purchased the large size for two cats. This was to allow for insulation and padding around the sides and bottom (which would reduce the living space), as well as to get them far enough from the door. With insulation, a large house would only fit a medium-sized dog. I liked that the door is offset so the pet can be out of the wind, but because the door opening is large, you would still want to add some sort of door for winter weather to keep out the snow and wind. I attached plastic strips sold for dog houses on the inside as I was building the house, but found the plastic too heavy for a cat to push aside, so I ended up using Velcro to attach one strip to the porch over the door. The porch is a great idea. It helps keep (but won't necessarily prevent) rain and snow from entering the house, but you will still need some sort of door. The house was easy to build even for someone who has never put furniture together. I made it more complicated by adding insulation to the four sides and the roof pieces before construction. The insulation was made from thick batting from the fabric store and attached with industrial grade Velcro strips. This was an extra expense. I really wish that more manufacturers would provide pre-made insulation for dog houses because northern winters get COLD! The roof went on very easily, but if you have the time, instead of screwing it on, I would get some sort of latches from the hardware store so that you can remove the roof in order to clean out the house and change the bedding when it gets wet or dirty. Another tip: put in the floor insulation and bedding before adding the roof; it will be hard to do so after the fact. And the floor is not solid to allow for summer ventilation. But for winter, you'll need to add a piece of plywood, plastic, etc. to make it weather-tight. The house is very sturdy and looks brand new after a harsh Ohio winter 2010-2011. But the house would not be comfortable without insulation and plenty of bedding/blankets on the floor for warmth. Because the house is on short legs (another great feature that helps to minimize rain and snow from getting inside), you can put straw underneath the house for insulation, and when we had sufficient snow, I mounded it up around the base of the house to provide extra insulation. Another tip is to duct tape bubble wrap over the pretty windows to keep out cold air. The large house was light-weight enough to pick up and carry, and only needed two people because of its size. This house is beautiful and has a lot of excellent features. But lack of insulation and lack of a removable roof are definitely issues to consider."..." Read more
- Infinity in Cleveland, OH