The Kitty Tube Outdoor Insulated Cat House-Feral Option with Straw

The media could not be loaded. Update: Nov 2024I've been feeding a few feral cats around my block and this house is used every year. I feel it keeps them warm. I use the straw they send with it. I just took it out from storage this weekend and I had one of my feral cats use it last night. I added a small battery light inside as well. Wish I had more money to buy another one for my stray cats as they seem to like it. If some kind person wants to buy me one I would be very grateful, it's on my wishlist. (WITH STRAW)I bought this in Nov 22 with double insulation which is a little more expensive than just the regular one. So far I had an elderly cat use it, she passed away already due to unrelated causes. Then I had another feral cat who would use it for 4 hours at night during the cold days but he was very timid so he would not use it all the time. Recently another female feral cat took over the house and she uses it constantly. We've had cold weather like low 30s sometimes high 20s F and windy. She loves it. It keeps her warm. I added the little door flaps once she got use to it. I use straw as I don't have a connection for a heating pad. The door is small enough for a cat to get in but that's a good thing. Less wind and cold weather get in. I definitely recommend upgrading to double insulation. Those are the pros. The cons are the appearance, reminds me of a trash bin lol but it's not such a big deal for me. The most important thing is keeping the cats warm. Also if the cats spray the insulation with urine, it's hard to clean. You can't just wipe it so it can start stinking. The price is another thing that bothered me. It was over 200 dollars for me. Something like this could easily have a price like 60-75$. It's a plastic bin! The plastic is good quality but it's still plastic. Also I think there needs to be some kind of clarification regarding returns. Around the time I bought it none of the cats would use it (later later on they did) so I wanted to return it. The description said I had 30 days to return it but amazon had the option of returning the product till Jan 31. The manufacturer declined the return as 30 days had passed but Amazon had 30 more days. So that made me a bit upset. Those were my cons. I have two other cat shelters from a different company that I purchased that are also being used but this one is definitely the best one. So overall I would still give this product 5 stars because the most important thing is to keep those poor feral cats warm.

And I wish it was a dark green or even brown. But I guess the main thing is that it keeps wild kitties out of the elements.Initially I was gonna take a star off just because it’s ugly but decided that looks is not the point.I had a hard time getting the “simply snap together “ parts to do that. I watched the video and as soon as the nice man who invented this said that…. I knew. I got a file and shaved a bit of plastic around those snap in place areas and was able to snap things. Simple.I bought an outdoor heating pad. I had one from last year and it never got my homemade shelter very warm. I could barely tell it was on. The new one at least gets warm to the touch. I put both in and tested it out. Very snuggly!! No wild kitty of mine is going to freeze in a Wyoming winter with windchill!!!But the little hole meant to allow an electrical cord go through is way too small. And down too low. The insulation blocks it. So my two heating pads are threaded through one of the side handle openings. It’s the only other option unless you cut a hole big enough for a cord to fit.I had to order an outside heavy duty extension cord that was long enough to reach my shelter.I have always fed the kitties on my front porch, so that’s where I put this Kitty Tube. Not the most attractive look, but it’s the only place I had to put it for my rental townhouse. Maybe I can put some decals on it? Make it cute? Do kitties care about how their house looks?Overall I’m liking it. Hopefully kitties will too. And I’ll sleep better knowing my wild kitties will stay warm.

Having been a cat owner for most of my life (50+ years) I can say, without a doubt, my past pet kitties would have adored the Kitty Tube. For my current situation, I purchased the Kitty Tube for a family of ferals that had taken claim to my deck in hopes it would give them a shelter and a place to call "home" in their outdoor world. It has taken the better part of a month, but they are slowly finding it a desirable place to take shelter in this very rainy Summer. I am in hopes that, by Fall, they will be devotedly settled in. I placed food in it once in a while which I think gave them the feeling it was an ok place to go into. I tried lining it with the straw, but found, with the rain and Southeastern US humidity making it damp, I needed to change it daily. Miraculously, the rain only comes in a little around the opening. The mat I placed in the Kitty Tube was dry most days although, on a couple of really windy rainy nights, it was damp. I placed it a few inches back from the opening which seems to help it stay dry unless it's a windy rain as mentioned. I much prefer a mat, I can wash or air out, than changing straw on a daily basis. The cats don't seem to care either way. The top easily lifts off with a nicely fitting insulated piece just under the top so that the whole house can air dry within an hour or so. I would like to see an awning fitted around the house to prevent the rain from getting in the opening at all. I know there is an attachment now available for the opening, but in my case, the ferals are quite hesitant to go in at all, so I think the attachment would not work for them. I hope to hear the experiences of others on this issue. Overall, the Kitty Tube looks very nice on our deck and one would not suspect it was a kitty house at first glance, rather that it might be a plant stand or table. We placed it in the corner near a cherry tree that has a few limbs close to the deck and they are frequently jumping on the house onto the tree. In that respect, they seem to consider the Kitty Tube an extension of their outdoor world which was our intent. The construction is nice, all ready right out of the box it was shipped in. Easy to clean and should last a very long time. We are considering a house dolly or large 20-inch plant dolly to keep it from leaving a mark on the deck from being placed directly on the wood. The only drawback is the price and the previously mentioned problem with rain getting in next to the opening but I am pleased we made the Kitty Tube our choice.I finally placed an order for the door awning which was not too difficult to attach although I ended up with a bruise to my palm for snapping the last edge into place. I was very pleased to find the fit snug and secure. We have seen the younger cats go in a few times, but they still prefer to take shelter in open spaces under our breakfast nook where it protrudes from the house. Putting a small bowl of kitty treats in the back of the house makes it hard to resist. As for it making a difference, we have had torrential rains and the rain did blow in a little but the pet bed we recently placed in the Kitty Tube was basically dry. Still very pleased we made the purchase.It has now been 2 months since purchasing the Kitty Tube and it amazes me every time I go to clean it out. It needs so little care and I find it dry most days even with the daily rains we've had lately. I never expected perfection, but the Kitty Tube comes very close to being perfect in every way. The awning is a must-have! Our ferals use the KT for shelter daily now. Be patient if at first your kitties are wary...they WILL find their way to the KT.