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Puzzled_Sky9875 t1_j0vi7dj wrote

Reply to comment by FuzzyPine in Outdoor pet heater?? by [deleted]

When I had feral colonies, this may not be feasable for you, but I shopped at thrift stores and purchased any and all used goose down vests and jackets, even if ratty looking. I placed them inside a pillowcase and then put them in their cat beds, baskets, or boxes, And so when dirty, I just had to launder the pillowcase.

No electricity needed, and they kept pretty warm.

A friend of mine used a microwavable gel pack, sorry do not know the brand. This kept the bed warm all night. It is more trouble to deal with, she only had one or two ferals, but it worked well.

Thank you for caring for these kitties.

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grindermonk t1_j0vnyp8 wrote

We found a large cooler at a thrift shop, and drilled an 8” diameter hole in the side. It is about the size of a small square bale of hay, so we stacked it in our hay mow with bales on top, bottom and three sides. A bit of chopped straw bedding and the cats are insulated and snuggled up together every night. No electricity necessary.

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Puzzled_Sky9875 t1_j0vxmzt wrote

That’s a great solution! Super insulated! I see those for sale cheap at thrift stores and even free on nextdoor and craigslist. Thanks for sharing that!

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grindermonk t1_j0vzok5 wrote

Depending on the style of cooler, you may need to spray some expanding foam between the inner and outer walls after cutting the hole in the side. We did that and cut the bottom off an 8” plastic planter which we stuck into the hole to create a short tube that sticks out the side to maximize the insulating properties of the cooler and allow us to set it deeper into the stack of bales.

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