Community Cat Shelters
Providing a safe space from the elements for outdoor cats is kind and humane, and easier than you may think. Pre-built options are available from a local shelter near you and from online retailers like Amazon and Chewy. Alley Cat Allies provides a list of several DIY and BUY shelter options for all climates, and they also provide easy-to-follow tutorials and instructions for creating your own cat shelter.
Please check labels for pet hazards and research cat and animal-safe materials before creating something for your pets or for outdoor animals. The items used for the DIY cat shelters featured in this guide are animal-safe and environmentally friendly.
Materials List
- Styrofoam Cooler
- Foil Insulated Mailers
- Straw
- Duck Tape
- Scissors
- Sharpie/Pen
- Box Cutter/Exacto Knife
DIY Styrofoam Shelter
Where To Find Materials
- Family Dollar and Dollar General are great places to find the medium sized styrofoam coolers used for this diy cat shelter for under $5 each.
- You can purchase foil insulated mailer material from a UPS, FEDEX, or Walmart. For this project, we repurposed the foil insulated bags used with our grocery delivery service. Other options for insulation: cardboard, regular mailer, bubble wrap. Avoid using any type of fabric or towels for insulation. Fabric will collect moisture and freeze and is potentially dangerous.
- You can purchase straw in a big bag from your local feed store, ACE Hardware store, or online. DO NOT USE HAY. Hay develops mold quickly.
- You can find any of the other tools and materials used for this project in your garage or at your local store.
