Thinking ahead to next winter 😉 my mind turned to the possibility of a cat or dog outdoor kennel/house that is warmed by a heating mat (or mini-bar heater) which is powered by a solar panel on the roof. I have an image of this very effective product but it is simply not on the market as far as I can tell. Perhaps it is commercially unviable? I don’t know.
Here is a fictional version of the product I am dreaming off. If this one was on the market, it would cost a couple of thousand dollars; well beyond the price that a typical feral cat caregiver could justify spending. Nice though 😉💕.
I do know that solar panels can run fans and they can run heaters to warm human homes so why aren’t they used to run a mini-heater in a cat or dog home to be used by dogs kept outdoors or barn cats or a feral cat who has befriended a family and the family want to provide a decent outdoor home for her?
The big problem is expressed in this statement by a Reddit user about dogs:
Solar Heated Cat House: Has anyone put solar heat in a cat or dog house? I couldn’t sleep last night for worrying about my feral barn cat. It got down near 10F. I found one instructible and guess I’ll try to do it but I know nothing about any of this. Any ideas about the best way to go?
The responses were all negative for solar panel power. All the suggestions are to run an extension lead from the house to the kennel to power a heater. Not what I envisaged.
You want a free-standing heating system that is almost maintenance-free and which provides trickle heating. A small amount of heat powered by the sun to take the chill off the extreme cold that a dog or feral cat might experience at night in winter.
There may be manufacturing issues in terms of commercial viability. What I mean is such a product may cost too much to make and be too expensive for it to be viable. Or there may be technical issues is using a small solar panel attached to a heating mat inside the kennel.
But that is what I would like to see on the market for all those stray and feral cats helped by all those wonderful volunteers who are so keen to help these vulnerable animals who should be living in a nice warm home.
Volunteers do great work making feral cat homes out of repurposed items such as unused coolers (click link below). They are very nice homemade products but none of them are heated. In severely cold conditions lasting a couple of weeks I can see some cats dying without heat. Or they can get frostbitten. I have seen that in cats on the internet.
RELATED: Instructions on how to create feral cat homes from unused coolers
Although feral cats like all cats are great survivors. They make adjustments in winter.
- Thicker Fur (normal winter coat): Feral cats grow thicker coats during winter, providing insulation and warmth. Their hair growth increases, adding extra protection.
- Behavioral Changes: These cats conserve energy by sleeping more. Reduced activity levels help them save energy.
- Body Heat Utilization: Curling up into tight balls allows them to generate body heat, preserving warmth. They also seek warm spots near buildings, like sun patches or heated areas.
