Building a Community Cat House: A How-To Guide

Winter is here, and community cats need warm, dry spaces to stay safe. Building a community cat house gives stray, feral, lost, or abandoned cats safe shelter from the cold, wind, and wet weather.

This specific construction of winter cat houses allows the cats to stay dry by using a Styrofoam pad at the bottom, coupled with multiple layers of straw providing an insulating layer, encased by plastic which shelters from moisture and wind.

Why build community cat houses? Feral cats already live in our neighborhoods—and shelter makes life better for everyone. Community cat houses can:

  • Protect cats from extreme weather

  • Keep cats in safer, predictable areas

  • Reduce nuisance behaviors when paired with spay/neuter

  • Save taxpayer dollars by preventing repeat animal control calls

  • Reflect a compassionate, responsible community

You don’t have to be a cat lover to support solutions that work. A humane community chooses compassion over neglect, especially when the solution is simple and effective.

Ready to help? Check out our step-by-step guide to building a safe, cozy cat house.

Remember: skip blankets, towels, or newspaper, and avoid hay as it can trap moisture or trigger allergies.

Thank you for helping us Columbus a more humane community for all.

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