D**S
A Sinking Ship? Still Not Sure.
Well, I should begin by saying if I was a cat, I would stay in one of these during rain and snow and freezing weather (well, after my slight modification anyway).I was excited for my outdoor cat Rocky. A 3 year old black furry cat who had been sleeping underneath the house during stormy weather. Then when landlord said the entrance had to be closed off to prevent racoons from getting in, he had no place to go for shelter. You can see in the pictures how he still longs to get back under the house and into his home of 2 1/2 years since he was practically a kitten. It just kills me and that's why I bought this cat house.So that following week was supposed to be the beginning of the rainy season and I just couldn't have Rocky out in the cold with no shelter, so I bought one of these sturdy huts for him and felt confident he would be at ease inside with the heating pad on 24/7.But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. When this cat house arrived, I set it up (very easy to do because it's already set up for you). Then I put it outside next to the front door on a platform I built custom to keep it private and to discourage any wood be passersby from getting any ideas of coming back at night to steel it. Even if they did try, it wouldn't be easy because I inserted a 50 pound Olympic plate from my bench press underneath the insulation on the floor. Not to mention the surveillance cams would surely put a crimp in the deal.Sure enough it started to rain the following week and seller was nice enough to rush our order to get it here a few days earlier than it would have arrived, so I was grateful to him for that.I had 2 large bath towels inside and a heating pad and I showed it to Rocky, but it looked a little too much like a trap to him so he wanted nothing to do with it. That was okay with me, I spent a lot of time reading reviews before purchasing this solid cat haven and I read a few that said their cats took a while to get inside, a couple even said it took 1 to 2 years before their cat would go in.That was far to long for me, but I remained optimistic and figured my powers of persuasion would win out and Rocky would be in there sooner than that. The first rain came and went, Rocky slept under parked cars and wherever else he could find while his nice warm hut remained empty and warm and dry. Or so I thought anyway.After the 2nd rain I decided to check inside and I couldn't understand why the towels and the heating pad were soaking wet. I figured I probably did something wrong, maybe failed to turn the top grip holes to the side so it didn't leave an opening for rain to get blown inside.I tested my theory and ran the hose over the top and around the sides and I was wrong. The rain had gotten through the top. I must have gotten a defective lid I thought to myself, but that wasn't the case. The centerpiece with the insulated soft ring washer fit just right, but water still got inside it through that center top hole.I couldn't figure out how this happened and didn't really have time to try and figure it out with more testing. Maybe I got a center cork that was the wrong size? But it fit in there just right, it just didn't keep the water out. What made matters worse was that the lid was convex (bowed in) at the top so the water sat on that lid until it all poured or seeped inside.So as you can see by the photos, I cut out a piece of Tupperware and super glued it on and then insulated that with super epoxy JB Weld while gobbling down my tums from the stress of wondering what was next. It was too late to return the cat house and I didn't really want to do that anyway.So my fix worked and it still works almost a year later. Only problem, Ol' Rocky still wouldn't go anywhere near it. So I started putting his food inside each day and his hunger was greater than his fear - but only long enough to eat and then get the hell out.He would go in and eat his food as fast as he could with his tail sticking out, the rain pouring down and the freezing cold biting at his toes. While inside he was able to sit comfortably on a warm heating pad while he ate but as soon as he was finished eating, he got out fast and stayed out until the next meal.So I have surmised that he was so traumatized by the TSR (trap spay release) or TNR for male cats that he just couldn't bring himself to get in this warm cozy cat house where it still sits empty with heating pad on 24/7 just in case he changes his mind. So far, it's not looking like he's going to be doing that anytime soon.The said picture in this story is to see Rocky sitting on the wet, cold lawn as the rain is pouring down and his warm unoccupied house sitting not 10 feet away.
A**N
Fabulous. Perfect. Safe.
We recently moved to a new home which backs to an enormous park area. We see a variety of wildlife every day, which is pleasant enough, but of concern are the coyotes which we see every morning and every evening and hear all night long. They are bold enough to come right up to our chain link fence, which they could easily hop over on a whim (or smelling a tasty feline treat) if they chose.I scoured the internet looking for something to keep my outdoor cat not only safe from predators but also comfortable in the harsh winters and sweltering summers we experience here in the midwest (Nebraska).The kitty tube was by far the best option I found. The opening is truly small enough that no serious predator could enter, and sturdy enough that the elements are kept at bay and the interior remains dry and comfortable. I cannot speak yet as to the conditions in the heat, but in the rain and snow the kitty tube has kept my kitty warm and dry with no exceptions.I opted for the straw interior and should note that the amount of straw provided is enough for 3+ kitty tubes. I appreciate this, as I will be replacing the straw a few times each season to keep the interior fresh and dry- but be warned when first setting up the tube that you do NOT need to and should not fill it with the full amount provided.Another note I have is that fitting the top of the tube onto the body of the tube with the vent/handle inserts in place can be a bit tricky. In the instructional youtube videos it takes the demonstrator seconds to pop it into place... but in real life I struggled for a looong time before it even came close to fitting.Also- I do not find the kitty tube attractive. I will not deduct any stars for this because I knew it would not be, but in the future if they provided a slightly more appealing exterior I would scoop one up in moments. It looks like a rain barrell sitting against the house- which is not too bad, but also definitely not ideal from a design stand point.Another design improvement that I would love to see in the future is a larger interior. Space to include food and water would be absolutely ideal, and greatear ease of access from the top/lid would make this even more convenient. A lid which screwed into place would make my life so much easier!In any case- It took my cat several days to begin using the tube consistently. My cat is large (part Maine Coon) and he has to squeeze quite a bit when entering. I appreciate this small opening as I believe it provides excellent protection against the most concerning predators (coyotes) in our neighborhood. I do think that a fox, opossum, and even very small raccoons may be able to enter the tube, but I do not see this as being an issue as long as the tube is placed in an appropriate location (I keep ours up on the deck for just that reason).Shipping was quick, product was exactly as described, and overall I could not be happier! My cat is safe, comfortable, happy, and I sleep better at night knowing he has an exceptional shelter from the elements and is safe from predators.Thank you, kitty tube!!!
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