Heating Pads & Kennels...

[MommyNaNell]

I purchased Devlinn a MidWest Cat Playpen quickly after bringing her home, I felt bad putting her into a tiny kennel and I read that cats need access to a liter box during the night. The playpen is quite large, 36L x 23.5W x 50.50H Inch, it allows me to put her literbox and liter catcher at the bottom. I place her pillow bed at the very top tier. I always provide her with lots of blankets. Her playpen is located in my "basement" laundry room, right off my girls bedroom, I have no other space upstairs for her. The temperature downstairs is cooler than it is upstairs, and I often worry that she will get cold, she is recovering from severe weight loss due to colitis. Currently since she was so sick I've been making a heating pad with a wet towel in a ziplock bag covered with a towel in a cotton bed sheet bag and keeping her in a sock sweater and placing her in the tiny kennel so she'd stay hot. I dont want to keep using the tiny kennel now that shes feeling better, and she peed in it last night. I want to move her back to her big kennel and allow her access to her litterbox. I do although want to make sure she's getting enough heat and keeping warm, the homemade towel warmer stays hot for about 2-3 hours in her little cat hut. Obviously she will be in the kennel longer than that and I want to make sure she stays warm. What do you use to keep your cats warm? Ive seen chew proof electric cat heating pads and then I've also seen self heating blankets. Do the self heating blankets work for sphynx? I will be continuing to put her in her kennel at night and when we leave to run errands. This may be frowned upon but I would hate for her to get into something, i'd also hate to come home to poop everywhere because my son crawls and puts everything into his mouth, also I ultimately dont want to come home to a dead cat because she got into something or chewed something. Thanks so much everyone!!!

 

[Yoda mom]

@MommyNaNell Hello
There is a snuggle safe hearing disc bur toy have to be very careful bcz it does get very hot of over dome

I have ome amd heat it and then cover it with a towel

The other option to address getting onto some,thong or inappropriate poo behavior is to do slooow acclimation to the home with at least a litter box each floor l
I started off with a "kitty room" in a spare room or bathroom with litter box
I kitty proofed the house - members can chime in with great tips too
you can secure Nick nacks with those stick putty products
Cable covers for wires, etc

I do slow home intros probably slower than most - I have adoptees amd set them up for success is the plan

There is also a 54 " dog crate
It would accomodate a litter box toys bed etc and you can build time to supervised free roaming . I got mine at chewy online , free shipping for about $99
Frisco XX-Large Heavy Duty Double Door Dog Crate, 54-in

Amazon has an actual tall crate version for about $125

They sell multilevel kitty kennels I have seen at the boarding facilites
There is room for beds and litter box on the bottom.
They definitely need litter access 24/7

I actually turn the litter box opening to the wall leaving enough room for kitty to go in and out
This would help with limiting easy access for kids to litter box openings .
I google searched litter box hacks amd found great ones !

I actually made a litter box window bench


Surely others can chime in with heat tips
I have the K&H heated cat bed - many members use that one too

Head smooches sent
Keep us updated

 

[MommyNaNell]

I have this cat cage,


I've placed the liter box at the bottom, at the top i have a cat hut from five below and in it i have a few blankets, and my moist microwaved hand towel, covered in a towel and pillow case. I'd like to place something in there to hold better heat for her, for longer. Do the self heated pads work? or the self warming sacks? I want to get her a heating pad but only for the living room where she mostly is that way its supervised. I just want to make sure her nights in her kennel are safe and warm as well. She isnt having anymore pooping issues. She's known where her box is since we brought her home, at first we only let her down stairs in the bottom floor. Devlinn quickly decided she liked to be up in the more common area of the house. I think the pooping other places was due to the diarrhea. I have been taking her to her box since she got very sick and lost lots of weight. Now shes feeling much better, she disappeared today and went down stairs to her box herself. Shes firm now which is fantastic, and appears to be gaining weight. Although she is still pretty skinny she seems to be doing well.

 

[Yoda mom]

@MommyNaNell , Awh glad she is feeling better and improving daily!
Sounds like she is getting thr lay of the house Amd great she went downstairs to the litter box!
You must be smiling ear to ear watching her improvement
So happy for you Amd this sweetie

The warming discs do work - several of us have used them.
*Be sure to check the temp with various microwave heat fluctuating temperature.
I found mine stay nice and warm enough with those soft 50x60 fleece throw blankets I get from Marshalls. I like they wash great

I was thinking she may like the Snoozzy hide and seek bed . It Coe,s in various colors
It's a favorite here .
It fits nicely on my cat tree perch too perhaps would fit in her condo ?
You could even use double stick Velcro to attach to shelf


Now they do not even go on the hard plastic snuggle safe disc lol

Head smooches sent !
Will be following closely for updates
@Xandria has a great hearing pad cat bed set up I hope she can share info about it

Have a purrfect weekend! Keep the great news updates coming !

Oh just remembered , K&H makes Several types of Thermo-kitty self heating cat beds and pads

 

[Xandria]

Hi @MommyNaNell -- Glad to hear your girl is getting better.

Here is my setup with some links
Heating Pads

I Hope that helps.