******
- Verified Buyer
After looking and looking at all the various cat houses available for two grown ferals that I take care of, I decided that this looked like the best deal--and I was not wrong. I was attracted by the clean lines and sturdy structure of this one--but mostly because I thought these cats would use it because of the big sized door. This was more than easy to put together--I did it while I was working online at the same time. It comes with instructions that were not too details, but all you have to do is put in those big plastic screws with a butter knife and voila! It is done. The walls also kind of snap together, I noticed there were some big gaps left after screwing the walls on, but I applied a little pressure and it did snap together and was a tight seal. The roof just snaps on like that, there are no screws. It also came with a couple of extra screws just in case you ruin one somehow.My cats have been sleeping in a clear plastic bin on its side with a bath rug on the bottom--it was so windy and cold and it took about a week to get this house. They took to that readily, I think because they can see through it, and I was a little worried they would not use the house. So far, each one has been in the house, but so far, I don't think both at once because they like to lay so they look out the door. That is one thing to know about ferals, they have to be able to escape and see any threats coming. I made a shelter last year with bins and a styrofoam ice chest and not one cat ever used it--and it cost over half of what this one did, even though I thought I would save money. It ended up being worthless and a lot of work for nothing as it was not that easy to do. This one, they took to right away. It is nice and clean looking, it is true that you can sit on it just like in the pictures, and it has enough weight that it would not easily blow away--we'll see, it is not uncommon for us to have 50-70 mph winds here, which is why I put the bin under a chair on a very cold windy day. You can see both of them in the picture.The one I got could fit two cats--but so far they have used it one at a time so we'll see. When I looked out, one was in the house looking out the door and the other was back in the bin. It might be that they will both need to see out, so still not sure it will work for two ferals. These two stayed out in the weather last year even when it got down to 0 degrees rather than get in my home made shelter. I hope they will both use this so I can just get rid of the bin, but I will give them time. They seem very happy with this house though.I started to take a star away for two reasons. One, I expected that the cushion provided would be just that, a cushion. It is more like a comforter that is the size of the floor of the house. However, that means that it is washable, but it is not a thick cushion like a cat bed. Not a big deal to me, the scratching boxes provided when used together exactly fit in the bottom (these ferals are not going to use them) and I put those down, with a small bath rug on top of them, then put the provided cushion which is a nice fluffy material. That works well and will provide more insulation from the cold cold ground. The other thing is that the product page says this is insulated--but I just can't tell if it is. I would rather have the walls, top and floor filled with something, but they seem empty to me, I really can't tell one way or the other. I do feel that they provide some warmth and the heat from the cat or cats will be kept in to keep them warmer. But not sure I would call them insulated, I am not going to cut into it to see if they are empty or not.But I could not see taking any stars away from what is definitely a 5-star cat house. I am very pleased with it and the cats are too. These cats are very picky, but they went right inside when I put it out there. I really hope they will both use it together as that will keep them the warmest, and while this will fit two cats--two cats may not be willing to get in it together. They do like the big door. I did not even consider other types that have smaller doors or doors with coverings because I do not believe they would even use it. Being able to get in and out quickly and being able to see out is what it is all about for ferals. They have to be able to escape and see coming threats. I also did not get similar models that have two doors--the logic is that they need an escape hatch, but that would just let more cold air in and it is too small to have two doors. Yes, the bigger door will let in more air, but they will also use the house in the first place.It is somewhat off the ground. Since where I have it sometimes pools when it rains, I will either move it or place it on something higher once they get used to it. I think they like having the door close to the ground, but once they are used to it, I will find something to lift it just a little higher. It seems pretty rain proof--there are some seams but not many and they are all just on the corners. The top is like a lid that fits over it all so no leaks on the roof which is the main thing. I live in an apartment and this is sitting by my door with a porch over it--which does leak some when it rains hard. But water will not come through that big door. If you want one to put out in a field or something, you are going to have to consider that, because without something over the top of this house, rain will come through that door in some situations. Better to have it under a tree or bush which would work if you need it to be away from shelter. It is very sturdy double walled plastic, does not budge once you have it all screwed/snapped together properly, and would be a good choice for a feral shelter keeping in mind the issues I listed. I would not put in the bedding if I had it out somewhere as it could get wet--and may end up taking it out anyway if it doesn't work out or gets wet. But for right now, it works for these cats and they are warm and dry.
