This article is Part Eight of a 15-Part Article on How to Build a Feral Cat Shelter. Since this is the first time we’d made a shelter, it’s perfect for newbies. You can read previous installments in this series here:
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven
In the previous installments, we made a plan, gathered all the materials, assembled the insulation portion of the shelter, prepared the plastic storage tub for the external “shell” of the shelter, created an opening in the shell for cat access, and sealed and shaped the opening for the cat’s access to the shelter.
Step Six. Because there was a gap between the outer entry hole and the foam cooler, we decided that we also needed some kind of inner support to keep the straw from falling outside the shelter and keeping moisture, wind, and — hopefully — insects from the straw insulation. This was definitely a piece of the project that was a bit tricky to conceptualize and implement.
But, as has been said, where there’s a will there’s a way!
Here’s how we dealt with the problem of the gap.
1. We measured the distance between the outer hole and the inside cooler. That turned out to be just about 2 inches.
2. We measured a piece of cardboard with rectangular dimensions about 7 inches wide and 8 inches high, 2 inches long, and cut two pieces of it.
3. We used our handy duct tape to assemble the “gap/entry tube” and to shape it into a form that we could attach to the structure.
The next steps of this process got a little trickier, as by now everything was truly our own design. And, before trying to assemble everything, we only had an idea if it would work. Here is where we find out if we were right, and whether our measurements and planning would all come together. Or not.
In the next installment, we will cover how this process went. Be sure to click through to each part and get the whole story! Here’s a link to Part Nine.