Looking for large-ish styrofoam coolers like for live rock to use for cat shelters

[muppet]

I thought I'd be able to find what I needed at Walmart or similar around here but it turns out that I can't.

I'm trying to build some quick shelters for feral cats and half-feral in our neighborhood that hang out on our porch since it's going to be below zero tonight. Should have gotten on this much sooner but, well... I didn't.

Keep your cats in tonight, folks! It's going to be miserable.

Thanks in advance if you can help. Looking for stuff that might fit in a 19 gallon rubbermaid (18x24x12 or thereabouts), but beggars can't be choosers.

 

[muppet]

At walmart etc all I could find were sixpack-sized coolers. I don't think a cat will fit in those.

What I'm trying to do is build a double-walled shelter that I'm gonna line with Reflectix and fill the gap between containers with straw.

 

[suicideissleep]

Contact any fish store ask for there containers from there shipments

 

[muppet]

Yeah thought about asking at All Pets and Petco down the road. Most of the independents are too far for it to be practical tonight. Thanks.

I think I'm gonna just go buy some foam board insulation and fabricate some cubes. Hopefully gorilla tape will adhere to it.

 

[LeslieP]

You are a good soul to think of these poor cats. I hope you were able to rig something up. If you had more notice I could have tried to pick some up from work. We get temp sensitive shipments in all the time. LMK if you would like me to collect some for next time.

 

[muppet]

I stumbled on a pretty good method I think, after some trial and error and some wasted cash. LOL

Thanks though!

I always feel guilty about those guys being out there in sub-freezing every winter, so I dunno if it's that I'm good so much as they guilted me into it.

I found some Sterilite containers that nested well with some gap between, so I filled the larger one with straw and blown insulation and lined the inner one with Reflectrix. I had to make the entrance in the top because the main body plastic shattered when cut, but I covered it with a flap of Reflectrix which should keep the heat in without keeping the cats out. Now we'll see if they use it...

 

[triggreef]

I have a ton of these containers but i'm a 40 min drive from you. Idk if you still want them but they are yours if you want them. Probly about 6 to 10 that a cat would fit in.

 

[muppet]

Hey trigg sorry you didn't get a reply before. I appreciate but can't really do the drive right now. I found a solution that works in the meantime. Thank you very much!

One or two other distant folks PM'd me as well, and thanks to those guys, too!

 

[EvilMel]

Hey, did they use it? I'm curious. I think you're great for doing this for them.

 

[muppet]

A few tentative explorers, but nobody has spent the night in it as far as I can tell. I'm not monitoring it that often, honestly, because I don't want to spook them.

I think the entrance in the top is more off-putting for them than I anticipated (had to do it this way because the side material shattered rather than cut). I'll probably modify it this weekend to make the entrance on the side.

 

[LeslieP]

did you put a little bit of food in there? Of course, that could also attract skunks, raccoons and opossums . . .