How to Make a Cat Bed Warm in a Garage

Keeping your cat indoors extends its lifespan. On average, an indoor cat can reach 12 to 18 years old, while an outdoor cat may not even live five years, according to information from Dr. Dawn Ruben on the Pet Place website. Outdoor cats are exposed to many hazards, including extreme weather conditions and predator animals, such as owls and cats. They are also more susceptible to diseases such as rabies and feline leukemia, according to the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society. The garage offers a compromise between indoors and outdoors. If you house your cat in the garage, provide it with food, water and a warm bed to protect it from conditions such as hypothermia and frostbite.

Things You'll Need

  • Carpet or cardboard
  • Blanket
  • Cardboard box
  • Pet carrier
  • Plastic bottle
  • Sunlamp or spotlight
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place your cat's bed on piece of carpet or cardboard, in an area away from drafts. Avoid putting the bed directly on a cement floor, because the cold from the ground comes through the bed. Insulate areas of your garage that have air leaks.

    • 2

      Use a blanket to provide warmth. Place a blanket in a cardboard box to serve as a bed or use a pet carrier and cover it with a blanket to keep cold air out.

    • 3

      Fill a plastic bottle with warm water and place it underneath a blanket in your cat's bed. Your cat can snuggle up against the blanket-covered bottle if it needs extra warmth.

    • 4

      Aim a sunlamp at your cat's bed to provides instant heat. Hang the lamp high above the bed so it cannot burn your cat or start a fire. Light the lamp for two hours at a time. Turn it off for half an hour before turning it back on. Use a regular spotlight as an alternative.

    • 5

      Purchase a heated cat bed or pad. Heated beds and pads reach up to 102 degrees, which is the average cat's body temperature. Some beds and pads hold onto your cat's own body heat, while others use electricity to warm up. Look for pet beds and pads with chew-resistant cords if you prefer the electric varieties.