Can dogloos be further insulated with spray insulation? If not, what?

[kittychick]

We bought a medium- sized dogloo, filled it with straw, added an electrial outdoor heated kitty pad, & a plexiglass-door to keep out the worst of the elements. Initially it was quite the hit, but when we put up a double Rubbermaid container, also with straw & a heated pad, & an even smaller opening, our regulars flocked to that (understandably). I don't want to too a $95 house & am trying to come up with ways to add to its insulation. ( NOTE: im in the suburbs, but both are hidden behind our gggarage so looks/drawing attention not an issue) Could we use spray insulation either inside our outside the dogloo? Would it crack off? Is it toxic? Should we try tacking Mylar sheets up inside? Any suggestions appreciated! Or are we better off surrounding both the dogloo & the double-Rubbermaid with small bales of straw? We hate to keep disturbing things too much ( the Rubbermaid shelter is in use almost 24/7. Any is vice appreciated!

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have absolutely no idea about adding insulation.  You could try the foam sheets for the inside, but with the curved shape they might be hard to get molded and to stay in place.  I had an XL dog igloo someone gave me.  I could never figure out a way to keep it warm or dry.  The rain always got in from the large opening.  I decided to only use it during spring/fall.  During the spring/fall it was warm enough for them and in the far back they could stay dry.  I ended up donating the dog igloo to our local Humane Society.

One idea and I don't know if it would work and you need to have sunshine, is to buy a solar pool covre and wrap the outside.  It might help to warm it up during the day, but once the sun goes down, very little can be done.

I just hate winter.  It was 8 degrees here in Ohio last night.  I have 3 heat pads in my large tent like structure as well as two of the small tent houses.  I could tell Shadow was cold.  Stellar only stayed part of the night.  He is one crazy cat.  He is long haired and doesn't appear to get cold.  He hasn't even come yet this morning to eat.  Each and every day all winter, I worry worry worry about these babes.  I just wish they could all live inside.

 

[ritz]

Maybe small stryofoam pieces. I'm not sure how stryofoam 'peanuts' would work. I'd be leary of using spray insulation, while we humans may not smell it, the cats could. And avoid it because of the smell.

 

[Willowy]

I don't think the spray insulation would smell after it's all dried and cured. . .it's just styrofoam in a spray can :dk:. So once it's dried it should smell like any styrofoam. I think it would be hard to control, though, and if I did it, most of the house would end up filled with foam :lol3:.

 

[ondine]

most of the house would end up filled with foam

that and the cats might chew on it.  One reason why they say not to leave it exposed.

Using the solar pool cover should help the house remain warm for several hours after the sun goes down.  Of course, it won't warm up at all on cloudy days.

Surrounding it with straw bales would work.

 

[feralfriend]

Have you seen the hound heater?

 

[kittychick]

Hey Shadowsrescue - I'm in Ohio too! I know what you mean about worry . It was so cold this morning - I watched FLick come our of his "double rubbermaid tubs with straw and the heated mat shelter " and he STILL shivered when he came out and sat and watched me put out food. Broke my heart. And the dogloo is driving me batty - it's now raised off the ground on bricks with tons of straw inside AND a heated mat and plexiglass angled door ( the door doesn't keep in heat but does keep out wind, rain and snow). I even broke my own rule and put in a sleeping bag for some lucky kitty to snuggle in. Well we finallly got to watch it get used last night by the one we call "Big Ray"....only to watch his little faithful companion "Blackie" come trotting behind and be - in silent cat language - told she wasn't allowed in. It's a very large dogloo - two cats would have actually made it warmer!!! Poor Backie sat outside the dogloo door for about 15 minutes, shivering, finally giving up and going off to try to find somewhere else to weather the cold. My husband tried to console me - reminding me that lots of kitties don't have the heated feeding station, heated water bowl, or two shetlers we've put out....and that we're doing the best we can. But yet it never seems enough does it when we see one of these guys shiverin gout there in the very frigid Ohio night/afternoon/morning ----you name it!

That said - and probably to my husband's chagrin, I think I'll look into the pool cover for both shetlers. I justkeep thinking that every degree has to help. And I'll look more into both the spray foam and the surrounding ithem with straw bales.

The big question if I try one or both of those - my husband thinks that even if things aren't perfect, we shouldn't "rock the boat" as they're at least using them, even if they're imperfect. And that in my effort to make things warmer - I might mess with them too much and scare them away from using them - totally defeating the purpose. I do see his point. I took a big pile old fleece blanked and more straw (I know blankets are generally not a good idea - but I thought just during this super cold snap it might be ok combined with the load of straw - particularly if I put it just at one end and she could get away from it if she got it damp----but it might be nice to burrow into). But right as I was lifting the lid of the shelter (it was mid-afternoon during Flick's time for "rounds" ----I learned it's obviously too cold for rounds - and scared the crap out of her by lifting the top off her house! It took hours of her sitting in the cold before she felt safe to check out that the roof wasn't coming off again.

So maybe better left as is? Or just something unobtrusive like a hay bail or two on the windward side? The shelters are rpotected anyway on all 4 sid basically. Perhaps just another heating pad in each....I can see this becoming a never ending spiral

HELP Stop me before I insulate again!

Both the pool c

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have read about the hound heaters.  That might be a really good solution.  Do a google search on them. Here is a youtube I have saved that might help too.

 

 

[ondine]

I know, no matter what we do, we think we should do more.  The curse of the caregiver!  I think the straw bales on the side is an excellent idea - anything to block the wind and cold from coming in in the first place is good.

Really, I know people who make their houses out of the straw bales themselves - they stack three as if they are making a square, leaving the fourth side open.  They angle the side two bales so that the opening is smaller.  A piece of plywood on top, topped with two more bales.  One of my friends made an insulated roof to fit, complete with shingles!

The opening is made smaller with a piece of plywood with a cat sized cut out door that is secured to the side bales.  Inside is more straw, a nice cozy bed.  They both do all the stacking on and around a pallet, so the inside straw is up off the ground.

I mean, people make houses for humans out of straw bales - why not kitty houses?

Thank you for helping - and don't worry so much.  These kitties are lucky to have found you!