I have been caring for a feral mother cat and her three kittens in my backyard since May...I now have their trust but my dogs do not even though they have never bothered them. Winter is approaching and I am so worried they will be cold so I bought them a heated house. The mother cat gave birth under my deck so it is now their safety spot. If they are frightened for any reason that is where they go. I cannot fit the house under my deck so it is ON my deck. Most of the night they spend on my deck playing with toys, eating, etc. they know the dogs will not be out anymore. I have the house ON my deck with a canopy over the entire deck. They are also ON my deck some of the day, when they go to sleep they go underneath again. They have not even tried to enter the house. I even put the door flap up and put cat nip toys in it...they managed to get the toys out with long extended paws. Today it was pouring rain and I did see one kitten enter the house and stay awhile...how can I be sure they will ALL use it in the winter??? They could freeze to death under my deck and I have no where else to put their heated house. I tried putting their food in it and they just waited me out knowing I would take it out because they are hungry...I am very attached to all of them. Please tell me anything I can do to get them to trust being in there. People keep telling me they will always go UNDER the deck because they feel safe and they could freeze to death. There is no room under my deck for anything and I don't even know where they go under there. Any advice would be great....Thanks ....Barb.