A raised, fully insulated winter house for one to three outdoor, community or feral cats. Foam board fills the floor, walls and lid behind a sturdy OSB liner that covers the foam, two doorways (a main door and an escape door) step over a low sill, and a sloped, hinged lid sheds rain off the back, bolts shut against wind and lifts for easy straw changes. Every cut is a straight cut: no jigsaw needed.
Before you buy anything, it helps to know three things: how big the finished build is, what you’ll bring home from the store, and how the assembly goes. Here they are for the Insulated Outdoor Cat Shelter, straight from the plan.
How big is it?
The finished size is 30-1/2 × 26 × 24 in (77 × 66 × 61 cm), width × depth × height. Measure the spot where it will stand before you start.
What you’ll buy
The shopping list comes to about $155 at the prices we saw (Sep 27 – Oct 8, 2026). Prices change, so check your own store.
| Qty | What | At the prices we saw |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2x2 SPF, 8 ft | $14.35 |
| 1 | 2x4 PT, 8 ft | $4.78 |
| 1 | 2x4 SPF, 8 ft | $4.25 |
| 1 | 1 in foam board, 4 × 8 ft | $17.97 |
| 2 | 7/16 in OSB, 4 × 8 ft | $25.96 |
| 2 | 3 in galvanized broad utility hinge | $18.54 |
| 1 | 3 in zinc-plated barrel bolt with its keeper | $4.74 |
| 1 box | #8 x 1-1/4 in tan star flat-head deck screws | $10.97 |
| 1 box | #9 x 2-1/2 in tan star flat-head deck screws | $10.97 |
| 1 | BEHR PREMIUM PLUS 1 qt Deep Base satin enamel exterior paint and primer | $24.98 |
| 1 | DuMOR 2-string compressed wheat straw bale | $16.99 |
The shopping list names what to buy; the cut list in the plan turns those boards and sheets into parts. Check both before your first cut.
Tools you need
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Miter saw
- Table saw
- Circular saw
- Straightedge cutting guide
- Drill/driver
- Countersink bit
- Drill bits (1/8 in and 5/32 in for pilot holes)
- T20 and T25 star driver bits
- Bar clamps (at least 2, 36 in or longer)
- Small paintbrush
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Work gloves
- Dust mask
- Utility knife
- Sawhorses (a pair)
How the build goes
The plan has 25 steps, each with a drawing and the parts it uses. The plan’s own estimate is about 8–12 hours; treat it as an estimate.
- Cut the frame pieces and skids
- Cut the floor and lid panels
- Cut the outside skins
- Cut the inside liners
- Cut the foam
- Build the floor frame upside down
- Screw the bottom panel onto the floor frame
- Set the floor on the skids
- Insulate the floor and screw down the deck
- Build the front wall frame flat
- Line the front wall
- Build and line the back wall flat
- Build and line the left side wall flat
- Build and line the right side wall flat
- Stand the walls up and clamp them into a box
- Fill the walls with foam
- Skin both sides
- Skin the front
- Skin the back
- Build the lid frame upside down
- Line the lid frame
- Set the lid on, insulate it and screw on the lid top
- Hang the lid and fit the latch
- Paint the outside
- Place the shelter and fill it with straw
Before you start
- Compare the shopping list with the stock sizes your store actually carries.
- Check every measurement against your own materials before cutting.
- Read the safety notes at the front of the plan and wear the protective gear it lists.
What the plan includes
- Preparation packet PDF (shopping list, cut list, tools), 15 pages
- Build guide PDF, 52 pages
- Preparation packet PDF, metric (mm) (shopping list, cut list, tools), 15 pages
- Build guide PDF, metric (mm), 52 pages
- Offline animated 3D build guide (ZIP; open guide.html in a web browser; guide-metric.html for mm)
It is a digital build plan: nothing physical ships. See the plan.
These plans are for planning and personal use. They are not engineered drawings and do not claim compliance with any building code. Check local rules and use your own judgment on site.
General planning guidance. Follow your chosen plan and tools’ instructions; ask about unclear dimensions or substitutions before cutting.