"Purricane Vault" Rapid Insulated Self-Warming Outdoor Cat Shelter
A SIMPLER, QUICKER, OFF-THE-GRID SHELTER Our Purricane Vault is an engineer's take on the common "insulated tote" type of outdoor cat shelter! It can be a quick alternative and stepping stone to our beautiful and feature rich heated wooden cat houses.
SAME HIGH STANDARDS Don't let the simple concept fool you... This product features our usual high standard of engineering and quality of craftsmanship as all of our other builds. The design is well thought out and the materials used are high quality. All parts are assembled well and fit together precisely.
The shelter comes fully assembled and ready to use.
CAMO KITTIES A tote shelter is more clandestine. If a cat shelter has to be in a publicly accessible area, then theft or vandalism may be a concern. A plastic tote can be made to not attract attention and become a target as much. This can also be useful if the kitties and their hiding places need to stay hidden from the prying eyes of landlords, HOAs, neighborhood associations or nosy neighbors.
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS The shelter consists of an outer shell and an inner box. The outer shell is a 20 gallon tote with a latching lid and the inner box is custom made from 1 inch thick rigid foam board insulation. The insulation box is precision cut and shaped to fit the tote exactly. Additional stabilizer “wings” at the tops of three sides keep it from moving / rocking within the tote. The box is very sturdy and assembled using strong weather-resistant adhesive. All outside seams are additionally taped with extremely tough, 17 mil all-weather tape to provide further rigidity and eliminate any residual heat loss at the joints. The box lid is kept in place by a groove that is cut around the perimeter, and the box is made precisely the right height so its lid is gently pushed down for a good seal when the tote lid is closed and latched.
The shelter features a 6.5 inch diameter round opening, nestled into the recess in the tote wall, so the tote lid provides overhang and protection from falling rain. The opening is high enough that the rain hitting the ground won't splash back up and into the shelter (especially if the shelter sits on bricks, see below), but is still very comfortable for a cat to get in or out of.
DOOR FLAP The shelter also comes with a door flap made from durable "super clear" PVC material that can be used to further reduce heat loss. The flap attaches to the outer tote with peel-and-stick velcro. (Note that some cats will accept flaps and some won't, so you may or may not get a chance to use it!)
MEASUREMENTS Outside (tote): 18 in. wide x 22.75 in. deep x 16.25 in. tall. The inside of the inner box is 12.5 in. wide, 16 in. deep and 12.25 in tall.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED == Bedding == generally, for these type of shelters, it is recommended to use a natural bedding material such as straw. Cats love to burrow and nest in straw and the straw insulates them and wicks moisture away from their bodies. You have to make sure it is straw and not hay (important)! Non-chopped straw is best. The shelter should be filled with straw about 1/4 to 1/3 high and the straw should be checked and fluffed regularly and replaced occasionally.
We stock premium rice straw which is especially good for bedding (as it is a soft straw) and are able to ship it with the shelter, if you make the appropriate selection above. One pack of our straw is 1/2 cubic foot which is the right amount for the Purricane Vault. Replacement straw packs can be purchased from us as well.
== Bricks (or similar) == The shelter can be placed on the ground as is, but we recommend lifting it off the ground a bit to keep it away from the cold ground, bugs, moisture and splashing rain. The easiest to accomplish this is by placing the shelter on four bricks. You may also want to place some bricks or other weight on top of the shelter to weigh it down and make it more stable. Additionally if a tarp is used then more bricks should be used to weigh down the tarp as well. See product pictures for example setups.
== (Optional) Tarp == Some caretakers like to drape an additional tarp over the shelter, weighing it down with bricks. This is especially useful in harsh winters or when the shelter is in an exposed location, as it adds another insulating, waterproof and stabilizing layer. It also can make the shelter blend in more with its environment. (See the product picture -- BTW, apologies for the AI generated winter image of the shelter with tarp 😳 As soon as we get a real-life picture of a tarped up shelter in a wintery location, we will replace it.)
SHIPS FAST Usually ships within 1 week from your order.
NOTE ON SHIPPING COST The shelter is quite light, but it ships in a 23x19x16 box. This size package falls under "dimensional weight", which means that the weight becomes irrelevant and the parcel will be billed by the cubic inch instead. This is why, depending on your location, the shipping cost may seem high. (You can check the shipping cost to your area by starting the checkout process and entering your address.) Ultimately, we believe that given the quality of engineering and workmanship and the "turnkey" nature of our shelters, our Purricane Vault is a great deal shipped anywhere in the country.
LOCAL PICKUP If you're in the SF Bay Area, you can pick up the shelter from us directly (pickup is in San Francisco proper) and save on shipping cost altogether.
FAQS
Q: "Can I use other bedding material?" A: Use your own best judgement on this, just keep in mind that the concern with towels or pet beds in an unheated house is that when a wet cat lays down on them, the towels (or bed) get wet and unlike straw, they don't wick moisture away but stay wet, making kitty cold and ultimately mold/mildew/fungus may develop as well... If this is not a concern in your situation, then a bed, pad or other bedding might be appropriate.
Q: "Why only one entrance?" A: The topic of one vs. two entrances splits the caretaker community. We decided on one opening to minimize drafts and heat loss and because several high profile and high volume community cat advocacy organizations and caretakers swear by making tote shelters with one opening.
Q: "Will my cat scratch the foam?" A: We have not experienced this, but have heard of some kitties that like to scratch just about anything. If scratching is a concern, you can cover the inside walls of the foam box with a heavy duty tape, such as Gorilla Tape. One roll will more than suffice for the inside of a box.
Q: "Do you sell plans / just the foam panels?" A: If you are inclined to DIY, check YouTube / Pinterest for many available plans and tutorials for insulated tote shelters. We decided not to sell our plans and foam panels because of the specialized tools and skills required to build our design.