"Purricane Vault" Rapid self-warming cat shelter

A SIMPLER, QUICKER, OFF-THE-GRID SHELTER The Purricane Vault is our take on the common "insulated tote" type of shelter. It is a simpler and faster-to-ship alternative 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 panels 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 structure 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 an average 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. (Not that some cats will accept flaps and some won't, so you may not get a chance to use it!)

MEASUREMENTS

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. Do make sure it is straw and not hay (important)! Non-chopped straw is best. The shelter should be filled with straw about 1/3 to 1/2 high and the straw should be checked and fluffed regularly and replaced occasionally. We are able to ship straw with the shelter, if you make the appropriate selection above.

== Bricks == The shelter can be placed on the ground as is, but we recommend placing it on four bricks so it is lifted off the ground. If the shelter is placed in a location with high winds, then you may also want to place some bricks on top of the shelter to weigh it down. Additionally if a tarp is used then more bricks should be used to weigh down the tarp as well.

== (Optional) Tarp == Some caretakers like to drape an additional tarp over the shelter, weighing it down with bricks. This adds another insulating and waterproof layer and is especially useful if the shelter is in an exposed location. It also can make the shelter blend in more with its environment. We are able to ship the shelter with an included tarp, if you make the appropriate selection above.

SHIPS FASTER These shelters are faster to produce than our wooden houses. We are currently in pre-order stage, nailing down last details of supplies and production. The shelters will start shipping first week of November, in a first-come-first-served order. Once we are fully up and running, we anticipate an average shipping time of < 1 week from your order.

MIND THE SHIPPING COST We want to be fully transparent on this, as depending on your location, the shipping cost may seem high. It's not us, it's the carrier. The shelter is quite light, but it ships in a 24x19x17 box. This size package falls under "dimensional weight", which means that the weight is irrelevant and we will be billed by the cubic inch instead. You can check the shipping cost to your area by starting the checkout process and entering your address (The silver lining of "dimensional weight" is that this allows us to offer shipping the shelter with bedding and tarp, at no additional shipping charge.)

Ultimately, we believe that given the quality of design 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 keep kitty extra cozy inside and because some longtime caretakers of many cats we trust swear by one opening, as do several high profile and high volume community cat advocacy organizations.

Q: "Will kitty 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, try to cover the walls of the foam box with a heavy duty tape, such as Gorilla Tape. One roll will more the 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. We decided not to sell our plans and foam panels because of the specialized tools and skills required to build our design.