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 Go Canada!
Posts: 2954
   
| AmazingStretch - 2016-12-15 8:15 PM For those that use heat lamps- Doesn't a risk of a fire scare you?? My father is a fireman, so I suppose he's extra cautious & passes that on to me... I would bring them inside but I actually rent a barn about 15 minutes from my house, so that's not really an option either- and of course the feed/tack room isn't enclosed so I can't really heat that successfully either
Mine is hanging (can't be knocked over) /'d I check on it / the barn at least 4x a day. If I'm going away overnight or for a weekend I'll unplug it and turn the heat on slightly in the barn instead. Otherwise I just keep an close eye on it. |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
 
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | MidWest1452 - 2016-12-16 8:30 AM Our 3 barn cats handle our winters just fine. They have a few boxes with a hole cut in them and straw inside to cuddle in but ours are pretty darn active during winter. They put on their 'winter weight' and handle the cold better than I do haha. They have free choice food, heated water bowl and cat doors so they can get anywhere and everywhere they want. ETA: Our barn is insulated but not heated.
My barn cats doubled in size like a month ago, they know when winter is going to be cold just like the horses! lol |
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Go Canada!
Posts: 2954
| SmokinGirlie - 2016-12-16 9:18 AM
MidWest1452 - 2016-12-16 8:30 AM Our 3 barn cats handle our winters just fine. They have a few boxes with a hole cut in them and straw inside to cuddle in but ours are pretty darn active during winter. They put on their 'winter weight' and handle the cold better than I do haha. They have free choice food, heated water bowl and cat doors so they can get anywhere and everywhere they want. ETA: Our barn is insulated but not heated.
My barn cats doubled in size like a month ago, they know when winter is going to be cold just like the horses! lol
Mine do the same thing  |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I don't do anything for my two either. They have food, water, and access to the hay shed. They sleep in the hay and haven't seemed cold. Fat and happy cats.
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | If they have hay to crawl into, they are usually fine; especially if they have other cats to cuddle with.
Some of our cats go in the barn (barn is not heated). Some stay outside and go cuddle with the calves in their hay. Or in one of the polebarns in the hay.
They get fed a little extra when it's cold out. They do quite well. Farm cats are tough!
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 Life Saver
Posts: 10477
Location: MT | I know of a house that almost burned down because of one of those heated pet beds, those aren't totally foolproof either. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| Mine do have a heated water bowl and they drink a LOT of water in the winter - I'd say more so than in the summer. |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | Couple of years ago a house was burned to the ground in the Wichita area because of a heat lamp in a garage........put there to keep two dogs warm. Sadly they died in the fire. You have to be careful with heat lamps. |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| Griz - 2016-12-16 11:02 AM
Mine do have a heated water bowl and they drink a LOT of water in the winter - I'd say more so than in the summer.
I noticed their water bowl has been going down faster the last few weeks. I thought maybe the hens were stealing drinks from it too but they have their own water next to it. My 3 outside cats have been putting the food away for sure lol! |
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Regular
Posts: 79
| I have had one barn cat for about 5 years now...still very ferel but we see her everyday. We do nothing special in terms of heating...we do plug in a water dish and she has food 24/7...in the Winter we do bring her a warmed up can of cat good...otherwise, she's got dry food down 24/7. We put a cat bed out there one year but she rather may her bed in the hay...our barn is not really insulated and not heated...she is fat and happy |
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Regular
Posts: 95
| So it's okay that I have doubled in size for winter just as well?!?!?!  I've found that most barn cats seem to do just well if they can end up in the hay barn and have access to heated water & food. |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | P68 - 2016-12-17 2:13 PM So it's okay that I have doubled in size for winter just as well?!?!?! I've found that most barn cats seem to do just well if they can end up in the hay barn and have access to heated water & food.
    
Edited by Frodo 2016-12-17 2:47 PM
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 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | rodeomom3 - 2016-12-15 3:40 PM I bought some $5 plastic storage bins with lids, cut a hole in the side and put hay in it. My barn cats use them in the winter. 2 or 3 will be in there at one time, they seem toasty warm :).
I saw one like that on Facebook (I think) and they put a pet bed inside the storage bin. Looked pretty snug. I have two cats who hate each other. What I wouldn't give for them to be able to snuggle up. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas |
Nailed it....  |
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