Dog Kennel Guide

For most people these days their pets have become part of the family and one of the side effects of this is that they are willing to spend quite considerable amounts of money to ensure their comfort and well being.  Of course we all know that cats require little in the way of treats and toys so people tend to spend their money on things such as cat kennels or a cat carrier.

Here we will discuss the types and benefits of owning a cat kennel.  Though traditionally people have used cat flaps as a way of ensuring that their beloved pet can escape the cold and wet of the winter months there are quite a few disadvantages to this.  Not the least of these is that they will put muddy footprints all over the floor and furniture.  On top of this a cat flap allows them to bring any mice or other animals that they have caught into your house where they can cause chaos by nibbling things and leaving droppings.

Outdoor cat kennels are designed to be of similar use to a dog kennel.  Giving your cat somewhere safe and quiet to sleep outside.  Of course they are much smaller in size and often have their own cat flap which will help keep out the wind and rain.  These kennels are generally made from plastic allowing them to be cleaned quickly and easily whenever required.  However, some people do use wooden kennels which have been designed for a small breed of dog such as a Chihuahua.

It is a good idea to site the kennel in quite a secluded area of your yard so that your cat can feel like she is slinking off to a secret area to hide.  Anywhere too out in the open and your cat will ignore it feeling that they are exposed to predators and the elements.

Another good use of these kennels is if you are putting your pet into a cat boarding kennels while you are away on vacation as you can take the kennel with you as a little piece of home to help her feel secure.

Though you may worry that it is not worth spending money on an item such as this in case your cat doesn’t use it you can often get cat kennels for sale in your local pet store at the end of each season.

Cats are well known to be home bodies who rarely enjoy being taken anywhere else.  However, there are certain situations where she simply has to be popped into her cat carrier and taken elsewhere – usually the vets or a cat boarding kennels.  There are several different styles of carrier available and so you will need to do a bit of research before you take the plunge and buy one.

If you are environmentally minded then you should consider one made either from re-cycled cardboard or else a natural wicker design.  These materials are great for keeping your cat warm as they are well insulated and can easily be broken down once they are no longer required and so don’t end up filling landfill sites.

Travelling abroad on a plane with your pet will require a special airline cat carrier as the airlines have specific requirements for carrying animals.  These carriers are particularly well ventilated, have a very closely meshed door so that paws can’t fit through and are made from toughened plastic so as not to be easily damaged in transit.  They can also be bought with extra features such as wheels for ease of movement and a water bowl that can be fixed to the door so that it doesn’t get spilt.  Sometimes people will actually use a small dog kennel for this purpose as they are easier to get hold of and also tend to be cheaper!

Before taking your cat on a trip out it is a good idea to get her accustomised to it by leaving it out in the house with the door open and a comfortable or well liked cushion inside it.  This way she will be able to go in of her own accord and so will not feel threatened by it.  You never know, she may like it so much that it becomes an everyday cat kennel!

One of the newest styles is a soft cat carrier made in the style of a bag.  These are made from reinforced nylon with handles on the top for ease of carrying.  The advantage of this type of carrier is that it is easy to compact and store when not in use and the market leader in this area is the Sherpa cat carrier.

As you can see there are plenty of different styles of cat carriers and so it will be easy to find one that will suit your purposes.

The first recorded use of a dog kennel was in Egypt 5000 years BC.  These kennels were made from mud bricks for dogs who were both used as hunting companions and as pets (some people even thought that they were messengers of the gods).  Over the course of history dogs have always been popular pets for humans, often living within the home as part of the family or used as guard dogs of for hunting.  The Victorians started the trend for the traditional pitched roofed wooden kennels which are still popular today.

In the 1960’s the invention of plastic made it possible to mass produce plastic dog kennels.  These come in a variety of forms from folding crates, which can be collapsed for easy storage to kennels to transport dogs in cars.  The most recent addition to this market is the igloo dog house.

Igloo dog houses have been designed with certain specifications in mind to make your dog’s life more comfortable.  They are basically an igloo style dog house with a long porch leading onto a large living area.  The design shape allows good air circulation while the special foam insulation means that an igloo dog house remains nice and warm in the winter but refreshingly cool in the summer.  Most of these houses have a channel which runs all the way round the inside edge which any unwanted fluids will run into.

It is also possible to buy added extras to put onto your kennel such as a door for the entrance or a bowl holder which fixes to the outside of the dog igloo.  A washable floor pad made will also help to keep the kennel clean though the plastic dog house is actually very easy to clean and won’t harbour fleas or mites as a wooden kennel might.

Other advantages of an igloo dog house include the fact that they are incredibly easy to put together, only involving the clipping together of the top and base, and there is no chance of it rotting like a wooden kennel or rusting like a metal dog cage.  The rim of the door has been specially designed to help keep rain out and the inner floor is slightly raised to stop the cold from passing up from the ground and into your dog.  Of course though these are really designed for dogs there is no reason that you could not use a small one as a cat kennel.

If you are looking to buy a dog kennel then you are in luck as the market is huge and so there is a kennel available in every size, shape and colour as well as being made from a variety of materials.  In fact you might find that you just have so much choice that a decision is even harder to make.  One variety is plastic dog kennels.  These are great for small to medium sized dogs but if you have a large dog then you would probably be better off with a wooden or metal kennel.

Thought there are different types of plastic dog crates they do all have some advantages in common.   The main one is that they are very light making them easy to carry and, therefore, easy to transport from room to room or into a car.  The smooth, impermeable surfaces in a plastic dog crate also make them incredibly easy to clean.  You can simply wash larger particles of dirt and hair out and then wipe down the crate with some anti-bacterial cleaner.

There are different varieties of plastic dog kennels made with different purposes in mind.  One type is made from rigid plastic with an easily removable grate at the front.  These are usually used for transporting a dog short journeys in a car, say to the vets or a boarding kennels.  You can buy these for medium sized dogs but for small dogs a cat kennel will work just as well.

A plastic dog house comes into its own when you want to house train a new puppy as dogs are naturally reluctant to go to the toilet in their own bed.  You can use this to your advantage by taking him out to the garden to do his business as soon as he comes out of his dog kennel and, even if he does have an accident, it won’t really matter as it’ll be an easy job to clean it up.

As well as rigid plastic dog kennels you can buy kennels with plastic frames that have nylon stretched over them.  These are made to be easy to fold up so that they don’t take up much space when not in use.  The nylon can also be removed and put into the washing machine when it gets dirty.  These are quite often used by people who take their dogs to shows as they only need them at certain times.

Though in an ideal world our pets would never be left alone the reality is that they will have to be without their owners at different times and for different lengths of time.  Most cats spend the daytime hours on their own while their owners go to work.  They will either have access to the house through a cat flat or else have a cat kennel in the garden to retreat to should they want to escape the weather or just have a nap in a secure place.  However, if you are going to be away for more than just a day then you will need to think about who will care for your feline friend.

While some people are lucky enough to have friends, family or neighbours who are willing to come in and feed their cat while they are away, many will need to think about using a boarding kennels.

Luckily most towns have at least one boarding cattery where you can leave your cat for as long as you like.  Even somewhere which is basically a boarding dog kennel may have some spaces for cats too.  Make a visit to the cattery before you leave your cat there to make sure that it is up to the standards you require and to find out exactly what level of care is provided.  If you will need cat boarding for several weeks at a time then you should ask about whether they perform cat grooming routines to keep the cat’s coat in good condition.  Ask about their access to veterinary care should your cat fall ill while you are away and find out how much human attention they will get each day.  Some less scrupulous places will just leave them in the kennel and do no more than feed them daily.

To make your cat feel more secure and at home when you leave her, give the cattery her own bed from home to sleep in.  The well known smell will help reduce her anxiety at being left.

If your cat requires a special diet or has health issues then it is very important that these are discussed at length so that you can be confident that she is receiving the best possible care.

Some catteries also take dogs so check that her cage will not be in close proximity to a dog kennel if she is nervous of dogs.

Of course everyone knows that when you buy a dog you need to buy a dog kennel.  For dogs their kennel represents a den in which they can escape the world or sleep.  However, not many cat owners also own a cat kennel.  This is because, generally speaking, cats will sleep anywhere.  Even in the most unlikely and uncomfortable looking of places.

In spite of this, cat kennels are becoming an increasing popular purchase.  One of the reasons for this is that in many households everyone goes out to work and so there is no-one at home to let the cat in or out as it wishes.  Though many people solve this problem with a cat flap, others do not want to have one installed.  This might be because their back door is unsuitable for having a large hole made in it (or they don’t want to destroy the look of the door) or because their cat has a tendency to scratch furniture and make a bit of a nuisance of itself if left to its own devices in the house.  Of course, during the warm summer months this is not such an issue.  Most people are quite happy to leave their cats out all day whilst they are at work when the weather is fine.  Conversely, when winter comes you would feel a bit mean leaving your poor feline friend out all day in the cold.  This is where an outdoor cat kennel comes into its own.

Kennels for cats are generally quite small and made of plastic.  They can be hidden away somewhere in the garden so that your cat can curl up in it if it starts to rain or it wants some warmth.  You can even buy some with cat flaps attached so that the worst of the wind and rain can’t even get in via the entrance.  If you put a cushion inside then it will soon become a favourite bolt hole for your feline friend and you will be able to feel that she is getting the best cat care available even when you are not around.  Another great thing about owning one is that it can double as a cat carrier when you want to take your pet to the vets.

The plastic construction of a cat kennel means that it is very durable (they are also often made to be fade resistant) and, more importantly, very easy to clean.  A quick hose down every now and then will remove all hair and dirt easily and it will dry off in no time.  Now you can be sure that your cat is as happy as your dog is in his dog kennel.