All I want is a room somewhere….a review

A lot of people don’t realise that cats like to sit in sheltered spots in their garden and observe “garden traffic “from a point they’re not entirely exposed to the elements, or that in multicat households the option of having a bolthole outside is a sensible option to maintain the status quo.

Being aware a group of cats can mean there’s a bit of a personality juggling act, I ensure there are shelters in my garden for the cats to seek sanctuary in if they decide either their feline family members or the human residents in the house are annoying them.

This is a review of a product that is available on Zooplus, called the Maisonette Outdoor Cat House.

The first plus about this item is that it’s a relatively easy process to follow the instructions. (It comes flat packed.) The initial design of the item, however, had a bit of a design fault on the roof which meant one of the edges had no support pillar, meaning that part of the roof is weaker. The manufacturers had also not considered the fact that not ensuring the roofing felt went slightly over the edge of the roof section would result in exposure to weather and inevitably weakening , bowing and the separating of layers in the plywood.

I contacted the customer services department regarding this when it happened and was told that “they’d received no other complaints similar to mine.” However, photographic evidence from other friends who are also cat lovers who have the same shelter from around the same time of purchase would indicate the issue wasn’t limited to my own experience.

Because the cats like the shelter so much, a second attempt was made. The manufacturers HAVE altered the roof slightly and, to date, it seems to be a much more solid construct. The shelter is used most days in summer and is most definitely a refuge when there’s a sudden torrential downpour.

Now the amendments to the shelter roof have been made, I’d say that the product is more than worth the cost. The resident cats love their vantage point and it seems to be weathering pretty well.

If you’re considering adding a shelter to your garden for the cat in your life, then this one is aesthetically appealing as well as functional. Definitely a must have if your cat is a fan of the great outdoors!

Illustrating the roof of the original shelter weakening…

And the need for structural support being shown on the new shelter.