Outside cat houses are to the outdoor feline as the iconic dog house is to man’s best friend. Much like the dog house, outside cat houses provide shelter. In summer, this means a cool, shady spot to nap, while in winter it keeps cats out of the cold and the wind. A cat’s own body heat provides warmth, while the house itself traps that heat. But when it comes to which material to buy, is plastic or wood better? There is no right answer; it’s up to personal preference. Here are a few point by point comparisons that will hopefully help to make up your mind.
Which one is easier to clean and repair?
Both wooden and plastic outside cat houses require some basic level of maintenance so that they stay looking nice and don’t start to fall apart. Luckily, neither material requires a huge amount of upkeep. The great thing about plastics being a synthetic material is that it will never rot, though it might actually warp and crack like wood when exposed to extreme temperatures and quick temperature changes.
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In general, any wood for outdoor use should be oiled up to a few times each year to prevent the wood from fading, rotting, cracking and splitting. To clean these outside cat houses, wooden surfaces can be cleaned using mild detergents or special wood cleaners.
Which one is lighter?
As far as assembly and transportation, plastic outside cat houses are lighter than wood, unless they’re extra reinforced or are especially ornate in design.
This makes them easier to move around when needed. This begs the question, however, of how often you really need to be moving these cat houses around. Plus, it logically follows that something that is more lightweight is not necessarily as strong against the elements.
Is one better for the environment?
Interestingly enough, although one is natural and one synthetic, both plastic and wooden outside cat houses have their benefits when it comes to being eco-friendly. Wood is a renewable, sustainable resource. At the same time, many companies have been making efforts to minimize the levels of deforestation by replanting an equal number of trees to the number of harvested ones. At the same time, however, there is illegal logging going on in various parts of the world, especially in areas like South American rainforests, where highly prized wood is becoming endangered.
As plastic is a cheap, manmade material, it’s easy to come by and its supply will never run out. Plus, plastics are easy a material to recycle, so many of today’s poly resin furniture and other pieces are already made from recycled material. The biggest problem with plastics and other such synthetic compounds is where they go when they’re not recycled, i.e. landfills. Unlike wood, which is a natural substance that decomposes relatively quickly, plastic furniture that has been thrown away will sit in landfills for centuries before it begins to break down.
That’s all well and good, but which one costs less?
No matter what people might tell you, price is one of the biggest factors that influence any purchase. Speaking in black and white terms, the price tag on plastic outside cat houses is cheaper than that of wooden houses. Wooden cat houses are simply more expensive of a material that also requires more manpower, in addition to whatever shipping costs are included to transport the lumber from the forests to the workshop. In general, the creation of plastics has provided mankind with a cheaper and sustainable alternative to many building and manufacturing materials.
But which one will last in the end?
The problem with a cheaper price is that you pay for what you get. And in the case of plastic outside cat houses, they’re simply not as durable and long-lasting as wood, so the chances are good that you’ll be buying a new cat house every few years. So then you have to ask yourself whether you’d prefer to save some money now by buying plastic, but then have to spent money again later, or whether you’re willing to pay more upfront for a cat house that will last so long you probably will never have to buy another in your cat’s lifetime.