PRECISION PETPetmate Precision Extreme Outback Log Cabin Dog House, Large, Natural Wood (7027013)

I have a cat colony that comes and goes throughout the year. I even have a bunch of strays and ferals that have decided to make my backyard their home. I do everything I can to help make their lives a little better. I have one of these for the chicken coup tent that I have up for the cats so they can get out of the wind and rain. I have 2 more of these on my covered back patio. They love them! I have blankets in there and just this last winter we added heaters to them as well. During the winter you will find anywhere from 1 to 4 cats sleeping in these houses.IMO, this house will not hold up out in the weather. I knew that going in. I had full intentions of protecting it. If you can keep it protected, I do highly recommend for cats. The cats did not use these houses right away. But after a bit of time........well, there are cats in them throughout all the seasons now.

The dog house looks nice and was easy to put together. It is lighter weight than expected. If you have a medium size older dog that is very easy on equipment and have the dog house mostly out of the elements it will probably last awhile. A litter or puppies or rougher dog will quickly tear up the 1/4 inch siding and 1 inch framing. I had to shore it up with 2x4 and 2x6 internal framing and floor reinforcements to make it hold up.

I would have given it five stars if the floor was a little sturdier. Otherwise it's a great piece

I don’t know what’s so extreme about this dog house? Maybe the price? It’s made out of thin red cedar strips, it looks great, but the siding is a little too thin for the price, in my opinion.If this were one of the houses from “The Three Little Pigs” it would be the first, maybe the second house, at best, depending on the pig’s budgets. I just know if that if the wolf had been practicing his breathing exercises this house wouldn’t stand a chance.

I would actually give it 4.5 starts (5 with a better stain and heavier duty floor). We have two outside cats. Last winter my wife lost a lot of sleep putting hand warmers in a kitty carrier to help keep the momma cat warm. This year we have her and one of her kittens we kept. We needed a better shelter for the two kitties. So, we purchased the small extreme version together with the insulation package and related door for about $160.Pros:1. This was snap to assemble with a small pivot driver screwdriver. It took about 15 minutes.2. Insulation package fit perfectly and has removable flooring. It has a washable canvas cover and the floor is soft.3. Roomy enough for two full grown kitties to fit without straining the weight capacity of the house.3. Offset door which allows cats to cuddle away from the elements in the back section.4. Elevated floor to keep kitties dry.5. With door installed, the temperature can be maintained and they are more protected from rain/snow.Cons:1. Lightweight. May be easily damaged by a rambunctious dog.2. Wood floor is in three pieces and quite light. May be a problem for a 20 lb dog, but works great for two cats!3. One of the sides was not drilled for perfect fit, but is fine with the installed insulation package.4. Could have a better stain job. I resealed with a clear deck sealer to provide better weather protection as the stain matches my pergola and fence color perfectly.We also purchased a microwave pet bed warmer to provide an additional heat source other than the two cat’s body heat. The house, door, insulation package and bed warmer work well enough. The male (7 months old) took to it as soon as we put it outside. It took the momma (yes she is now fixed) a couple of days before she got comfortable using it. It does a good job in the rain with the door installed. We did not install the door until the cats got use to using the house.So far, the house seems to stay warm enough and dry enough for the kitties!Recommendation: Be sure to orient the door away from the direction you generally get the most rain. We get the most rain from the NE direction. Next is from the SW. So we oriented so the door faces W so the protected side of the house is on the S side and is less exposed to rain and wind.Hope this helps you kitty owners!Kaos