Philip Rogich is a hero to felines, helping stray and feral cats keep warm in the winter cold.
As temperatures started to drop, Philip and his wife wanted to do something for the animals of Ogden, Utah, with no warm space to call home. Using an old cooler, a drill bit, and a wad of straw, he’s giving cold cats a chance to warm up and stay safe during the freezing months. In an interview with Fox 13, Philip said, “Normally the cooler keeps things cold. We’re going to use it to keep animals warm.”
“I saw a Facebook post about a man making them and thought I would give it a try. I made my own post looking for old coolers and it kind of took off. I do a lot of charity work mostly with children. My wife and I are also animal lovers and I wanted to do something for them,” Philip told Bored Panda.
As of now, he’s made almost 80 beds and has enough coolers for 15 more. With the cooler beds placed around Ogden and Riverdale, word had gotten out about Philip’s project. Donations of straw and coolers have started coming in, along with the promise of any unsold coolers from local thrift store, Savers.
Make Your Own Cooler Bed
Philip is thankful for the materials, but he’s the only one making the beds for his group at the moment. For those wanting to help, he’s posted instructions on how to make the coolers beds. He reports the process is simple, the materials easy to find.
Materials Needed:
An old cooler with insulation still intact. “They [the coolers] are already insulated to keep things cold, but they can be used to keep things warm as well. Old ones end up in landfills and the don’t decompose. I’m giving them another use,” said Philip.
A 6-inch drill bit to create the opening. Philip wrote in a Facebook post, “You want the hole to be about 6 inches in diameter. The easiest way is to use a 6-inch drill bit (they run about $40).”
Loads of straw for a warm, dry nest. Philip recommends straw over any other filler material, saying, “Straw has been used for hundreds of years as bedding for animals and that’s because it has the ability to dry out.”
Tape to secure the lid. He also advises “taping the lids shut to keep them from blowing open”.
That easy, outdoor cats will have a safe, dry place to get warm and take a snooze.
Feral cats are often forgotten, but Philip wants to remind everyone, “They get cold in the wintertime too.”
“They’re living creatures… to me, living creatures, they deserve to have their basic needs met,” said Philip.
H/T: Bored Panda
Feature Image: Batman of Ogden/Facebook