How to heat a passivehouse with cats

FreeBear

GingerTim said: Get some sheep instead?

This cropped up in a conversation yesterday. Before the advent of modern heating methods and the transport of fuels across the country, peasants had to rely on what ever was local. For some, this was wood, others, peat. They also kept livestock indoors which helped to heat the place during the cold winter months.

EssexHebridean

GingerTim said:

Get some sheep instead?

Now that's just daft - I can only think of one way a cat could exit using a sheep instead of a catflap and the RSPCA would be down on you like a ton of bricks if you considered THAT acceptable...  

tux900

Alnat1 said:

I've yet to find a well insulated cat flap, they all cause a huge draught. If anyone finds one, please post details

Whilst not a direct answer, I fitted our catflap - or rather two of them - to a tunnel through a wall and even using basic flaps that completely eliminated any draughts. I'm sure there must be some heat loss as a result of conduction through the materials but it's not apparent like it is from draughts when the wind blows with a single flap.

There is also the Petflap which we tried when it was first being developed but unfortunately it was too small for one of our 'plus sized' cats! 

Alnat1

We had the tunnel and 2 doors thing at our last house, had to put a tiny curtain up to cover it as still draughty. Now have flap in outside door into utility room and another flap in door from utility to kitchen (but door is always being left open)

Ectophile

I guess if you shave the cats, they should give off more heat.

Then make sure you throw your food scraps into the garden to encourage rats and mice.  Then train the cats to catch their own food, so you don't have to buy expensive cat food.

markin

Alnat1 said:

I've yet to find a well insulated cat flap, they all cause a huge draught. If anyone finds one, please post details

Not allowed in a passivehouse, The way to do it in any house is to have an internal insulated box and second cat flap, Or an external porch, Both with the flap in the wall not the door. And far away enough that both doors can't be open at the same time.

They had to adjust the passivehouse when led bulbs and TV's stopped heating the house for 'free'

Green_hopeful

When I was a teenager I had a pet lamb. There is no way I am having an indoor sheep.

Alnat1

Bedlington terrier is pretty much a lamb but can be trained not to poop indoors 

silverwhistle

Could you use the cats as insulation for a haybox and at least get cheaper cooking? No problem getting cats into boxes, I have observed.

Green_hopeful

silverwhistle said:

Could you use the cats as insulation for a haybox and at least get cheaper cooking? No problem getting cats into boxes, I have observed.

Like your thinking.