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Stacking functions…with cats (AKA purrrmaculture)

 
master gardener
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Location: Carlton County, Minnesota, USA: 3b; Dfb; sandy loam; in the woods
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I have an electric dehydrator. I preserve harvest and dry seeds with it. But it leaks a lot of heat. I wouldn’t call it an efficient appliance. But if the furnace is on anyway, any heat it loses is just heat the furnace didn’t have to make, so no biggie. But also, the cats love sitting on it while it’s warm. So the cat bed function stacks on the room heater function on top of the food dehydrator function.

That got me thinking. I also have an indoor winter plant tent for growing chiles all winter here in the far north. I leave the door unzipped except when I’m containing ladybugs inside. And 2/3 of the cats like to bask in the “sun” and warmth there.

My cats are helping my permaculture. ;-)
IMG_1527.jpeg
fluffy cat on dehydrator
IMG_1526.jpeg
black cat in grow-tent
 
Steward of piddlers
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Location: Upstate NY, Zone 5, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall
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What is the phrase? "If it fits, it sits."
 
steward & bricolagier
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Cats add the puurrrr to permaculture!
 
master steward
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That's a working cat - it's adding insulation to the inefficient food dryer!
 
pollinator
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If you leave the catfood in the house they will drag all that heat they soaked up into the house.
More efficient if the cat is particularly fat. Adds mass.
 
steward and tree herder
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Useful for prewarming sofa seats..........
cats sleep on your chairs
source
......Not so useful if you actually want to sit there!

 
Christopher Weeks
master gardener
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It’s dehydrator season again and I was reminded of this thread.
IMG_3103.jpeg
Orca (the cat) barely fits on the dehydrator full of beans
Orca (the cat) barely fits on the dehydrator full of beans
 
master pollinator
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Useful bed warmers, too!
Me-and-three-cats-Oct-2024.jpg
[Thumbnail for Me-and-three-cats-Oct-2024.jpg]
 
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