Appalachian wood stove

Yeah, that's what I was thinking from the pics; The box is there to shield the cat, and the spring-handled rod slides a plate which lies on top of the firebox, that determines if the air goes straight up the flue, or through the cat. Before investing money in a new cat for what looks like a pretty old stove, I might rather look for a good used stove on craigslist, maybe find a tube stove pretty cheap. If your house is sealed pretty well and has decent insulation (not found as often in TX,) then the pulse-and-glide burn of a tube stove would work in moderate winter weather; The insulated house would retain the "pulse" heat for a while. If the house loses heat quickly, a cat stove with a low, even heat output might be a better choice. Less likely to find a cat stove on CL, I would think. Is a good used, or a new stove in the cards at this point?