January 9, 2012

I made a playhouse for my cats!

As you probably know, Blog, I've always wanted to make a house for our cats to play in...and I did! It only took about five hours from start to finish, and used only materials that we already had on hand. It was fun on so many levels:
  • it required ingenuity
  • it was a project I could work on with my pets! (sort of)
  • it cost nothing but my time
  • the results will provide years of fun for the whole family!

First, I searched the basement to find suitable materials. I scrounged up a "milk crate," three cardboard boxes, carpet squares, a seat cushion, and some quarter round wood trim. I sketched out a plan and gathered tools, then set to work cutting and taping.

The basement was a bit of a mess for awhile.

I used my Dremel tool to cut the hole in the plastic crate and to cut the wood trim. Used it to sand, too...no rough edges for the kitties! 

Taken upstairs, the playhouse is ready for less messy steps.

In my design I kept in mind the amenities cats desire in their real estate: place to hide, to poke out of, to be high up, and to lounge comfortably.

There's a little window to peek out of, as Cody discovered.

The cushion is tied onto the crate with its own ties. The crate is wired on through four holes I poked through the carpet and cardboard.

It's comfy already!

I added a flap in front for paws to poke in and out after prey. I hung a jingle ball with twine outside the window. And lastly, I covered the outside with vinyl contact paper. Stylin'!


It's ready to move to it's final location, if I can just get the cats away from it long enough.... Play nice with Selke, Codes! There's room for all!


This pose suggests a declaration of ownership....


Fortunately, Selke can hide out of reach!


Now the playhouse is in its planned location, behind the couch. And here you see Cody caught in mid leap!


He's not too big for the "cage."


And it's easy to socialize or watch TV!

"Ooh, I'm cheering for the Lions! Meow!"

Alice finally woke up to see what happened during her six-hour nap.

"Holy moley, there's a new playhouse!"

She likes it too!


So there you go, Blog...another project to check off my Bucket List. And bonus that it turned out so well! I'd advise our cat-loving readers to try this themselves, I had a blast. And I guess if you have any teeny-tiny carpet squares in your basement, you could do this for your hamster, too!

2 comments:

  1. That's so neat! And, from the photographic evidence, already a hit with the cats! :)

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  2. We're having such fun with it...at this very moment Cody has his head down the ceiling hole! LOL Thanks, Sam.

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