Homemade Cat Plans
A cat condo can meet several of your cat's needs, including a vertical area for scratching, a comfortable, high perch for resting and a quiet, enclosed area for hiding. Cat condos can be expensive to buy and you may not be able to find one that suits your space. An alternative is to make your own cat condo. This project can take just a few hours of your time but will provide years of pleasure for your cat.
Planning
Many resources are available online and at your bookstore and library to help you find plans for a cat condo. Before you develop your plan, decide how big you want your cat condo. Cat condos range from portable units with one tunnel and perch to multi-level palaces stretching from floor to ceiling.
When deciding the size of your cat condo, consider its eventual location. You need to know where in your home you will place your cat condo so you know how big it can be. Also consider how many cats will be using the condo and how large they are. You can make a smaller condo for one cat and a larger condo for two or more cats.
You also need to determine your budget for this project. Knowing how much you can spend will help you narrow the choices for plans. Cat condos range from temporary structures made from paper bags or cardboard to permanent units made from wood, carpet and building tubes.
Making a Temporary Cat Condo
If you want an inexpensive temporary cat condo that will keep your cat entertained for a few hours, pull out some paper grocery bags or cardboard boxes. Cut windows and doors in the bags or boxes so your cat can crawl around, and put in a small pillow or soft fabric to make a cozy rest area. You can stack sturdy corrugated boxes to make a multilevel condo. Use strapping or mailing tape to hold the boxes and bags together.
Making a Permanent Cat Condo
You can make a more permanent cat condo out of supplies from around your home or at your local home building store. It may be helpful to look at cat condos at your pet store or online to get ideas for how you want your cat condo to look. A typical cat condo consists of a plywood base and multiple perches, supports, tunnels, and hiding holes. Pieces of plywood covered with carpet remnants or fake fur make ideal perches for your cat to lie on. Lengths of 2x4s or carpet tubes (available for free from carpet stores) wrapped in sisal rope make good scratching posts and supports, while concrete building forms make ideal tunnels. All you have to do is cut the form to the size you want and then cover it with more carpet, fake fur or sisal rope. Hiding holes are simple wooden boxes with entry and/or exit holes cut in them.
Once you decide on the elements of your cat condo, you are ready to assemble it. Cover your pieces with the carpet, fake fur and sisal rope in advance; you can use glue, a staple gun or carpet tacks for this step. To connect the supports, perches, tunnels and hiding holes together, you can use pop rivets, angle brackets or a nail gun. Just make sure your condo's base is wider than the rest of the condo and heavy. This will ensure that your cat (no matter how rambunctious or large) won't be able to knock it over.
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