How to Build a Cat House

Many cat-owners believe that domestic cats should have their own niche outdoors. Staying in close commune with nature fosters kitty's good health. But, the idea may seem dilemmatic at first. How safe will be your little friend when danger lurks outside in the form of predators, inclement weather, heavy traffic and other cats? Will he himself be a threat to little birds and rodents if let loose outdoors? These questions can be cracked, if you provide your kitty with a cozy feral shelter outdoors. Building a cat tree that can be placed on your garden or porch will provide your cat with all the benefits of outdoor living, without making him vulnerable to possible threats. Your kitty can use the cat tree to play, scratch, relax and nap. Learn how to go about building a cat tree/ cat house for your cat.




Tools Required

Hammer

Miter Box &Saw

Screwdriver or Drill

Adhesive

Measuring Tape

Utility Knife

Level

Materials Required

3 ft long lumber pieces (2"x4")

22"x25"x4" lumber piece (for the top)

24"x18"x4" lumber piece (for the bottom)

A square or rectangular box (with an open front)

3 rolls of sisal rope

4 ft of Quick-Tube building forms(12 inch diameter each)

Screws and Nails

Corner Brackets

Carpets

Plywood

Procedure

Begin the process by carefully wrapping the sisal ropes in the lumber poles till about 2 ft. Nail properly to hold the ropes in place.

Cover the exposed areas of the poles with carpets. Also carpet the lumber pieces that are meant to be placed at the top and bottom of the structure.

Next nail two sisal wrapped lumber poles to the bottom piece (24"x18"x4") on the front edge of the platform leaving some space from both the ends.

Nail the remaining lumber pole at the back of the platform positioning it exactly at the middle.

Firmly place the wooden platform (22"x25"x4") on top of the 3 poles and nail it properly. See that the legs stand firmly and vertically.

Carpet the exterior and interior of the wooden box properly and make it warm. It is going to serve the purpose of your kitty' indoor sanctum.

Use corner brackets and screws to hold the box below the wooden top platform and nail it properly to the lumber poles.

Next measure and cut the Quick Tube at a length of 22". Now cut it further into two halves lengthwise.

Take one of the semicircular halves of the tube and properly glue it with carpets. It is going to function as your kitty's bed.

Next, locate a suitable position and use screws to attach this bed with the cat tree. Use a corner bracket to fix the back half of the bed to the tree. An ideal position to place the bed is a few inches below the carpeted box.

The next task would be to prepare a small play tunnel for kitty. Cut a length of the Quick Tube (18"-19 "). Further hack it into two semicircular halves and carpet these two halves.

Once both the sides of the halves are carpeted, re-join them like before with the help of an adhesive and glue corner brackets to it.

Place this carpeted tube a few inches below the bed. Connect it firmly to the legs of the tree with the help of screws.

Last of all, cover the brackets with cut pieces of carpet and your cat house is ready.

You can either attach the structure to a wall or make it stand alone in a desired place. Check that it is stable enough to withstand a bunch of cats scurrying around. Try adding some fine trinkets (like bells and cat toys) and watch your kitty purr with approval and delight.