Cat DIYs Show and Tell

[lunch]

Hello lovelies,

It's been a dreary winter in my neck of the woods (no snow! just endless rain) so I've been keeping myself busy with DIY projects, just wanted to pop in and share a few. It's been fun dreaming up improvements to the apartment to keep the kitties happy.

This is my current foster cat. Her main area is in my studio. I originally made that cat tree for her kittens (so it's more kitten sized) but she absolutely loves the perch at the top and zooming around on her back scratching the underside. It's amazing how playful she became after her motherhood duties were over. Her bed is on the left, just a fuzzy blanket and heating pad in a cardboard box.

Simple window shelf with a tamper proof holder for cat grass

The "catwalk" spanning the three kitchen windows, keeps her off the table when dashing after birds! Doubles as her feeding station. The tray (an extra ikea bit that was going unused) is on velcro for easy washing, it does great at catching all the food crumbs. (That hammock btw was one of the best purchases and I'm currently devising a DIY version of it!)

Something for the awkward corner in the bedroom. I just adopted a very shy rescue who is going to need a lot of time to adjust. Since he's going to be confined to the bedroom a while I wanted him to give him as much of his own "human free zone" as possible to help his confidence. Hoping to add some dangly toys and sisal soon to really deck it out.

This is the new baby, still no name yet. The little cat stump he's happily reclaimed was one of my first kitty DIYs. My previous cat, my soul cat, struggled with illness and when he could no longer jump up to the bed I dismantled and reconfigured his cat tree to make it accessible. We called it his car. Two taps and he would hop in and let me push him around the house

Thanks for letting me share. My heart has been a little heavy adopting again for the fist time since losing Berwicke 15 months ago. I am sure it was the right decision to let this new guy into my life, but it brings up painful memories and fear as well.

Obligatory photo of my lost love. Yes, yes, I am wearing tiger pajamas...

I sure have a soft spot for the stripey fellas.


Thanks again for letting me ramble!
What have others concocted for their spaces? Please share your DIYs and keep the inspiration flowing!

 

[Kitty Memoir]

I love to see how you did with the spaces, very thoughtful and Im sure the Kitties will love it. Not to mention the "catwalk"!. Mine dashed for the birds too

 

[Alldara]

I would love to make a window shelf like that but I think in a rental I cannot. You're so handy!

I'm creative in much less handy ways. We got this dog crate from a friend when my late cat Lily became woobly. She took a tumble when I was asleep and then I began to keep her locked up when I couldn't watch her. Now it's just a bed. I used some very thick cardboard and strapped it to the top and then covered with a fuzzy blanket. It's a good birdwatching position.

My wife is a bit more handy and made these stairs for Nobel out of an old fouton frame (part of it anyway). He never used them but the boys use them a lot.

 

[Kitty Memoir]

lunch In loving memory of Berwicke

 

[iPappy]

This is a great thread! I don't have much DIY stuff unfortunately (I am definitely NOT handy!) but I hope others see the thread and share their ideas!

 

[Norachan]

Oh, well done! I love that window shelf idea.

I really enjoy making stuff for my cats too. They have a fenced in enclosure, so a lot of the stuff I make for them goes outside. This is one of my latest cat towers. A wait-for-the-postman spot near the front door.

 

[Antonio65]

In early 2016 I built a simple wooden ladder for my sweet Lola.
Due to a rare disease yet to be diagnosed, she got very weak and unable to jump onto the window sill, where she could watch the outside world from. So I built this simple ladder that she used from minute one and she loved it.
Here is the photo of the ladder when it was just finished with Lola testing it. The ladder was hooked to the radiator in two points, so that nothing could move it.

This rare disease that made Lola weak, also made her lose her balance often, so, one day she fell from the ladder, and I decided to put a guard on the side.
Lola left me a year later, but the ladder is still there, and is now used by my current cats Giada and Freya.

This is a quite recent photo, the ladder has the guard on the front side that I added for Lola, and it has slightly changed color, it's darker due to the exposition to the sunlight from the window.

 

[maggie101]

Very nice! I am so jealous. My only DIY is a litterbox

 

[rubysmama]

Nothing as impressive as the catwalks, perches, ladders, etc., but I did make Ruby this homemade treat puzzle a while back.

 

[iPappy]

Nothing as impressive as the catwalks, perches, ladders, etc., but I did make Ruby this homemade treat puzzle a while back.

View attachment 445743

She looks very proud of it, too!

 

[Alldara]

Nothing as impressive as the catwalks, perches, ladders, etc., but I did make Ruby this homemade treat puzzle a while back.

View attachment 445743

Oh it's so cute! Is that paper or washi tape covering?

 

[rubysmama]

Oh it's so cute! Is that paper or washi tape covering?

Duck Brand Selfie Cat Duct Tape, 10 Yd. - Walmart.com

 

[Burliscious]

Hello lovelies,

It's been a dreary winter in my neck of the woods (no snow! just endless rain) so I've been keeping myself busy with DIY projects, just wanted to pop in and share a few. It's been fun dreaming up improvements to the apartment to keep the kitties happy.

This is my current foster cat. Her main area is in my studio. I originally made that cat tree for her kittens (so it's more kitten sized) but she absolutely loves the perch at the top and zooming around on her back scratching the underside. It's amazing how playful she became after her motherhood duties were over. Her bed is on the left, just a fuzzy blanket and heating pad in a cardboard box.

View attachment 445576


Simple window shelf with a tamper proof holder for cat grass

View attachment 445577



The "catwalk" spanning the three kitchen windows, keeps her off the table when dashing after birds! Doubles as her feeding station. The tray (an extra ikea bit that was going unused) is on velcro for easy washing, it does great at catching all the food crumbs. (That hammock btw was one of the best purchases and I'm currently devising a DIY version of it!)

View attachment 445579



Something for the awkward corner in the bedroom. I just adopted a very shy rescue who is going to need a lot of time to adjust. Since he's going to be confined to the bedroom a while I wanted him to give him as much of his own "human free zone" as possible to help his confidence. Hoping to add some dangly toys and sisal soon to really deck it out.

View attachment 445580



This is the new baby, still no name yet. The little cat stump he's happily reclaimed was one of my first kitty DIYs. My previous cat, my soul cat, struggled with illness and when he could no longer jump up to the bed I dismantled and reconfigured his cat tree to make it accessible. We called it his car. Two taps and he would hop in and let me push him around the house

View attachment 445581


Thanks for letting me share. My heart has been a little heavy adopting again for the fist time since losing Berwicke 15 months ago. I am sure it was the right decision to let this new guy into my life, but it brings up painful memories and fear as well.

Obligatory photo of my lost love. Yes, yes, I am wearing tiger pajamas...

View attachment 445583

I sure have a soft spot for the stripey fellas.


Thanks again for letting me ramble!
What have others concocted for their spaces? Please share your DIYs and keep the inspiration flowing!

Thank you so much for sharing and I loved to hear about/view your new kitties!!!! I actually recently joined this site due to a question I had about the upcoming 'sticky buds from Cottonwood trees' - we'll deal with that as it comes. ....We adopted an 8month old kitty on November 21st 2022. Lily showed up at our doorstep (we rent a little house on an acreage), totally terrified! Long story short, we will never know her origin but think someone just dropped her somewhere because, according to the vet, she had been a stray for quite awhile. There are coyotes, hawks, owls around us, but she survived. I'm not sure why she came to us at 6pm dinner time, JUST as I put the plates on the table and MEOWED like HELL, but she is our BABY!!! My husband has had cats in his past, as well as my in-laws, but I have never owned a cat (or a pet). Lily has given us so much joy!!! She is very self aware and strong, despite her compact frame. After her spaying on Dec 22nd 2022, she removed the cone in the car on the way home and there was NO WAY of getting that back on. Instead, she didn't touch the wound ONCE, so it healed wonderfully. The most difficult time was trying to NOT have her play for a week. Since January, she LOVES to go outside and is an avid mouser. Now that the snow has melted, she even loves me to come outside and play with her! My husband is the 'master massager' (Lily LOVES his massages) and my teenage stepson is the 'master stroker'. I am Lily's playmate, source of food, clean her litter box (a bit OCD - wouldn't you want your toilet always spotless?) and her Mama (she kneads me during the night). Thank you for letting ME 'ramble'

 

[lunch]

Thanks Kitty Memoir ! Glad to share, I love seeing how different all the kitty set-ups can be too. I've only been with a few cats myself and I'm really coming to appreciate how different cat personalities can be and how much their interests vary. Just last night I learned my foster gal would dash for the birds inside my computer screen too. She seriously dove full force into the screen, I was so surprised. It was a first for me, but I'm sure others could have predicted it.
And thank you thank you for the sweet, adorable Berwicke memorial. I am so touched. He was truly my best friend.

Thank you A Alldara , I love your set-up! Sweet wobbly Lily A very thoughtful solution to keep her safe, and now a deluxe window seat. Simple sometimes is just the best. Those stairs are great too! The design looks quite cool and I love that your wife was able to repurpose some old material. I'm so glad you shared your pics!!

That's okay iPappy ! Although I bet you're handier than you think I wasn't always handy myself, and I make a lot of mistakes still. The first time I tried to make a cat tree was pretty embarrassing... I'm grateful the kitties don't laugh at me too much.

Thanks Norachan ! That one is really a hit with my foster gal. Your outdoor enclosure looks awesome, those are some lucky cats you've welcomed into your life. The design of your cat tower is very thoughtful, and it looks super sturdy. Did you make the enclosure too? Super inspiring.

Aww Antonio65 I'm so moved by your story. Darling Lola The ladder solution is brillant, so glad she was still able to enjoy that sunny window seat above the warm radiator. I love that you kept it in place too, to still be used and loved. The way the color has changed over time says a lot about how much they appreciate it, I think. Such gorgeous kitties all three of them. Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks maggie101 ! A custom litterbox might be the most important DIY of all actually.

Oooh, rubysmama that is excellent! I never would have thought to do that. Definitely impressive. I agree with iPappy that Ruby looks very proud of it. She's such a cutie. You've definitely inspired me to try making one too.

Congrats B Burliscious ! It's so good to hear that there's one more stray that doesn't have to fight for its life outside. Lily is very lucky to be taken in by you! I'm with you in the excitement of bringing a new baby home who was living the tough life, learning their personality as they start to open up their hearts
My newly adopted guy was living in the industrial section of a nearby city with lots of heavy machinery, active construction, manufacturing, chemical processing, and a busy shipping terminal. Eeek! I am so grateful to the local woman who trapped him so he could find a better life. She alone is responsible for trapping so many city strays and ferals, I really admire her and all who do that kind of work.

Thanks for swapping stories with me everyone! Even with just the few kitties I've known, finding creative ways to meet their needs and suit their personality quirks seems to be a big part of sharing space with them. Even a creative furniture arrangement is a DIY I'd love to read about.
Keep em coming

 

[catapault]

Domino likes the picture window above the pair of front doors. He would jump from the railing at the upper stair landing to the windowsill. Himself made a catwalk for Domino, as you can see.

But why the silly beast wants to almost perform



a head stand I do not know​

 

[iPappy]

lunch I got to help build a catio, but I had no idea what I was doing and was pretty much walked through every tiny step the entire time! I was then in charge of standing there and holding things up so the people who knew what they were doing could get in there and get the job done.

 

[Kitty Memoir]

lunch you are most welcome
keep us in the loop with more of your new DIY project

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

not nearly as cool as most of the items above, but here is a window seat I made for my furbabies:

And here is the view I also put together for them, plus a bird feeder hung from the tree that was outside that window until we had to cut the tree down:

 

[iPappy]

not nearly as cool as most of the items above, but here is a window seat I made for my furbabies:

View attachment 445906

And here is the view I also put together for them, plus a bird feeder hung from the tree that was outside that window until we had to cut the tree down:

View attachment 445909

I had to do a double take, I thought "Where on earth does she live, those are the most colorful birds I've ever seen!" then looked closer and was like "oh."

 

[Mac and Cats]

I have posted this in a couple other posts, so forgive me for posting again. One of our cats is a little short and stubby and also has arthritis. So, she has a bit of an issue with jumping. She CAN jump up to the second level, but I know it isn't easy for her. I also wanted to utilize the space and put a litter box on the very top (although it only gets used every couple days). To help her out, I added these stairs. I want to also put a little wall shelf or hammock on this wall, but I haven't decided exactly where would be best to put it or what kind I want to add (suggestions are welcome!). I used scrap wood and some left over L brackets from another project. I did two very light coats of varnish so I could wipe them off easier. I am quite proud because I did the whole thing by myself!

Here is our arthritic girl investigating for the first time.

Here is the baby of the family exploring them when he was a wee babe. He's a fluffy fat potato now.