A cat house is a must for any home where this pet lives. Just like a human, a cat also needs a safe place where it can sleep and shelter. What kind of cat house should you choose for indoors and outdoors? We suggest!
Cat house for indoors
Even if you have a non-outdoor cat that spends its life in a warm apartment, still the pet needs its own house. And if, as a rule, he sleeps with you or on an armchair, he also should be able to hide in a place specially designed for him. An interesting (and not at all difficult) idea is to make a doghouse for your fluffy favorite. We suggest, how to make a cat house!
DIY cat house from cardboard
Cats love cardboard boxes and all kinds of boxes in which they can hide. Making your own cat house out of cardboard is a very easy and inexpensive option. It’s also a sensational solution if you run a temporary home for stray cats!
To make such a box you need a large cardboard box, a knife (for paper or upholstery) and wide adhesive tape. On one side, cut out the entrance:it can be round, square or any other shape. The top of the cardboard can remain flat, but it will be interesting to form it in the shape of a canopy and tape it. If you want the house to be more finesse, you can glue two cardboard boxes together and make a bunkhouse, cutin it with windows or paint the roof.
DIY wooden cat house
A cat house made of wood is a slightly more difficult option than the cardboard one, because it requires having tools and a bit of DIY skills. To make it, you will need plywood or wooden boards, mounting glue, a hammer and nails (possibly a screwdriver), impregnate and paint to finish the house.
To begin with, you need to measure the boards that will make up the walls and the floor and roof. The simplest construction is a house in the shape of a cuboid. In one of the boards, cut an entrance hole -shape completely arbitrary. All the boards are glued together with mounting glue, in addition, in the corners and in the middle of each board we drive nails to strengthen the structure. To make the house safe, be sure to sand it down – cats can get cut by too sharp edges. The last thing is to impregnate the wood with a suitable preparation and paint it in the color of your choice. Wooden cat house ready!
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DIY cat playhouse with scratching post
Cat scratching post is a more complicated construction than a wooden house, but definitely worth considering: cats love scratching posts and all kinds of play furniture. You can make the house from a furniture board or convert a small bookcase to it (great for this are bookcases available off-the-shelf at home improvement stores).
If you are not going to use a ready-made bookcase, you will need furniture board or plywood to make such a house.In addition to it, you will need an additional board or rail, which will be the base of the scratching post, thick string to wrap around the board, and a piece of fairly sharp carpeting which will also serve as a scratching surface. You will need tools and mounting glue to assemble the boards and scratching post, and hot glue to glue the carpet .
The cat house is assembled similarly to the previous point – you simply bump the boards into the desired shape. If you want to provide your cat with more entertainment, you may be tempted to story house: in one part it will have a bed, and in the other a play area. On one side of the house, using shorter boards,install a scratching post, which is a board wrapped with thick string. Cover one of the outside walls with a thick, quite hard carpet – on this surface the cat will also be able to rub its claws. To ensure that your pet has a comfortable bed, stick a piece of soft carpet in the middle, possibly adding a blanket or mattress.
Cat beds to buy
Cat beds are a whole lot on the market.From the simplest rectangular houses to completely large, storied structures with scratching posts and hammocks. In addition to wooden cat houses, you can choose houses made of fabric – soft, pleasant and increasingly made of washable materials. Cat beds can be matched to the design of the apartment. Neven lovers of beautiful design will find something for their cats: from modern simple bedding to those maintained in a vintage climate.
Cat house for outdoors
If your cat is an outdoor cat and spends time in the backyard, it should have its “headquarters” there. You can also put up a cat house if you know that there are homeless cats living in your neighborhood – especially in winter they will need it a lot.
Cat house for summer
The house we put for our cat in the backyard must be more durable to a variety of weather conditions than the one we provide at home. In summer, the weather can be capricious, so a cat house should, above all, have a roof that does not leak. If you make the house yourself, take care to cover it with foil. Although it’s generally warm in summer, it’s a good idea to put the cat house on legs or at least on a pallet -it won’t get moisture from the ground.
DIY insulated cat house for winter
Cat houses for winter should be mandatory heated,and in addition have a roof that does not leak. The simplest construction, which does not require specialized tools or expensive materials,is a cat house for winter made of polystyrene foam.
You need a few pieces of polystyrene foam: for walls and the roof, in addition, stock up on mounting tape, a cutter, foil (or thick garbage bags), a pallet that will insulate the house from the ground, and something warm to arrange the inside of the lair.
First connect into a cuboid all the pieces of Styrofoam, previously cut evenly. You can do this with mounting tape, or reinforce the structure with sticks or long nails. In one of the walls, you need to cut a hole (and tape it on the inside edge)through which the cat will enter – it is important that it is not too close to the floor, as snow will fall through it.
After creating the structure, cover the entire house carefully with plastic sheeting, and if you have the opportunity, also make an additional canopy that extends slightly beyond the structure: it can be made of a piece of plastic, plexiglass or a slightly larger piece of Styrofoam. This will prevent water from pouring in. From fleece or other nice-to-touch fabric make a cat bed inside. The last step is to set the house on a pallet and add weight to the structure (can be a brick or heavy board) so that it won’t be blown away by the wind.
The advantages and disadvantages of homemade and ready-made cat houses
If you are wondering whether it is better to undertake the creation of a cat house with your own hands, or simply buy one of the ready-made ones – see the summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each option that we have prepared.
The advantages and disadvantages of self-made houses
DIY houses are, above all, environmentally friendly.Most often we use what we already have without generating more waste. Cat houses made of boards or panels will also not decompose as much as plastic or those made of synthetic materials. Besides, it’s an economical option: a house made of cardboard or plywood is much cheaper than ready-made cat kennels.
The disadvantages include the time-consuming nature of such a project.While a cardboard house is quite easy to make, a wood house with a scratching post requires a lot of time and skill. The result can be sensational, but you also have to expect that not everything will come out evenly and perfectly.
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Pluses and minuses of ready-made beds
The main advantage of store-bought beds is saving time -we don’t have to spend it on fitting boards, cutting, painting. Another plus is very large selection of designs and colors:the cat house can be matched to our interior design. Many beds are created in cooperation with animal lovers, so they are completely safe, easy to clean and durable.
The downside of beds from stores is certainly their price. Larger cat houses can cost up to several hundred zlotys. Buying a bed made of polyester or plastic is not environmentally friendly and generates more waste. Whichever cat house you decide on, remember that it must fit the size of your cat.
You already know how easy it is to make a cat house yourself. This simple yet functional accessory will not only be a peaceful retreat for your purrfect friend, but can also become an interesting addition to improve the arrangement of your home or yard. However, if you prefer to opt for a ready design, you should also have no problems. Would you recommend a specific type of house to cat people?If so, be sure to let us know in the comments!
