Homemade cat condo's

[Monkey_Girl]

I actually found this site while searching for designs for homemade cat condo's. I figured this would be a great place to ask about it.

I live in an apartment so the condo needs to be disassembledable (is that a word? Haha.), meaning, I need to be able to take it apart without ruining it and put it back together again.

I would like it to be quite tall and no more than 4 feet long. I am hoping to be able to build the unit myself. I want to make sure they have a few places to climb, hide and to just hang out.

I am not going to cover the item in carpet as I want to stain or paint the wood (white to match my livingroom) but I would like to add areas where I can make a comfy place to sleep.

Just wondering if anyone had any neat and visually pleasing designs to share?

[oceanmist]

If you mean condo as in this: http://www.catsplay.com/best_penthouse.jpg , I'd suggest keeping the outside wood and such and maybe carpeting the inside.

[Monkey_Girl]

I am looking at making something more elaborate - thinking of something like.. shelving units/bookcases with enclosed spaces and places for them to climb and jump. Cat walks connecting them at the top and such.. hard to explain what I am thinking.. more like a "jungle gym for cats" but with enclosed areas as well as sleeping places.. I'll try to draw it out tonight..

[Monkey_Girl]

These are just some rough ideas, but I would like something like this - maybe with a little more areas for the cats to actually play/walk on, say like a balance beam across the top, etc..

Still haven't found anything I really like..

[Nora B]

Just because of the 'wants' you posted...have you thought about trying something like this? Sauder - 9430 - Pet Bookcase Climber | All Pet Furniture Target has a sale on their bookshelves this week, or you can pick this kind of thing up anywhere really. A couple of five foot tall bookcases, attach some good sisal for scratching, maybe some cusins for sleeping a basket on one shelf for toys....would be pretty awesome in an appartment and easily customizable and added on to....

[Monkey_Girl]

That is what I am thinking of doing.. I have a few bookshelves already that I can get more of that may work.. they are melimine so not sure how well they will hold up to cutting pieces out of.. I would also like to attach a top so they can have some sort of a balance beam to walk on.. and a few other things.



This was sort of the idea I had.. maybe with some slight changes, I like the idea of a cat walk and a ramp as well.

[Najiwench]

Those examples you posted look amazing! I just broke down and got a $99 tree for our kitties, and they like it well enough. BooBoo in particular likes her perch on top where she can view the peasants below.

My oldest daughter and I wanted to build a really big nice one but we haven't had the time and the money together at once, so figured we'd do this until we can make better. I hope, if you decide to build one, you post your progress as you go!

[Monkey_Girl]

We have a nice size one, but it's just not suitable for my spoiled.. wait, did I say that.. cats. Actually, I don't find it big enough for the three of them, and with Stark (my dog) being so large, he can easily bug them if they are on the top seat.

This is the one we have right now:

[Nora B]

Originally Posted by Monkey_Girl

they are melimine so not sure how well they will hold up to cutting pieces out of...

Those bookshleves hold up fine to cutting if you do two things. 1) always tape off the area you will be cutting with masking tape (I use the blue painters tape) 2) use a saw blade with fine teeth designed for cutting laminate/formica and the like. To do circular hole large enough you'll probably need a jigsaw - easy to rent or borrow just buy a good blade. The hardest thing to get right after you've got a good cut is deciding how to finish the rouch edges. Sealing tape can work, a few coats of matching or contrasting paint if you have the patience, or as my son suggested - colored ducktape lol.

Is the space in the middle for a TV?

[Monkey_Girl]

Thanks!

I think I may try it this weekend then.. see how it goes.

The space in the middle is just open space, it will be against windows so I would like as much open space as possible. This way we still get a lot of light in and the cats can have a place to 'perch'.