Do-it-yourself cat lodge or bed (55 photos): simple ideas
Content
Each domestic cat needs its own house. This is an individual place to relax, a refuge. A house for a cat should be her property, and only her. The place where they will not drive away, and where it will disappear. Own cat house will protect you from the fact that the animal will look for a place in the linen closet, in the pillows on the bed or in the sofa. If the design includes game elements, then they will distract the pet from the wallpaper and the bin.
The financial side of the issue is an interesting point, because independent production is profitable. Factory options in stores are unreasonably expensive, and making a cat house with your own hands is not at all difficult. Studying ready-made solutions, you can come up with a housing project, taking into account individual sizes and features. The main thing is that the finished product is environmentally friendly, convenient and safe for the animal.
Types of cat houses
Design is not only the design of living space for people. Pets have become family members and an incredible amount of accessories are being developed for them. For those who like to fantasize, the design of a house for a cat is the embodiment of their ideas (for example, a wicker or knitted house), creating part of the decor of their apartment. Having arranged a dwelling for a pet, the owner fulfills several goals:
- aesthetics in the interior;
- practical use;
- environmental cleanliness (use of self-selected materials);
- financial feasibility.
Cardboard house
A cat is an animal that itself suggests ideas for organizing a home. What thing catches their attention? Cardboard boxes. You can purchase a stunning company house, assemble it, and then discover that the cat has preferred packaging. If you turn the box over, make holes and fix it inside the sunbed, you get the simplest cardboard house. The pet will be delighted. The cat house out of the box will save you a lot of money. The main thing is that the animal should be accustomed to the toilet. Otherwise, the house for the cat out of the box will be constantly wet. Use insulating material to protect the floor from leaks. It’s important to choose cardboard boxes that will support your pet.
Housing can be not only a standard square shape. This is a wigwam, and a hut, and even a round house. Craftsmen create entire labyrinths from cardboard, multi-tiered structures or game complexes. You can connect boxes of different sizes, taking large boxes for the base, and smaller ones for platforms and levels. Come up with an interesting design using braid, ribbons, accessories. Make a cat house out of the box in the colors of your interior.
Wicker house
The advantage of such houses is natural ventilation, environmentally friendly material, and the possibility of using a bottom made of plastic or hardboard (such a bottom is easy to wash). Weaving is made from vines. Such a house turns out to be durable and light. There is the possibility of creating products of any complexity. A wicker house can be in the form of a couch, or it can combine a shelter and an open area. The vine option is suitable for a cottage or a rustic style room. Also, weaving is performed from thin paper tubes.
Soft cat house
This option is suitable for calm animals that need only shelter for sleeping. The fabric house is small and suitable for small apartments. This is an option for cats who love privacy (it can be put in a safe corner). Soft houses are not only beautiful, but also warm, protect from draft and excessively bright light. Do not take a synthetic winterizer for sewing. He does not hold a shape, and the house will constantly be deformed.
Options for small apartments
In a small room it is convenient to use a hanging hammock as a bed for a cat. It is easy to fix on the legs of the chair. An old t-shirt or towel may become a hammock. It does not take up much space; it is convenient to clean and wash. Knitted or sewn from the remains of the fabric, a hammock is not only a temporary solution (while you are building the main house), but also an additional attribute for the life of the pet.
As options for the house will serve as furniture. The ottoman is equipped with an entrance, and in the nightstand you can arrange both a feeder and a shelter, cutting through the necessary holes. For two or more cats, choose a multi-level house with shelters for each animal. This will help save space.
In any room there is an empty corner, into which the angular version of the house harmoniously fits. It does not occupy the useful space of the room, suitable for apartments with a small area. The corner house is made of plywood or wood. It is suitable for both acute and obtuse corners of the room, because the project is created by individual standards of the room.
Other house options
Game complexes are suitable for large rooms. This option takes up a lot of space, but it can be combined with bookshelves. Such design know-how looks stylish and does not spoil the general idea of the interior. A cat tower house will help to cope with an active animal that loves to jump and climb up.
The original version - a couch from an old suitcase. The interior design can be diversified with a vintage product, to which the legs are screwed and an elegant feather bed for the cat is placed inside. For owners of a private house with several floors, dwellings built into the stairwell are suitable.
Features of the construction of the future house
Where to start creating a home? With design. Without a drawing, it is impossible to calculate the required amount of materials. “By eye” it is not clear what size the final design will be. You need to think in detail what the house will be, what material is suitable for its creation, whether it will fit into the atmosphere of your house.
But before you understand the intricacies of designing and creating a home, you need to make a reservation - this is not the construction of a summer house or apartment building, this is just a house for a cat with his own hands. For him, elite materials and excessive chores are not needed, anyway, another animal will not live there. A new cat would prefer a place in the dresser rather than being in a house already inhabited by someone.
To correctly design the future home, you need to know some of the subtleties of the life of cats:
- The size and height of the home. A cat is an animal that lives in several planes. It is important for her not only the ground shelter, but the height of the dwelling. For example, males choose higher beds for themselves. For him - this is an opportunity to explore the surroundings, an instinctive signal that he controls the territory. In this case, the cat tower house is most suitable. For a female, height is not as important as den security. She needs to take shelter with kittens, preserve her offspring. In this case, the sunbed should be closer to the floor.
- Physical exercise. When the cat does not sleep, she drives something on the floor, or sharpens her claws, or is looking for something to play with. If you make a house for a cat with your own hands, then think over the design so that the dwelling is equipped with a scratching post and a hanging toy or ball.
- The presence of several exits. This is especially important for the female, because her maternal instinct always works towards protecting offspring.In case of danger, she will never enter the house through the main entrance. Watch the animal how it behaves: whether it likes to look for nooks, to hide, or, conversely, to follow the world around it. This will tell you how many and what sizes the entrances to the house will be.
- Accommodation. Knowing the size of the future house, decide on its location. Cats are heat-loving animals, so it’s wise to put the house closer to the battery. But do not place the house right next to the heating device in order to avoid fire and overheating of the pet. Domestic cats, like their wild counterparts, are constantly watching the situation around them. Position the house so that you can observe what is happening from the main entrance, or from the site.
How to make a cat house
At the time of creating the drawing, keep in mind that a home-made house should be as stable as possible. Big cats require a solid home fortification. One jump can ruin the entire structure. For the construction of the house, choose natural materials. It is very good to use used things that smell like owners. So the cat is easier to adopt a new home. Traditionally houses are built of wood or plywood. If cardboard is used, then it is better to take packing, gluing it in two or more layers, applying PVA glue with a fan (orienting the corrugated layers perpendicular to each other). Such a workpiece is quite durable. A simple house for a cat with your own hands will fit at the moment when the animal will bring offspring. After all, when the kittens grow up, they will need a more spacious dwelling, and it will not be a pity to throw out a cardboard one.
A sturdy, wooden house is being built for large cats. The house can be two-story, with shelter on the first floor, and a couch on the second. To prevent the cat from picking up a splinter, the wooden panels are covered with fabric. One side of the house can be covered with an old carpet - you get a scratching post. The material for the decoration is necessary natural, because the synthetics of the animal’s hair will be electrified.
The cat’s tower house is the perfect combination of shelter, lounger and claws. The design of this design involves a box at the base for rest, a pillar and a platform for observation. In this case, the support of the bed is the claw point. The column is wrapped with a jute rope, the winding is made dense and strong, partially gluing the coils. If the rope slides, hit it with a hammer.
Despite the fact that wooden houses are popular among owners, as a reliable design, cats themselves sometimes prefer soft nests. In order for such a product to keep its shape, you need to choose a dense material and sew it in several layers. Also, foam rubber is suitable for these purposes. It serves as a layer between the main fabric and the lining. So that the foam does not get off, all layers are stitched together. For easy cleaning in the house, the inner layer can be made of leatherette.
A house for two or more cats is equipped taking into account the hierarchical stairs in animals. They will not tolerate cohabitation in one hole. Each cat will need its own personal space. If the construction is multi-tiered, then the houses are located at a different level (cats themselves will distribute who will live and where). Also arrange several sites for observation and through shelter.
Most importantly, do not forget to watch the cat before designing. She will give all the necessary clues with her habits and habits. A cat house, created in accordance with the nature of the animal, will be the most attractive place for your pet. Try to make a house for the cat, even the simplest one, because they really value their personal space.