Catification hacks are a real check of your creativity, however they can lead to one thing completely distinctive and funky. Just discover a piece of furnishings or different merchandise that wasn’t designed for a cat and modify to make it into precisely what you’re on the lookout for. This will be so simple as tossing a blanket inside an ornamental basket in your cat to curve up in or just a little extra complicated, like this cat climber.
By hacking current objects, you don’t should construct the whole lot from scratch. Look for issues that provide the fundamental construction you want and that match your model. For extra superior initiatives you might want a couple of fundamental instruments, however you don’t should be a grasp carpenter.
Hacks can be price range pleasant. You can buy new objects or use issues you may have mendacity round or that you simply discover at a thrift retailer. The artistic prospects are infinite!
Buying the proper stuff
I took a visit to IKEA to seek out some fundamental items to create a cat climber. I selected the BAGGEBO TV stand ($19.99) as the bottom of the cat climber as a result of it has a number of compartments that turn out to be ranges for cats to climb on whenever you flip the stand on its aspect. It measures simply over 35 inches lengthy — the right top for a small climber or a window perch — plus at solely $19.99 it’s a cut price!
I additionally picked up a small TRAMPA coir door mat ($7.99), a texture that cats like to scratch and rub on, and a few KRISTRUP polyester doormats ($1.29 every) to make use of for non-slip pads.
Not all cats will need to leap the complete 35 inches to the highest platform, so I made a decision to connect three small steps to the aspect of the piece to let cats climb up and down. Instead of utilizing common cabinets, I selected three small APTITLIG bamboo chopping boards ($3.49 every) with SIBBHULT shelf brackets ($.75 every).
©Photography by Kate Benjamin
Catification hack (definition)
Using on a regular basis merchandise or furnishings that had been by no means meant for use by a cat and turning them into one thing completely distinctive that your cat will love.
Tools and supplies
Here is the whole lot else you will have for the undertaking that you could get at your native home-improvement retailer.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin
- Utility knife
- Straight edge and a chopping floor
- Marking pen and pencil
- Electric drill
- Electric driver or a daily screwdriver
- Paint brush and white paint
- Contact adhesive and applicator brush and/or double-sided carpet tape
- Screws and t-nuts for attaching the steps to the aspect
©Photography by Kate Benjamin
Instructions
- Assemble TV stand in keeping with instructions, however don’t connect the again panel or the toes that got here with it.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - Measure and minimize the coir door mat to suit the decrease part of the aspect. This will create a vertical scratching floor.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - Measure and minimize the polyester doormats to suit inside compartments and on high perch.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - To connect the coir mat for the vertical scratching floor, use heavy-duty contact cement. Work in a well-ventilated space away out of your cats, and search for an adhesive that’s unhazardous when cured. Follow the instructions rigorously; on this case I needed to apply the adhesive to either side and let it dry earlier than attaching.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - To connect the polyester doormats for the non-slip pads, use contact cement or attempt double-sided carpet tape to carry the mats in place.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - Attach brackets to steps. If utilizing the bamboo chopping boards, pre-drill the holes to stop splitting. I used #8 panhead sheet steel screws, ¾” and 1” lengthy (if utilizing the IKEA brackets, you’ll want two completely different measurement screws).
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - The TV stand is constructed from particle board, which will be troublesome to connect issues to, particularly steps that must help the burden of a cat leaping on and off. To connect the steps securely, I used t-nuts and machine screws. This requires drilling during the aspect, inserting the t-nuts on the again aspect, after which attaching the brackets to the t-nuts with screws. I used 8-32 t-nuts and 8-32-round head machine screws each 1” and 1 ¼” lengthy, with a 3/16” drill bit for the outlet.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - Because we turned the TV stand on its aspect, there’s an unfinished fringe of particle board displaying. This will be simply remedied by portray the uncovered particle board white.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - Attach non-slip bumper toes to the underside. I choose to make use of the type that screw on reasonably than the stick-on sort as a result of they’re safer.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - The TV stand features a bracket for securing it to the wall. You’ll want to make use of the bracket to connect the climber to a wall for stability, particularly in case you are including steps on.
©Photography by Kate Benjamin - Add additional enjoyable to your climber by putting in eyehooks on any overhead floor the place you need to put a dangling toy
©Photography by Kate Benjamin
This is only one instance of how one can make a DIY Catification hack cat climber, however there are infinite methods so that you can customise it. Use completely different supplies for the scratching floor and non-slip pads, add extra hanging toys, get rid of the steps in case you don’t want them — simply make one thing that each you and your cat will love.
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