Every domestic cat needs its own home. This is an individual place to relax, a refuge. A cat's home should be its property, and only its property. The place where they won’t drive her away, and where she will hide. Having your own cat house will protect you from the fact that the animal will look for a place for itself in the linen closet, in the pillows on the bed or in the sofa. If the design includes play elements, they will distract the pet from the wallpaper and the trash can.
Simple wooden cat house
The financial side of the issue is an interesting point, because independent production is profitable. Factory-made options in stores are unreasonably expensive, but making a cat house with your own hands is not at all difficult. By studying ready-made solutions, you can come up with a housing project, taking into account individual dimensions and features. The main thing is that the finished product is environmentally friendly, convenient and safe for the animal.
Unusual felted houses for cats
Original colored cardboard house for a kitten
Designer cat house
What to make a bed from
A do-it-yourself cat bed can be made from scrap materials or from fabric purchased in a store. Of course, it is more economical to make a bed from what you already have. Materials that may suit you:
- old sweater
- pajamas (long sleeves)
- baby crib bumpers
- pillows
- pillowcases
Cat bed made from an old sweater
The easiest way to make a bed is from a sweater or any long-sleeved sweater. First, you need to think about the filling of the future bed. Synthetic padding or the contents of old pillows are ideal.
Fill the sleeves with the soft contents first, then the main part. The sleeves should be a few centimeters thicker than the main part, but still soft enough to bend.
The main part of the bed (bedding) can be 2-3 centimeters high. As a rule, animals do not like very voluminous bedding and do not even sleep on large pillows. After all parts of the sweater are filled with contents, you need to sew up the holes in the sleeves.
There is no need to do this before filling, because it will not be very convenient to distribute the filler in narrow parts. After you sew up the sleeves, you can sew up the neckline. The lower part can not be sewn up, but simply tied with a knot or two knots.
Then you need to “wrap” the main part with two sleeves so that they form a side, fasten them together and attach the sleeves to the base. To do this, you can use small pins or thread.
Where is the best place to put a sleeping place?
The cat's place in the apartment can be located in a secluded corner. But modern technologies also make it possible to attach a pet’s house to furniture. This is very convenient and allows you to save space in the room.
When purchasing an animal, you should carefully prepare the entire apartment, especially if the kitten is small. It is necessary to remove various fragile parts so that he does not find them. It is better to seal small gaps between the furniture so that the pet does not suddenly get in there and it will be difficult to get out.
Items such as paper clips, needles, and buttons should be hidden as far as possible. The sleeping area should not have an unpleasant odor. You need to keep an eye on this when purchasing.
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Cat bed made from crib bumpers
The sides are usually made of fabric and thin foam rubber or padding polyester. To make a bed, you need to select the widest part and make the bedding first.
Make bedding for the bed, taking into account the size of your animal. From the remaining parts or scraps, make a thin, low side (up to 10 cm high) so that it is convenient for the cat to step over it and the pet feels comfortable if he stretches in his sleep.
Sew the bedding of the bed and the side together using threads.
Pillowcase bed
It is not necessary to sew a cat bed with sides similar to the products sold in pet stores. If your cat often falls asleep on pillows, you are lucky; a pillowcase will make the simplest cat bed.
Step-by-step instructions for sewing it will consist of only two points. Take an old pillowcase and fill it with padding polyester so that the thickness of the bedding is no more than 5 centimeters.
At the same time, such bedding should not have convex parts; it should be the same height in all places or fall slightly in the middle. After filling the pillowcase, be sure to sew up the edges.
Types of sleeping places
Each cat has its own character. If your cat is not very sociable, calm and balanced, the right decision would be to buy a house. Due to its closed nature, the pet will be as cozy and comfortable as possible.
If the cat is sociable, very nimble and loves adventures, it is best to buy an open bed or a two-story house with toys.
For more powerful and proud cats, you can find a comfortable hammock and even a personal sofa. You can find many photos of organizing a sleeping place for a cat.
The price of a sleeping place varies, but everyone can choose something for their budget.
Making a bed according to the pattern
How to make a cat bed with your own hands, without being a professional seamstress, is the main question.
If you don't sew often or don't have a sewing machine at hand, don't choose a design with small details or irregular shapes and you'll definitely end up with a good cat bed.
The pattern that can be considered the most successful has the shape of a wide cross. At its base lies a square with sides of about 40-50 centimeters. And the sides are rectangles with one side (fastening) equal to the side of the base square, and the second side is half the size.
A cross-shaped bed can be made from solid pieces of fabric, but then you will need to stitch or stitch the sides of the base-mount so that the filling does not roll from the bedding into the sides.
Synthetic padding is also suitable as a filler for such a bed. The cross-shaped bed should not be very dense; it is enough to fill it to a thickness of 2-3 centimeters. Once all sides are filled, all sides need to be sewn securely.
And finally, tie a short rope or thin piece to each free corner. Thus, by lifting all four sides and tying them together, we will get a soft version of the box beloved by all cats.
Step-by-step instructions for durable houses
Wooden house
If you decide to make a house “for centuries”, it is recommended to use wood.
This is the best material for cat permanent residence.
For it you will need:
- plywood;
- electric jigsaw, wood saw, plywood saw;
- good wood glue;
- nails;
- carpenter's hammer;
- screwdriver with brush;
- brush;
- black paint;
- sandpaper;
- wear-resistant varnish
- fabric for bedding.
When everything is ready, you can start making:
1. You need to glue the sides to the plywood square. Ordinary carpentry PVA, such as “Moment Joiner,” works well.
2. Make identical pentagonal walls. It is necessary to cut a passage for the cat into one of them.
3. Insert the walls into the mold and glue.
4. Now make the base of the roof. To do this, just glue in 2 crossbars made of plywood.
5. Cut small rectangles from plywood - these will be tiles. If you're lazy, you can just glue 2 squares.
6. For decoration, you can glue fake doors, as in the photo.
7. Use a drill with a brush to go over the tiles. This will create an aging effect.
8. Now it's a matter of processing. The walls need to be coated with a good layer of varnish. It's better to just paint the gate.
9. All you have to do is put the pillow inside and a great permanent home is ready.
The bedding can be soft and made of fabric material.
Shelter for homeless cats
If you decide to make a house for stray cats and kittens, fabrics will not work. You will need impermeable and warm material, and cheap one at that.
For it you will need:
- Foam thermobox. Sold in large supermarkets. You can save money and glue it yourself using polyurethane foam.
- Good tape, preferably plumber's tape.
- Any insulation.
- Plastic film for protection against mildew.
- A good utility knife.
- Marker for marking.
- Polyurethane foam or foam glue
- Fabric material for soft bedding.
First you need to prepare the input:
- Mark one side with a marker.
- Cut a hole using a utility knife.
Then you need to connect the walls and the lid:
- Apply foam glue around the perimeter. Stores sell special compounds from 3M, but you can also use regular polyurethane foam.
- While drying, secure the lid with good tape. Wait until completely dry.
Now you can make a crib:
- Place the cotton wool in a ZIP bag.
- Place inside and cover with a cloth.
Done, you can safely move the house outside. The foam will maintain a moderate temperature inside even in severe frosts and the cats will always be warm.
What fabrics to choose for sewing a bed
We already know how to sew a cat bed with our own hands, all that remains is to clarify the necessary points in the work. Cats love to use the bed as a scratching post.
Of course, they do this involuntarily, but the fact remains. Cats can stretch in the bed, trample on it, and sharpen their claws. That is why the material from which the cat bed is made must be wear-resistant.
Silk, satin and similar textures with a glossy surface are definitely not suitable, because they are the easiest to leave puffs on. Thin cotton fabrics that an adult cat can easily tear are not suitable.
For sewing, the golden mean in terms of strength and density is suitable, for example, satin, twill or flock. Cotton fabrics are also suitable.
Hanging cat house and shelves
Suspended housing is an original solution. The pet will feel comfortable in it, and the unusual product will fit perfectly into the overall design of the room.
Manufacturing Features:
- To create the structure, it is worth preparing a cubic plywood base. We make an opening and a small window in it.
- Next we build a bridge. For these purposes, you will need a cable, which is supplemented with cut strips of birch plywood and gaskets.
Finally, we lay rugs on the surface of the house and shelves. They are attached with glue. Below in the photo you can see a version of the finished solution.
How to determine the size of a bed
A cat bed should be a comfortable size for the animal itself. To determine the size that will be individually suitable for your cat, you need to measure the length of his body (from the top of the head to the base of the tail) and add 5 centimeters to this figure.
Cats do not like huge beds; they are much more comfortable fitting into small spaces.
It’s not difficult to make a cat bed with your own hands. And most importantly, you can independently choose the color and design to fit this item into the interior of your home. In addition, giving such a gift to your beloved pet is a special pleasure for a caring owner.
