Angina

DIY wooden house for a cat. House for a cat made from a box and other materials

A home for a cat with your own hands is much more profitable in terms of financial costs, takes into account the individual characteristics of the animal, and is selected to match the interior of the apartment.

There are several options for homemade houses - temporary, permanent. The first ones are built at the dacha, where they take the cat with them, and place them in the car when moving. The second ones are in the apartment

Some cat owners are perplexed why build a special house if the animals already live in it. However, if you observe the behavior of your pet, you may notice some strangeness. The cat chooses a place to sleep - curls up on an armchair, climbs into suitcases, niches for shoes, lockers for clothes. Or he constantly climbs onto the bedside table or window sill, causing inconvenience to the owners. And all this is connected with her instincts.

A cat is a predatory animal. Her constant presence in a person’s house makes her not such an aggressive hunter, but wild instincts continue to be present in her. In nature, a cat always has a den, where she sleeps during the day and hides her kittens. And also a shelter from which the animal looks out for prey at night and hides from enemies. A caring, loving owner must take into account the needs of his pet and make his stay in the house as comfortable as possible.

Buy or make it yourself

Currently, in any pet store you can choose any kind of housing for a cat. The variety of shapes and designs is impressive. Stylish, beautiful, and quite expensive. This is the main problem. In addition, it often happens that a pet refuses to live in a purchased house, ignores it in every possible way, bypasses it, and looks askance with distrust.

This behavior of the animal is explained by an overdeveloped sense of smell. The cat gets used to the smell of the house, feels calm in it, other people's aromas alarm it and scare it away. The glue with which the house was assembled, or the material itself, may smell. Another hindrance may be a discrepancy in size.

Of course, you can choose a house, taking into account the cat’s breed, morals, and behavioral characteristics. But, having brought it home, there is no need to rush to introduce it to the residents. Initially, it is worth making sure that it is saturated with the “native” smell. Place it on the balcony for a few days, then keep it unassembled in the apartment for a week. After that, try to introduce it to the cat.

A house made for a cat with your own hands will be more familiar to it, since the smell of its beloved owner will remain in it. The cat will definitely want to stay in it and will purr loudly as a sign of gratitude.

Features of a cat house

You should immediately pay attention to the fact that the house of the cat and cat differ from each other. The cat is less demanding. All he needs is one manhole, a roof with all-round visibility. In this position, the hunter looks down on everything that is happening, looks out for the victim, and feels safe.

The cat takes care not only of itself, but also of the kittens. Her idea of safe housing is somewhat different. Her home should have an entrance and an additional exit; the observation deck is not located on the roof at all, but a little to the side.

The cat climbs onto the observation deck, watches everything that happens, at the same time, reliably protects the entrance of her shelter with kittens. And if an enemy attacks her, she will be able to ward off the danger from the cubs. If the enemy manages to discover the entrance to the lair with kittens, they will be able to escape through the emergency exit.

A house made for a cat with your own hands must take into account all these features.

Types of homemade houses

All of them are divided into stationary and mobile. The first ones have a more complex design and are manufactured taking into account the fact that they will not be periodically disassembled or moved to another place. Mobile houses are simple, sometimes made quickly from available materials. Suitcases, baskets, old clothes, sheets, bags are used. Anything you can imagine. Such houses should be light and quick to assemble. Pets are placed in them when traveling by car, shopping, and street walks.

A house made for a cat with your own hands can be of different colors, since they do not distinguish colors well. Therefore, this nuance completely depends on the personal preferences of the owner. The animal makes claims about the material from which the house is made.

The following classification of types of housing for cats is based on the form:

Hammocks are soft loungers that are attached in different ways to the legs of chairs and tables. A cozy cradle appears under the cover of a chair or table.
Beds are a simple option that does not require much effort to make. Consists of a small elevation, a mattress. For example, you can put it on a basket. Place a wide drawer with faux fur and a mattress made of foam rubber.
Booth - different materials are used, most often plywood, polystyrene foam. Covered with soft fabric, square or rectangular in shape, there should be a scratching post.
Cardboard house - made very quickly, a cardboard box or separate sheets are used to create housing of any shape. Beautiful, fast, but short-lived.
Wigwam - some breeds of cats in the wild live in hollow hollows of old trees, constantly rising on their hind legs to look out from there. A wigwam is built using this principle.
Houses with complex structures. They can be built-in or free-standing. They consist of several booths, observation platforms, sunbeds, and scratching posts.
The list goes on, since there are no limits to human imagination. A house made from an old T-shirt, basket, suitcase, burlap, thread, etc. The scheme of each of them is quite simple, the drawings do not take much time.

Do-it-yourself climbing frames for cats: photo

A house made for a cat with your own hands from a box

Surely in every home there is a box in which a cat can easily fit. It is quite suitable for creating a quick house. The simplest option is to place a pillow, mattress, or faux fur in a box. A home made for a cat with your own hands is ready. You can put such a house anywhere. Suitable as mobile housing.

The second option is to cut several holes in the box. One is for the entrance, about 25 cm in diameter. The rest are cut out in the form of windows. This device is made very quickly and does not require special skills. A large box can accommodate several individuals at once. The main disadvantage is its fragility. And the advantage is that you can quickly make a new one to replace it.

House instructions from a T-shirt

A house made for a cat from a T-shirt will surely appeal to your pet. With the condition that an old T-shirt will be used. The design resembles a tent. The material is the simplest, it is always available in the household, it is done in 5 minutes, the diagram is clear, the drawings are available.

Manufacturing instructions

Materials for production:

T-shirt;
Scotch;
Pins;
Wire;
Sheet of cardboard – 40*40 cm;
Wire hanger – 2 pcs.

Scheme and drawings of the labor process:

From the hanger - trempel, cut off the upper part - the hook. Bend the rest of the wire in the form of an arc, as for a tent.
Cover the cardboard with tape. This way it will look a little better and become stronger.
Fasten 2 wire arcs crosswise. They can stand calmly in this position.
Adjust this semicircle to the size of the cardboard, pierce the ends in each corner. Wrap from the bottom of the cardboard and secure with tape.
Place the structure and cover it with a T-shirt. The neck should be at the front of the tent - this is the entrance. At the back, secure the excess part of the T-shirt, sleeves, with pins, or sew by hand.

To prevent the house from leaning to the side, you need to securely fasten the wire at the base. For greater reliability and durability, instead of cardboard, use a sheet of plywood, foam plastic, or chipboard. The T-shirt can be easily removed, you can periodically replace it with another one, cats do not distinguish color and will not notice the substitution.

A do-it-yourself cat house made from a T-shirt can be used as a stationary or mobile one.

Cat house from an old monitor

A non-working TV will still come in handy around the house. It turns out to be a beautiful, durable, reliable house for a family of cats.

Material:

Water-based paint;
Soft fabric for interior upholstery;
Mattress fabric, foam rubber;
Stickers;
Glue gun.

Scheme and drawings:

Remove the inside of the old monitor and remove the screen;
Cut a round hole on the side that will serve as the entrance.
Paint the monitor with paint of any color, but the main thing is that it is water-based.
Sew upholstery for the inside of the house. The material should be used in such a way that it is not electrified, since constant friction of the wool can provoke a discharge. The upholstery is secured with glue.
The mattress is sewn according to the size of the monitor.
Various stickers are placed on the plastic screen so you can draw something. Kittens will look at them with interest, and for people it will look like a computer monitor, and the screensaver will be live kittens or a cat.

The house for the cat is ready with your own hands. However, this point should be taken into account. Plastic does not allow air to pass through and is a synthetic material. Staying in such a house is unsafe for health. That's why. Still, it’s better to refuse such a house.

Wigwam for cats

A home made for a cat with your own hands, in the form of a wigwam, is made like a home made from a T-shirt. Its height should be 60 cm. Cardboard, chipboard, foam plastic, and plywood are used as a solid base. The main task is to make a strong frame. Strong wire and wooden planks are suitable for these purposes. The outer fabric for covering the wigwam should be natural. They put it on top of the structure, the ends can be tied with ropes and ribbons. See instructions for making a T-shirt shelter.

DIY cat house from a suitcase

Nothing could be simpler. You will need an old suitcase. If the upholstery looks
not too good, you can put a self-sewn cover on top. The easiest option is to open the suitcase, put a pillow or mattress in it. The house for the cat is ready with your own hands.
To make all this look more interesting, proceed as follows. Prepare the legs. They can be turned from wood, if anyone knows how to do this, you can buy them ready-made at a furniture store, or use simple wooden planks. If there are several animals, you can make a two-story house out of one suitcase. Remove the suitcase lid. Attach the legs to the bottom of both parts. Place it like a bunk bed and secure it.

Instructions for a plywood house

A house made for a cat with your own hands from plywood is the most
practical, durable. Any complex design can be made. As a rule, it contains a booth, an observation deck, and a scratching post.

Material:

It is better not to use plywood sheets up to 12 mm thick, chipboard, since the material contains foreign odors;
Hemp rope, tourniquet for making a scratching post;
PVA glue, after drying it leaves no odor;
A dry stick with a diameter of at least 15 mm;
Foam rubber;
Quilted synthetic winterizer for making bedding;
Upholstery furniture fabric from an old sofa, armchair.

Scheme and drawings:

The interior of the space should be comfortable for lying. The average box dimensions are 40*60*40 cm. For large breeds, recalculation is made based on body size.
The diameter of the hole at the top of the box should be such that the cat can easily pass through. Average diameter 20 cm.
The observation deck is made at a height so that the cat can easily climb up, standing on its hind legs. The platform itself should be such that the pet can fit well on it.
The stick is greased with PVA glue, the rope is wound tightly without gaps. This will be a scratching post.

Plywood drawings can be very diverse. A typical house looks something like this:

Tools:

Hacksaw or jigsaw;
Screwdriver;
Hammer;
Scissors;
Awl;
Ruler;
Glue brush;
Pliers.

Cut:

All elements of the house and observation deck are drawn on plywood. Cut with a jigsaw. You will need 4 rectangles 40*60 cm for the side parts of the house, the base is 80*120 cm. The house will be attached to it. The roof is made either three-dimensional, then additional parts are cut out, or a rectangle - size 70*70 cm.
A round hole for entry is cut out in one of the rectangles. And also on the plywood, which will serve as a roof, there is a hole for climbing to the observation deck.
Prepare 2 sticks of equal size. One will be installed on the roof, the other on the plywood base.
It would be better if the roof is removable. This will make it easier to clean the house.
They cut out foam rubber for the upholstery of the inside of the house and the observation deck.
Prepare the base for the mattress.

Drawings and sizes are individual.

Assembly instructions:

The inside of the house should be soft. Foam rubber is glued onto the plywood, fabric on top, and upholstery material from an old sofa on the outside.
Prepare the claw sharpener and install it on the base using glue.
All parts of the house are glued together, installed on the base, and secured with glue.
Lastly, the observation deck is installed.

A house made for a cat with your own hands will become a real decoration of the apartment. It must be installed where the cat likes to spend time. If she likes to climb onto the windowsill and watch what is happening outside, it is worth placing the house closer to the window. If the cat strives for warmth, closer to the radiator or in a sunny place.

We will build a cat house.

A paraphrase of an old song about a fire in Madame Kitaeva’s establishment.

But it’s better to start with a paraphrase of Mark Twain: “Rumors about the harmfulness of cats are greatly exaggerated.” Even the generally accepted standard of eccentricity - the Siamese - can be quite understanding and accommodating. The only thing that owners need to understand is that a cat in the house is not a pet, not a meaningless amusement. She doesn't look down on you, as Winston Churchill thought, and if for no apparent reason someone throws a boot at you, like in Kipling's fairy tale, then what can you do but walk around on your own? The cat is a member of your family, and it must be accepted into the family on mutually acceptable terms. The best way to do this is to build a cat house. Then she won’t crawl under the sink behind the trash can, and after that into the drawer with bed linen, and won’t tear up the wallpaper, and won’t tear at her wife’s slippers. And in general there will be no hassle with her, but there will be comfort and warmth.

There are many cat houses on sale, for every taste and budget. But, firstly, they are designed for the average representative of a particular breed, and a cat, as we will see below, is an embodied individuality. Secondly, fashion is fashion - prices for almost all models are clearly inflated. And finally, there is nothing complicated in their design; it is preferable to use used materials in all respects, therefore A cat house is one of the household items that makes complete sense to make with your own hands. In the literal sense: although a cat’s nose is not a dog’s, and certainly not a bear’s, it can smell the smell of the master’s hands from the outside, and he may not like it, and the housewarming party will go bad. Well, what can you do, it’s not a pet, a cat. Personality from mustache to tail tip.

It’s not difficult to make a home for a cat, but exactly how to do it is full of subtleties. For example, once upon a time Vasek and Murki were dressed in old felt boots and felt hats, and they were simply thrilled there. As it turned out, the problem is in the felt - it does not accumulate static electricity at all, allows evaporation to pass through freely and does not rot. Felt cat sleeping bags are still in use today, see figure, but natural felt is now expensive and not very accessible, and cats do not recognize synthetic felt. Therefore, when planning to build a house for a cat, you should thoroughly understand: what is it? How and how do domestic felines live, what should be in the house, what should not be, what is acceptable and permissible? And for this, in turn, you will have to delve into the peculiarities of cat biology.

Note: By the way, it turns out that gender differences also need to be taken into account. More precisely, the following are features of behavior in various situations. From which it follows that a house for a cat is structurally not quite the same as for a cat, see below. However, cats are generally unpretentious creatures, and in terms of labor intensity, both houses are equivalent - it is minimal. As is the consumption of materials.

What does nature say?

The cat has been domesticated since time immemorial, and it has outlived many of the habits of its wild ancestors, and has developed others in its place. But this does not apply to the most powerful instincts: survival and procreation. It is necessary to take them into account, so let us first turn to the primitive feline savagery.

Origin

Zoologists classify the domestic cat as a special species, Felis catus. Its most likely ancestor is considered to be the European forest cat Felis silvestris, which is still in small numbers, but quite happily living in the forests from Scotland to the Caucasus. The following arguments are given in favor of the “paternity” of the Euroforest, such as, firstly, the similarity of size and exterior: the gray-striped Felis silvestris can only be distinguished from a feral garbage dump by an experienced specialist, by the blunt thickened end of the tail and other small features, see Fig. Secondly, the Euroforest does not shy away from housing and sometimes settles in the attics of inhabited houses. Thirdly, it easily mates with domestic cats, producing viable, fertile offspring.

Supporters of the South Asian origin of Felis catus object: the Euroforest settles near humans, but who, where and when, was able to tame it? Temper is the devil in the flesh. Spring concerts can frighten a tyrannosaurus; fatal fights for a female are common. Small cats of South Asia do not put so many decibels into their serenades, and their mating tournaments are not as recklessly bloody as those of the European forest cat. This is understandable: in the jungle you won’t catch anyone with wild screams, but in the tropical forest, where everyone eats each other as best they can, the smell of blood can bring more serious predators to the love list.

Note: small African wild cats are excluded from questions of feline genealogy; against them the Euroforest is a kitten. The African forest cat, in the words of one of J. Darrell’s native companions, “can tear apart a person in the shortest possible time,” see “The Hounds of Bafut.”

One way or another, such representatives of the genus Felis of temperate latitudes as the house, manul or caracal clearly did not contribute to the gene pool of Felis catus. In the same way, for example, like the Indo-Malayan fish cat, whose habits are more reminiscent of a beaver, otter or seal than of their own kind. And the likely contenders have a lot in common, which is significant specifically for the house.

Biology

All possible ancestors of the domestic cat are small solitary predators. In this case, nature offers 3 options for survival tactics: dig a hole and become an omnivore, like a fox or a badger, form a pack and chase large prey until exhaustion, like wolves, or switch to a twilight-night lifestyle and become a stealther: it doesn’t take long to steal pursue, look out, wait, quietly creep up; then - several lightning-fast jumps, and, if the prey is gone, switch to another object.

Note: pure ambushers, waiting for the meat to climb into the mouth on its own, in an air environment that does not compensate for body weight and poorly transmits pressure waves, are rare and are found mainly among cold-blooded animals; It is difficult for a warm-blooded animal to catch enough biomass in this way to maintain life in the air.

It follows: a cat is a full-fledged individual. If the personal character of, say, a wolf is his own business only as long as it does not contradict the interests of the pack, then a cat, if compared with human psychology, is a congenital introvert. There's nothing wrong with that; An introvert can be a sociable, sympathetic person. But he definitely needs some kind of nook where he can be himself. Living, for example, in a hostel is torture for an introvert; he would rather deny himself many things, but rent an apartment. That is, a house for a cat is necessary. Otherwise she will arrange it for herself. Perhaps, where you are not at all happy.

The hunting territory of small cats is large, up to 2-3 square meters. km near Eurolesny. But they use it differently. Cats patrol during the day, looking for places to go out for prey in the evening. As a rule, the den is made permanent and, if there are no disturbance factors, they can spend the night in it all their lives. Only spend the night: guarding the territory takes up all your free time. And in order to sleep peacefully, they choose a place for the den that is, if possible, inaccessible, and certainly inaccessible to large animals. They prefer places at height, for viewing before leaving, and with a reserve in case of escape.

Cats have the added responsibility of bearing and giving birth to offspring. In the last days of pregnancy and with the brood, she can no longer be away for a long time. Small kittens cannot climb trees yet, so the den should be low, and it needs to be changed with each litter so as not to be identified. But you need more than one food, and you can’t go far. This means you need to look from above, and higher. If a cat needs visibility for safety, then a cat also needs it for food, and the cat’s lair, in addition to being hidden, should be located near a good viewing platform.

About color vision in cats

In the retina of a cat's eye there are many rod cells that react to the intensity of light; this is necessary at night and in twilight. There are no cones that perceive color that are sensitive to red, and there are very few green- and blue-sensitive cones. That is, a cat, like all animals except primates, practically does not distinguish colors. She sees approximately the same as a person suffering from a special type of color blindness - nyctalopia. Hence the conclusion about the house: design delights are the owner’s business. The cat will still only see the functionality.

Biology and ethology (the science of behavior) of cats are very interesting things; cats are the most highly specialized predators. However, to properly make a home for a cat with your own hands, the above is enough. That’s why we’ll take care of the house; it and the cat in it, if you’re interested, will then provide material for observations and conclusions.

Furnishings and arrangement of the house

Exercise

Cat muscles are designed to work in an instantaneous manner. If hormones have spilled into the blood for any reason, force must be applied immediately and immediately. A cat is not biologically suited to wait until you are taken out to a walk or area where you can systematically swing. Therefore, the cat's house should be equipped with exercise equipment. Let's see what they are next.

What is Vaska and what is Murka

The second factor influencing home equipment is gender differences in behavior. A cat, for example, feels quite comfortable if he has to jump into a house; The instinct of self-preservation gives a signal that the home is sufficiently safe. The cat needs an overview, as already said, to make sure the surroundings are safe. Therefore, a cat can live peacefully in a simple house-sleeve, as long as it is raised (on the left in the figure), or in a combined house with a bed, on the right there.

The cat is more concerned about the safety of the den, and the instinct of reproduction prohibits revealing its accessibility with its presence. Combining a bed with a house is no longer comfortable for her, firstly. Secondly, the observation deck itself needs several (minimum 2) levels: from the top one, the surroundings are inspected for the presence of prey/enemy and the possibility of bringing out a grown brood, and on the lower ones, the cat either hides before jumping on prey, or distracts the attention of an unwanted the alien and leads him away from the brood, remaining in relative safety. Therefore, the cat bed should be at least two-level and not located directly on the house.

Back door

Having an emergency exit leading to the beds is highly desirable and mandatory for cats. The cat can still, relying on its dexterity, courage and ferocity, rush straight at the enemy, and while he is taken aback, hide, and then find another shelter. In case of a direct attack on the den, the cat is always ready to first let the kittens escape; if necessary, at the cost of his life.

General layout and dimensions

The diagram of a cat house that satisfies all the specified requirements and is suitable for both sexes is shown in Fig. right. Its features:

Beds of different heights are quite suitable for a cat, and it’s no worse for him.
A cat will not perceive a post with a platform on the roof as an integral part of the structure, especially if the post is made of a tree limb, see below. Cats, like all animals except primates, do not even have the rudiments of imaginative thinking and spatial imagination.
Pillars with beds provide ample opportunity for both exercise and claw points.

The dimensions of the living part of a house for a medium-sized cat are approximately 40x40 cm in plan and the same in height. The diameter of the entrances is 15-20 cm; The animal will not like an entrance that is too wide (safety!); however, you need to look at the hairiness and fatness of your pet. It is clear that the collected, lean Briton will duck into a smaller opening than the arrogant Persian, who seems twice as big as he actually is.

The dimensions of the beds are the same as the house in plan. The height relative to the ground, roof and each other is such that the occupant of the house, standing on his hind legs, can reach the overlying platform with his front legs. Of course, all sizes are relative: for example, cats of the American tiger breed can exceed 1 m in length with a tail; the Guinness book records 117 cm.

Note: Generally speaking, the translation of tiger cat as “tiger” is not entirely correct. In American colloquialism, this expression roughly corresponds to the Russian “kotofey” - a hefty, cunning, hardened and blown cat. Not necessarily a stray, he, if he is a convinced renegade, will be a honky cat, but simply a homeless person who does not mind being picked up and sheltered - an alley cat.

About wigwam houses

Southern shorthair cats - Abyssinian, Bengal, Siamese - often stand on their tiptoes in houses. This may be due to the fact that their supposed ancestors willingly settle in tree hollows. In this case, a wigwam house (see figure on the right) with a height of about 60 cm is better suited. The technology of its manufacture is, in principle, no different from that of a cube house. For such a cat, in order to have offspring, it is better to make the house in the form of an imitation of a hollow: a round pipe, a spare hole is higher than the main one and goes out onto a platform enclosing the pole, see fig. further, in the section on materials.

Place for a house

Having decided on the size of the house, you need to choose a place for the cat and its home. Cats love to bask, and this is not a whim. Due to external heating, their muscle tone decreases, the food eaten lasts longer and is better absorbed; Simply put, the body switches from afterburner to energy saving. Hence the first condition - closer to the battery.

Secondly, cats, as territorial animals, have a developed instinct of observation. Without “cleverness” - well, it’s boring to stare at the same sofa and wardrobe all the time. Therefore, it is highly desirable that you can jump from the roof of the house or one of the platforms to the windowsill; Let's warm up at the same time. Conclusion: the best place for a cat's house is a corner near the window with central heating, and with a stove - between the window and the stove. Most often, a scratching post is also placed here without any problems; however, this most necessary device for cats requires a separate discussion.

Maybe in the bedroom?

It's nice when a cat comes to bed in the morning. But when it doesn’t let you sleep or interferes with adults, then it’s already annoying. Meanwhile, from the cat’s point of view, it is simply either colder at night, or does not seem as safe as in its daytime habitat. There, maybe the street light is annoying, your eyes are sensitive.

In this case, the best solution is to sew a bed for a cat, see fig. This matter requires a separate discussion; Here we will only say that the best preparation is a sleeve of unusable fur clothing, saturated with the owner’s smell. And the most suitable place for it is under a stool or chair. And instinct tells the cat: there is a strong roof over its head, and they won’t step on it in the dark.

Cat house bed made from an old T-shirt

Another interesting option is a bed made from an old T-shirt on a rigid frame, it’s almost like a house, see fig. left; you can climb into the sleeves. The frame is best made from bamboo slats, wrapping the joints crosswise with thread and gluing with PVA. It is possible from steel wire, but then you need to put propylene sheaths on the steel; The heat-shrinkable tube used for electrical installation work (HERE) is suitable. Fiberglass, for example, the ends of rods, will not cause a protest from the cat, but they are more difficult to connect; PVA fiberglass does not hold well.

About complexes and kennels

As you know, there are entire breeds of cats that are playful and lazy. And many people keep not one, but several. In any case, if it is not a cat, then there will be offspring. What kind of house do you need then?

If you count on kittens that will then go into good hands, a kennel house like a doghouse, see Fig., with all the necessary additional equipment is enough. They make it longer, about 0.5 m for an average cat: alone in the house she curls up into a ball, but kittens need to be fed milk. For them, the long walls are made sloping, and with a shelf under the pitched roof - this way it will be more convenient for the brood, without disappearing from the parent’s eye, to train in climbing and claw point.

It is also possible to have an entire cat family at home: although cats do not form prides like lions, the rudiments of social behavior among domestic animals have nevertheless developed over centuries of evolution alongside humans. However, remember: since there is a community of animals, there will be a hierarchy in it. Moreover, cats will remain individualists: if they have centuries of cohabitation with a person, then the festivities themselves are geological epochs. Therefore, it is better not to try to house at least a couple of mature cats in one house: a residential complex with a separate dwelling for each individual is needed, see fig. right.

The technology for its construction is generally the same as for one house (see below), but there are specific requirements:

Houses are on different levels; who gets what - the cats will distribute it themselves.
For a subordinate individual (its house is the lower one), it is necessary to provide a covered (in the form of a pipe, for example) lounger on the same level as the house; in exchange for a subordinate position, she receives increased security, because The functions of the observer are taken over by the dominant one, and the subordinate no longer needs the upper observation platform.
A third, connecting platform is needed, located approximately in the middle between the houses.

Note: There is no need to accustom cats to consumer democracy - in natural communities, connections are based on the laws of nature and are organized in such a way that the team as a whole benefits.

All in one

In small apartments, finding space for even the simplest cat corner is not easy. The problem of peace of mind in a minimally occupied area is solved with the help of a bed, see above, but what about claws? They are growing. A scratching post house with sides adapted for this procedure will help out. In fact, the point of claws for a cat is a serious matter and requires a separate discussion, but one of the simplest ways to implement such a house is shown in Fig. It differs from those described below in that it can only be made of wood: other material will not withstand the loads from claws.

Construction

If you read about what and how they recommend making cat houses, you often think: your own cottage was simpler and required a smaller set of tools. It would be unethical to reproach people who want to provide the best care for their pets with trying too hard out of love for them. So let's just see how to make something that the cat needs and will last her all her life, without extra costs and hassle. There is no point in making a house designed for more than several generations: a self-respecting cat will not live in a secondary apartment, it would be better then for a trash can, and then in a linen chest of drawers.

Materials

Materials for the house can be either natural or synthetic, but the smell does not repel cats. The best ones are used ones, smelling like home and owners. New ones with a noticeable human smell are eliminated unconditionally, while others must first be ventilated for a week or two on the balcony or in the country, but not in the garage or outbuildings with living creatures, and then kept in the apartment for the same amount of time. This does not apply to parts made of massive plastics: they can emit odors for years.

We definitely cannot recommend metals, especially visible metal fasteners - furniture corners, etc. Firstly, there may be cracks there that are invisible to humans and can catch a hair from the fur. Secondly, any metal part is a current collector, and the cat will have to endure pinches from static electricity from time to time.

In addition, if there is no padding polyester, you will need lining fabric (satin or twill); it can be replaced with leatherette with great success, if available. If you want to give the house additional strength, use small, up to 20 mm, nails. To attach the post - 3-4 wood screws 4.2 x (60-100). For soft houses and partly for wooden ones - cotton threads No. 10-No. 20 or harsh, the thickest that can be threaded into your sewing machine. For the simplest temporary houses (for example, if you took a cat with you to the dacha), glue and tape are sufficient.

Note: Silk fabrics and threads are excluded - a cat’s house made from them will seem like an electric chair to her. Wool is undesirable in terms of sanitation and hygiene; it quickly gets dirty and rots from cat grease. Synthetics can be used antistatic.

About pipe pillars

For some reason, many recipes for building cat houses advise making poles from metal or PVC pipes. What is called, contrary to the obvious:

More expensive than a piece of wood, which can be completely free.

More difficult to process.

To attach it to the site, you need a socket, which costs money, and additional fasteners for it and the pole.

The rope winding holds much worse than the wooden one.

Tool

To make a variety of houses using the methods described below, all you need is the most common household tool: a hammer, a knife, scissors, a screwdriver, an awl, pliers, a flat glue brush. An electric drill with a set of drills wouldn't hurt. If the house is made of wood and its parts are connected at an angle other than a straight one, a jigsaw will come in handy: the support shoe of most models rotates to the sides and the end cut can be made at any angle. For a soft house, it is highly desirable to have a sewing machine, but if you have time, they can be sewn by hand; cutting is the simplest. Then they sew with a simple sail stitch, threading the purl branch of the thread into the loop formed by the front one.

About gluing and gluing

As you probably already guessed, we will either sew or glue the houses. Wooden ones can be strengthened during the assembly process by nailing them into the end, see below. But in order for the adhesive joints to be strong and reliable, you need to glue PVA as follows:

A thin layer of glue is applied to both surfaces to be glued with a brush.

Wait for the glue to gelatinize until its layer becomes translucent or with individual small yellowish-whitish spots. This takes 3-20 minutes depending on external conditions.

The parts are pressed tightly against each other and secured with nails, strapping, clamps, etc. You can remove the bandage and continue assembly after 40-60 minutes.

Note: so that when assembling with glue and nails they do not come out askew, the places for them must be marked in advance (step - 30-70 mm), and the end of the counter part should be pricked with an awl in the middle of the thickness to a depth of 3-6 mm. You will be surprised how easy and neat the assembly will be.

The pillar is attached to the lower platform, or the upper platforms to it, with glue in the same way, but immediately after compressing the parts, they are fixed with self-tapping screws, 3-4 per end. For self-tapping screws, you need to pre-drill holes with a diameter of the body of the self-tapping screw without thread (for 4.2 mm - 2.2-2.5 mm) and a depth of 3/4 of the length of the threaded part.

When gluing and pasting wooden parts with fabric, carpet and leatherette, glue is applied only to the wood with rays from the center and traced around the outline, not reaching 10-20 mm to the edge, see fig. The soft material is applied as soon as gelatinization begins, i.e. when the glue begins to turn yellow, pull it together from the inside with threads. You can't put pressure on your face! After an hour and a half, the face is ironed with a medium-hot iron using a barely damp cloth, and you can assume that this is forever.

Note: If foam rubber is placed under the fabric, then, of course, you cannot iron it. Then the foam rubber is glued first; As soon as it sticks, the fabric is on top, and everything is pulled together from the inside with threads until it dries.

The easiest way to cover a tree with synthetic padding is to apply strokes or drops of glue on it in increments of 30-60 mm in both coordinates, and wait for the gelatinization to begin. Immediately place it on wood or cardboard; You can move it slightly, adjusting it along the contour. Then we press with the palm of our hand, and after 10-20 minutes you can continue to work.

Note: and the most important rule is - do not tear off the “left” part. If this happens, the connection needs to be separated, dried completely, the previous glue removed and re-glued.

Cardboard

The simplest cat house is cardboard. Most often, the packaging cardboard used is from boxes of household appliances that are out of warranty. A cardboard house can also be capital and permanent. So that packaging cardboard for a cat house can replace plywood and wood in general, it is glued in half, orienting the inner corrugations of the layers mutually perpendicular. The glue is applied in a fan, as described above, on both surfaces. Fold without pressing too hard until gelatinization begins. If such a cake is then also impregnated with a water-polymer emulsion (this is, in fact, the same PVA, very diluted), then the result will be almost like plywood.

But the simplest of the simplest is a cat house made from a box of a suitable size. Here, apart from adhesive tape, scissors and 5-10 minutes of time, you don’t need anything at all, on the left in Fig. Bedding - a piece of padding polyester, an old grandmother's warmer, foam rubber wrapped in jacquard or carpet, secured from the inside with threads, etc. If you find a piece of felt - mo-rr-m-r-r-bark! Meow! This house will come in handy, as already mentioned, when traveling, or if the cat has given birth and its permanent house is too small. Then, when the kittens grow up, the swaying tips of the pediments will quite pass for a worthless mouse. And the very gables will be used as ramps for climbing and for the point of claws that are not yet fully strong.

The Japanese, masters of making useful crafts out of nothing, came up with cardboard hive houses for cats, in the middle in Fig. The technology is quite painstaking, but simple: rings are cut and glued together with PVA. Cats like it without additional decoration, as long as there is bedding. The beehive house is very durable: if the base is made of plywood, it will last the cat for the rest of its life, as long as an inattentive guest does not inadvertently sit down.

The next option for using cardboard is beds for older kittens. It’s still too early for them to separate, but everyone already needs their own corner. Cardboard spools or tubes made from sheet materials will come in handy here. From them you can literally build a whole town for cat stuff in an hour, on the right in Fig.

Finally, a cat house made of cardboard can be permanent, on a plywood base and attached to a pole with a lounger. The cutting of parts for it is shown in Fig. Assembly - completely on glue; To secure the connection, you can quilt it with thread by hand. Decorative design and interior upholstery are optional. Preferable for smooth-haired southern breeds, and not only because it is made like a hollow. Southern cats (remember, their supposed ancestors lived in hollows) often sharpen their claws on the inside of the house. Here, no tree with fabric will last long, and it’s a pity for the labor. And the cardboard house is easily replaced with the same new one.

Wooden

A wooden cat house is necessary for large and strong breeds: Persian, Siberian, American brindle, as well as for all breeds of clearly Euro-forest origin, for example. Norwegian. For a cat, the most important thing here is height, good visibility in all directions and a large upper bed from which you can jump. A drawing of a house for a cat of this type is shown in Fig. For smaller breeds, the size can be reduced to suit your pet, but keep in mind: placing the bed under the tail is necessary. Cats don’t like it when their tail hangs down; a larger predator can pull it off.

A house with a standard design would be more suitable for a cat, see above. In general, the assembly sequence is as follows:

The base is prepared, a pillar(s) with a sunbed(s) are installed on it.

The details of the house are cut out to size minus 1 mm along the contour for the internal upholstery made of fabric with foam rubber, or exactly to size when upholstered with padding polyester.

If the upholstery is fabric, the inner sides of the parts are pre-covered with twill or satin on 15-20 mm foam rubber, as described above; foam pads should not reach 15-20 mm to the edges; the fabric is glued to the ends of the parts.

The house is assembled with glue and nails, as described.

If the upholstery is padding polyester, the house is covered with it from the inside; The joints of the layers are also glued together with sausages of glue.

Excess interior upholstery is cut off from the outside.

The outside of the house and sun loungers are covered with decorative fabric, without foam rubber.

The jacquard is also glued to the ends of the sunbeds and entrance/exit openings; in addition, a fold inward of 20-25 mm is given with gluing.

The house is installed on the base using glue; Once dry (1-2 days), you can celebrate your housewarming.

Note: We remind you that when gluing with fabric, the glue is applied to the wood with a brush, and the fabric is applied at the beginning of gelatinization. The ends are pasted over after the planes, pulling the fabric tightly.

Pole wrapping

The pole is wrapped with rope until the base is pasted, for which you will then have to cut a circle in the fabric. In general, it is better to leave the base and roof of the house as is, wooden. The cat doesn't need softness there.

When winding, first make several flat turns on the base using glue, see fig. Then, already on the post, also 5-6 glued turns. They wind it all the way to the top, pulling it tight. The sliding coils are knocked out with light blows of a hammer. At the top, the procedure is repeated in the reverse order: the last 5-6 turns on the post are glued, then also several glued on the bottom of the platform. Finally, when the post is completely dry, add glue to the ends of the rope so that they do not become shaggy.

Note: If you are familiar with sailing/rigging, then it is better to measure the rope with a test winding and make the so-called at its ends. ogons; This is the surest way to avoid marking.

Soft

It seems that a good half of the cats still prefer a soft house, even without pillars with loungers. These are probably already domesticated. And here the question arises: how to arrange materials, which are basically shapeless, so that the entire product holds its shape? Not a sleeping sleeve though.

Foam rubber

Cat people, I must say, solved this problem a long time ago. Intuitively or “scientifically”, who knows. But the principle has also been known for a long time: to fold materials with different indicators of flexibility in different directions, so that the overall shape is maintained. To do this, the house is sewn from foam rubber, sandwiched between 2 layers of fabric: the softer one goes on the inside, and the rougher, but more attractive one goes on the face. Sintepon is not suitable as a gasket, it is too soft.

The manufacturing sequence is as follows, see Fig. First, the bottom and blind sides are quilted with an envelope, pos. 1. Then, without overlaying the face, mark its outline on the wall with the entrance and quilt it with a zigzag, pos. 2. In this case, you need to place a newspaper under the foam rubber, because... It sticks to both the platform and the machine’s foot, and the pushers tear it. Next, the entrance is cut out, the face of the wall with the entrance is covered with facial tissue, tucking it inward, pos. 3, and quilt along the inner and outer contours. Finally, the house is finally sewn together, pos. 4, and turn it out through the entrance - the home is ready, pos. 5.

Note: whoever knows how to sew will tailor it according to his favorite. However, there are special cases. For example, in Fig. on the right is a pattern for a house for a cat with offspring or for a large one; dimensions - in cm. In the latter case, the height of the entrance opening can be increased to 30 cm by choosing more material in the dome, the structure will withstand this. But in the bottom tape, so to speak, the base, you need to leave the same 10 cm.

In fact, for a cat family in a soft house, it is preferable to make the interior upholstery from leatherette. Firstly, for the sake of sanitation and hygiene: by turning the house inside out, you can wash it. Secondly, kittens do not yet control their claws as perfectly as adults, and they can become entangled in the fabric. Therefore, the video below offers step-by-step instructions on how to make a soft house for a cat and kittens from fabric and leatherette.

Video: DIY cat house made of artificial leather

Net

A kind of soft house for a whole collection of cats is made of mesh, and the partitions between the compartments are made of fabric with foam padding. Rigidity is provided by a propylene rod sewn along the contour. Cat people in Canada came up with these, and even foldable ones, and several companies successfully sell them, see fig. However, it also shows that something similar can be done independently. Distribution of levels according to hierarchy, jumping, review - everything is under the paw without unnecessary details, and can be hung on the wall in any suitable place. At least at the dacha or on vacation, if the administration or owners allow you to take cats with you.

If you have a cat, then you probably dreamed of a beautiful and comfortable house for her. Most often, houses and beds for pets are bought in special stores, but such things are not cheap. You will have to save money for a whole month, or even two, to purchase an appropriate house for your cat. But at this time you need to buy her food and litter for the toilet. Someone else gets their pet vaccinated monthly. And this also costs a lot of money.

A home for your cat is a place where it can sleep for a long time or hide from its owners. Representatives of the cat family generally like to hide in dark places.

Their favorite places are boxes, cabinets, a compartment inside the sofa or somewhere under an armchair. You, like no one else, should know what troubles your pet’s sleep brings, for example, in a closet. Clothes are constantly covered in wool and in puffs. Before putting the item on, you have to clean it or iron it. That’s why I really want my beloved cat to have his own private place to relax.

Types of housing for cats

Which house is best to choose for your beloved pet? A place to sleep and rest can be of several types:

Having studied the Internet, you can find many videos from which you can learn how and from what you can create a future house for your pet. Very often, from such videos, owners learn how to get something truly beautiful for little money. Every home owner has such unnecessary things as some foam rubber, cardboard boxes, small pieces of some fabric or old jackets or fur coats.

It is from these materials that you can create an excellent home for your cat.

How to sew a house for your beloved cat (patterns and step-by-step algorithm)

To create a house we need pieces of upholstery from a sofa or thick velor fabric, for the filler we will use foam rubber. You may ask why this particular fabric? It is denser, and if your pet decides to scratch its claws in its house, the house will remain intact. In addition, such a fabric will be easier to clean from your animal’s hair.
Now let’s study in more detail the creation of our future masterpiece, and photographs will help us with this.

Preparatory stage . We will need two types of fabric about two meters long and wide 60 cm. If you don't have one piece of fabric that long, you can sew several pieces of material together to make a total of 200×60 cm. each fabric. The inside of the house should be made of thick fabric, and the outside should be of your choice, as long as it pleases the eye. For the filler, foam rubber one and a half centimeters thick, also measuring 200x60cm, is suitable. If it is not available, you can purchase it at any industrial store. Price about 300 rubles per sheet size 1x2 m. This will be quite enough. And you must admit, 300 rubles is not 2 thousand, like the price of houses in stores.
Making a pattern . For the template you will need cardboard; if it is not available, a regular newspaper will do. Template dimensions 40×55 cm. (40 cm width of our house, 30 cm height + 25 cm roof). Cut out the template as shown in the photo and apply it to the fabric. When tracing the template, leave a couple of centimeters for the seam. Thus, we cut out 10 parts (5 from each material). You should succeed 8 wall parts 40x30x25 and two bottom parts 40×40.
We do the same with foam rubber, only without 2 cm for indentation. We get 5 parts. 4 walls 40x30x25 and 1 bottom 40x40.
Fastening the fabric . We fold 2 pieces of different fabric to each other, put foam rubber between them and secure with needles. We fasten along the entire perimeter of the foam. Thus, we proceed with all 4 walls. In the last fourth wall, we make a hole - the entrance. To do this, apply a plate, as seen in the photo, and draw a circle.
Sewing fabrics . We use a sewing machine; if you don’t have one, you can carefully sew it with a needle with a good seam.
Circle - entrance . We trim our circle for the entrance. You can use a zigzag stitch on a machine, or try to sew it beautifully with a needle by hand.
Seam in the pattern
Preparing the entry hole . To do this, in the already stitched circle, carefully cut a hole in a circle.
Future bottom. We sew together the parts of the future bottom using the same method, so that the foam rubber is inside.
Preparing the frame . We sew all the parts together as shown in the photo. To ensure that the beautiful fabric you choose is on the outside, sew pieces with thick fabric or upholstery to each other. We begin to sew the parts from the entrance wall with the hole, then all the rest according to the same principle.
The frame is almost ready
Bottom. We attach the bottom and stitch around the perimeter.
Trying the frame to the bottom
Finish. We turn the product right side out and invite the cat to evaluate our work.
The chief expert is already sitting inside

Cats love to watch what's going on in the house. . A great option to place her house somewhere higher , for example, on a closet or bedside table . Sometimes waking up , the cat will feel in control of its territory .

Conclusion

All your cats will be “delighted” with such a house

Thus, we created a house for our beloved pet with our own hands. This is a very convenient house for an animal, and is far from the only option that can be created by simply adding a little imagination. Congratulate your pet on his housewarming and treat him to something tasty. The cat should instantly appreciate its new shelter and thank you.

The stores offer a huge number of cat “shelters”; their cost can reach several tens of thousands of rubles.

The size of a cat's house can be completely different, and the appearance sometimes does not even remotely resemble the animal's place:

Cat hammocks. They are soft loungers with various fastening options (loops, Velcro, carabiners). They can be hung anywhere, secured on four sides. There are products that are sold with rigid bases - they can be secured, for example, between the crossbars of a table. It’s not difficult to create such a cozy place yourself.

Beds. Another simple and inexpensive housing option for a pet. They come in a variety of forms: in the form of boxes and baskets, in the shape of hearts, rectangles and circles. A minimalist bed can consist of two parts - a small stand and a thick mattress, made in a single color.

A house in the shape of a booth. Conventional design with a roof, upholstered in soft fabric, such as plush. You can do it yourself. Often, kennel-shaped houses can be sold together with a scratching post mounted on the same platform as the house.

Cardboard houses. A creative, but not functional option that quickly becomes unusable. Cardboard products can be very different: in the form of mansions, wigwams, huts.

Beds and sofas. Miniature imitation home furniture designed specifically for cats.

Built-in houses. Usually these are cabinets and ottomans, which perform two tasks at once. For example, the owner puts personal belongings on the bedside table, and the cat sleeps inside it. Such mini-houses are upholstered inside with plush or other soft material, often supplemented with a special cushion-bed for the animal.

Game complexes. Large structures that have everything for a full life for an animal: houses, hammocks, shelves, hanging toys, loopholes and stairs. Such complexes take up a lot of space.

There are even designer houses and beds that are made in a single copy and are expensive.

Most of the products described above can be created with your own hands.

But not every mini-house will appeal to one cat or another, so you need to know the specifics of choosing a future shelter.

What are the houses made of?

The most common materials for a mini-house for cats can be divided into several groups:

Frame. Complexes and booths are made of plywood, chipboard, MDF. You can make a cat house with your own hands from a variety of boards. The main condition is the absence of a pungent odor, because the cat is unlikely to spend time in such an “odorous” shelter. A variety of materials are used for baskets and beds - from artificial straw to plastic.

Upholstery. The houses are lined with soft plush (short-haired faux fur) or carpet. The same materials can be used for sewing bedding and pillows. In large play complexes, almost all elements, except scratching posts, are covered with soft fabric. When making a cat house, you can use a variety of materials, except those that are highly electrified.

Fillers . Most often, padding polyester and foam rubber are used. There are also artificial fillers in the form of granules that retain heat.
Scratching posts. Wrapped with jute rope. The frame of the scratching post is made of metal or PVC pipes.

Connecting elements of complexes. The metal pipes on which the houses and other elements of the play complex are supported will not only extend the service life of the product, but also add stability to it.

Fasteners and other elements. When making cat houses, glues without a strong odor are used. To ensure that the upholstery holds firmly, it is glued, fixed with a stapler and even nailed. In gaming complexes, it is important to use metal fittings, as they are the most reliable. All boards are secured with metal or plastic corners.

Some models of houses are made using materials such as artificial leather, velor, suede, and special semi-synthetic fabrics (according to manufacturers, completely safe for animals).

Which house to choose?

You can buy a house for a pet at any age and for different breeds and sizes, be it large cats like, and, or medium-sized pets like and.

If the cat is already an adult, then some factors should be taken into account:

Modest and unsociable cats that do not like strangers and prefer to rest in secluded places will most likely love closed houses from which they will not be visible. If the cat is social, is not afraid of people and rests in open areas, for example, on a chair in the middle of the room or on a sofa in the living room, then he will quite like an open bed.

Rounded shapes appeal to the cat's inner instinct to seek a protected place to rest and relax

The height of the house is another important factor. It is better to choose an option that rises above the ground at the level of a sofa or chair if the animal prefers to rest in these places. For pets who prefer different locations and heights, a shelter with several levels is perfect (a small play complex is a great option!).

Luxurious play area for pets

The size of the closed house should be such that the animal can lie freely on its side in it. But you should not choose too large products.

Wooden version in the shape of a fish

Large play complexes are suitable for owners of an entire cat family.
You should remember the smell of a new product - it should not be strong.
Particular attention should be paid to the stability of the structure if it has several levels or elements. Light structures will constantly fall and move, this will make the cat feel discomfort and try to avoid such a place.

Products made of cardboard and cylindrical fabric

Advice: additionally can be purchased. With its help, you can quickly accustom the animal to a new house.

DIY cat house

A unique complex for pets is a special trapeze.

It consists of 1, 2 or 3 pillows connected to each other by durable strips of fabric. You can hang a homemade hammock from below.

This is the most mobile version of a mini-house, combining versatility and compactness. How to make a house for a cat of this type?

Materials: the required number of sofa cushions (they can be made specifically for the trapezoid from faux fur or other fabric, stuffed with synthetic padding), durable fabric ribbons or belts for connecting the cushions (width from 10 cm), a homemade hammock.

Advice: the pillows can be stuffed with any old towels or rags to keep them firm.

Manufacturing process:

The pillows are connected to each other in the shape of a pyramid with fabric ribbons. The ribbons are sewn on four sides, leaving a distance between the pillows of 30-40 cm (if the cat is large, then the distance is increased).
A homemade or purchased hammock is secured under the first pillow from below; for this there should be 4 loops on it, each of which consists of two parts that are tied together.
Above the last pillow on top, all four ribbons are sewn together. Additionally, they can be connected with a strong rope, creating a large loop for hanging the trapeze.

You can hang the trapeze on a prepared reliable hook in the wall, protruding 20-30 cm (5 cm more than the diameter of the largest pillow).

You can also use other mounts that are in the house, for example, for a punching bag or a swing.

A cat house, selected in accordance with its character and habits, will become a favorite place for your pet.

And you shouldn’t neglect even the smallest homemade shelter, because these animals value personal space so much!

And designs with scratching posts will protect furniture from sharp claws.

Houses for cats: all the subtleties of the right choice

Various houses for cats: how to choose what your pet will like, what you should pay special attention to. And also a master class on making an unusual trapezoid house.

Specialized stores offer a huge range of everything necessary for cats. These include bowls, trays with fillings, and toys. But at the same time, it is important to provide your pet with its own home, where it can feel safe and comfortable. The price of such products can be steep, but you can always make it yourself.

Requirements for a cat house

safe;
fenced;
durable, reliable, the house should not fall when the cat jumps;
capable of supporting the weight of an animal (if you have a kitten, you need to study the maximum weight of an adult representative of this breed) or several pets at once;
as closed as possible;
suitable in size (if there are several cats, then the house should be such that several loungers fit in it);
easily accessible for the animal, while it is worth taking into account individual characteristics, some of them like heights, while others feel more comfortable closer to the floor;
cleanable, the material should not easily absorb odors, because they can scare away the cat.

A cat should feel comfortable in its house

Scratching posts, hanging toys, and hammocks would be useful for a cat's house. This will save space in the room. It is advisable to provide as many different holes and lying surfaces as possible to give your pet a choice.

Step-by-step instructions for making a house with your own hands

A homemade house will be ideal for your cat, because when creating it, all individual characteristics, character and preferences will certainly be taken into account. It needs to be made in such a way that it can always be modernized if necessary (for example, if a kitten loves to eat delicious food, but is indifferent to physical activity, which means its weight may be excessive).

Cardboard box house

This design is the simplest and most win-win, because everyone knows the love of cats for boxes of any size. Such a house has other advantages, for example, good thermal insulation and availability of material.

The first stage of product manufacturing is design development. It is recommended to allocate a place for sleeping and playing, and the shape should be free of small parts and sharp corners.

The size of the box for the house should be sufficient for a small and an adult animal. For a medium-sized representative, you can take a cubic box about 40 cm wide.

Cats' love of boxes can be used when choosing material for a house

To make a house from a cardboard box you need to follow the instructions:

Siamese and Bengal cats love to sit on their hind legs. Therefore, they are recommended to make a tall house, at least 60–70 cm, for example, in the form of a wigwam.

Video: a real cardboard house for a cat

Plywood house

Plywood requires certain skills; working with this material is a little more difficult than with cardboard, but a house made from it will be more durable and reliable. To make the design you will need:

plywood;
furniture corners;
carpet, felt or any other similar upholstery material;
foam;
glue;
fine-grained sandpaper.

The manufacturing process itself is as follows:

Exterior decor can be made in accordance with the design of the room. The same carpet, self-adhesive wallpaper or paint are suitable for finishing.

Additionally, you can install a scratching post with an observation deck. To make this part you need:

Take a pipe for a scratching post. This can be a plastic or wooden part. It needs to be covered with glue and tied with rope. Make sure that each turn fits tightly to the previous one.
Make an observation deck from a square of plywood. It must first be covered with foam rubber, and then sewn up with fabric on both sides.
Attach the viewing platform to the scratching post with furniture corners, and then attach the pipe to the house in the same way.

A hanging toy can be attached to the bottom of the observation deck.

House made of foam rubber and fabric

Sewing a house from fabric is not difficult; you don’t have to be a professional in using a sewing machine. You need to prepare the following materials in advance:

foam rubber (material 1.5 cm thick is suitable for walls, 2.5 cm thick for the bottom);
dense material for external and internal (you can use not a whole piece, but sections) finishing.

The process of creating a classic cat house is as follows:

Video: how to sew housing for a pet

Scratching post house

Sharpening claws is a necessity that a cat needs to provide. If this is not done, then damage to furniture or walls cannot be avoided. There are different options for making this design. The simplest is a house made according to the following instructions:

Cut truncated circles with a radius of 27 cm from two pieces of chipboard.
The back and front walls should not be completely round
Leave one circle solid, and make holes on the second: one for the entrance (diameter 22 cm) and several decorative ones (diameter 5.5 cm). You can cut out parts with a jigsaw, and for small holes a drill with special bits is suitable.
On the front wall you can make not only a hole for entry, but also several decorative
Mark places for fastening. They must match on two parts. Drill holes for fasteners according to the marks.
To hide the screw heads, you must first make a recess in the workpieces
Prepare wooden blocks measuring 37*3*4 cm. Sand them with sandpaper. Screw them to the walls using self-tapping screws.
The frame for the house may not be solid
Cut pieces of fabric according to the dimensions of the walls, not forgetting about the allowances. Cover the walls with them. In this case, it is better to choose a glue gun, since it does not have a strong odor. Particular attention should be paid to the edges of walls and holes.
To cover a house with fabric, it is better to use a heat gun
On a piece of chipboard, mark the location of the house and scratching post. In the area where the house will be, place foam rubber that needs to be glued. Glue fabric with allowances on top. Additionally, you can secure it with a stapler. Use it to cover the sides of the lower slats. Cover the bottom of the base with a sheet of fiberboard.
Cut a piece of fiberboard measuring 40*122 cm. This material will serve as a roof. Before fastening it must be covered with fabric.
Attach the house to the prepared base. Self-tapping screws are ideal for this. After this, the open parts of the slats and the remaining side walls can be covered with appropriate fabric.
The cat house must be covered with fabric outside and inside
Now attach the pipe for the scratching post to the base. First insert the bars into it on both sides. On one side it is attached to the base (with self-tapping screws), on the other side they make a bed.
To fasten the pipe, you can use bars that need to be placed in the cavity of the part
To do this, parts are cut out from a sheet of fiberboard (in the middle of the part you need to make a hole with the same diameter as the pipe) and chipboard (this part must be solid). The first part is put on the pipe, and the second is screwed to a block in the pipe. Now you need to put a piece of foam rubber on the bed, and then cover it with fabric.
It is better to make the bed semicircular
Cover the lower part of the scratching post with the fabric that was used to decorate the inside of the house, and the rest with rope.
Additionally, you can make an inclined scratching post from a board measuring 18*41 cm. Cut its lower edge at an angle of 45°, then cover it on both sides with fabric, and fill the middle with rope.
The scratching post can be in the form of a pipe or inclined

Video: how to make a cat complex with a scratching post with your own hands

House made of newspaper tubes

If it is not possible to purchase material specifically for making a cat house, then newspaper is quite suitable for this purpose. You can make tubes from it, which can later be used to weave a house. You need to prepare in advance:

pencil (any object of a similar shape, for example, a brush, a knitting needle);
ruler;
scissors;
glue;
cardboard.

After preparing the necessary materials and tools, you can proceed directly to weaving:

Video: original house with a lid for a kitten

House-toilet for a cat

Although the cat litter box is a special device that helps to avoid unpleasant situations with the cat going to the toilet, its contents do not always look aesthetically pleasing. But you can always hide it in a specially prepared house. It's not difficult to make. You need to prepare in advance:

plywood (material 12–15 mm thick is suitable for walls);
boards 4 cm wide;
hammer;
self-tapping screws;
nails;
screwdriver or screwdriver;
glue;
jigsaw;
hacksaw;
drill;
roulette;
furniture hinges;
sandpaper;
tracing paper;
masking tape;
dye.

The instructions for making such a house are as follows:

Determination of sizes. You only need to take into account the dimensions of the tray, because the cat will not rest there, and the height of the cat when sitting.
When determining the size of the house, you need to take into account the parameters of the tray
Sawing parts from plywood. You can use a jigsaw for this. In total you will need 4 wall parts: 2 side, 1 back and 1 front.
Plywood is ideal for a cat house
Cutting a hole on the front wall. You can use a paper template for this. The hole should be located 5 cm from the floor.
The entrance to the house can be any form

The edges of the hole should be smooth so as not to injure the cat.

House assembly. All parts must be combined, having previously lubricated the ends with glue. Leave the house until the glue dries. To prevent the structure from falling apart, it can be secured with tape. After the glue has dried, it can be removed.
To prevent the walls from moving apart, they can be held in place with tape or tape.
Fixation of parts. Now all parts of the house need to be fastened together with nails.
Parts need to be fixed with nails
Making the top cover. To do this, you need to attach the boards to the end strips.
The roof may not be solid
Painting the house. Only after this can the roof parts be connected with furniture hinges. Moreover, one of them must be attached to the house, and the second must remain free so that the tray can be removed through the roof.
The tray house has an opening lid

Where is the best place to place a finished house?

After the house is made, you need to figure out where to put it. The area near the battery is not the best place. There are several reasons for this:

the battery is located under the window, which means there is a risk of draft, which can cause the cat to become ill;
due to exposure to heat, the house will quickly become unusable;
A cat's shedding may increase due to warm air.

The ideal place for a house is considered to be a corner. There, the structure will not disturb anyone, there is no draft in this part of the room, and the heat is retained there, which means the cat will definitely not freeze.

The best place for a cat house is the corner of the room

A cat can be a full-fledged member of the family, which means it also needs a separate room. You can make it yourself with a little effort and imagination.