DIY Cat Condo

2:32 PM

42" Custom Kitty Condo
When a coworker asked if I could make a custom kitty condo it seemed like no big deal.  I'm a dog person and not really up on kitty accessories but I thought "how hard could it be?"  Turns out - not very hard at all!

33" Condo - Inspiration
Overstock had a 33" Kitty Condo on sale for about $75.  For $75 in materials I was able to build a much taller custom piece.

Listing from Overstock.com
I was asked to make a condo that was at least 40" tall (so that the kitty could see out the window).  The top shelf needed to be at least 14" deep for the cat to rest comfortably.


Here's the Shopping List

CUT LIST
Click HERE for Printer Friendly Version



Tools List

Power Drill
Electric Stapler
Razor Knife
Hand Saw or Jig Saw
Level
Tape Measure

PRO TIP
Print the Cut List and take it to the store.  Have the sales rep cut and mark the ply wood and the 2x4's.  I cut the trim at home just to make sure that each piece was a perfect fit. 


ASSEMBLY

Drill 3 pilot holes along each edge of the 1/2" ply wood. Glue then screw the 1x4 pine trim to 3 sides of the ply wood.


Glue and Screw the wood trim in place
Repeat these steps for the 14"x16", 16"x16" and 16"x18" pieces of 1/2" plywood.  Set the shelves aside to dry.

Attach trim

Measure and mark the center point on each shelf.  Measure and mark the center point of the 20"x 20" piece of 3/4" plywood.

Measure and mark support locations

Measure and mark the locations for the 2x4 support pieces.  Screw and glue them in place.


Use a level to install shelves
Use a level when securing each shelf in place.


Ready for carpet
Once assembled, allow the glue to dry overnight.

CARPETING

Carpeting takes time
Working one shelf at a time, staple the carpet in place.


Be patient
DO NOT glue the carpet in place.  Glue is likely the fastest way to attach carpet, but you cannot remove the glue once it dries.  A well made kitty condo can be reupholstered again and again.

All done and ready for a cat!

Allow yourself PLENTY of time to apply the carpet!  It took far longer than I expected.  Assembling the wooden structure took about an hour.  Carpeting took approximately 5 hours (over 2 days)!!

Another Happy Customer!
 
In the end it was worth the effort.  The cat is very pleased!!!

This project inspired me to make a bench so that my dog could look out our window.  That tutorial is coming soon!


Dog Seat

Old crate becomes dog bench

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3 comments

  1. MariaSeptember 28, 2017 at 10:54 AM

    Was cutting the carpet to fit the time-consuming part of the upholstery process?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy W. - One Brown MomSeptember 28, 2017 at 10:58 AM

      Yes and no. Carpeting each shelf was pretty easy. The 40" 2x4 supports took a lot of time and patience. I was making this project for someone else so I wanted it to be perfect. Cutting the carpet was not hard at all. I used a razor knife. The hard part was holding and stapling the carpet in place. I ended up using a bunch of muscles that I didn't even know that I had. LOL! I was definitely sore the next day.

      Delete
  2. TechMatriteApril 24, 2020 at 12:13 PM

    Were they shown on their fours, one, they could not be shown carrying a staff and two, they would seem to be on the same level as the goats and ducks, not in charge of them. modern cat tree

    ReplyDelete