All those who have a pet at home are familiar with the problem of having to create a house for it so that the animal has its own corner in the apartment. This is especially true for cats, who sometimes like to hide. In specialized pet stores, the cost of such structures is quite high, but there is nothing difficult in creating a house with your own hands. For decoration, most often they take materials that are on hand at home. Today we will look at options for a cat house made from an old T-shirt and several other popular designs.
Existing types of cat houses
For small pets, there are such house designs that are easy to make with your own hands using available materials:
- A hammock is a soft lounger that can be placed in any room of the house. If there is not enough space, then it is quite possible to hang it under a table or chair. This version of the lounger is attached on four sides so that the animal does not fall out while it is inside.
- A bed is the simplest type of housing for a pet. In this case, it can be made from any fabric and filling, which will help save money on production. They can be performed in any form that the owner likes. The simplest bed is a stand with a mattress on top.
- A kennel is a house with walls and a roof that will reliably close your pet from the outside world. Many cats love privacy, and some need shelter to hunt from there, and the booth will be just such a structure.
- Built-in houses are made of furniture. For this option, you can adapt a bedside table, inside which the cat will live, and on top the owner of the house can place the necessary things. The inside of the house is upholstered in soft fabric and equipped with a comfortable bed.
Technology comes to the rescue
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Clean the inside of the TV from parts, lay a soft rug - and the cat will be happy to spend all its free time here.
The interior walls of the home can be decorated with fabric, and the exterior can be painted and depicted with cat identification marks.
Photo: eemcnow.net
Photo: youla.ru
House made of wire and T-shirts
To create such a shelter, you will need 2 pieces of wire 50 cm long, an old T-shirt, but without holes, a piece of cardboard of the required dimensions, pliers, pins and tape.
Advice! Instead of wire, you can take 2 wire hangers. With their help it is easier to create the correct shape of the house.
First you need to take pieces of wire, shape them into arcs and connect them together in the center. The connection is made using tape. For the safety of the pet, the hangers or wire are completely wrapped with tape.
Since the piece of cardboard has cut edges, they can be slightly refined by decorating them with tape. The edges are covered with tape on all sides to ultimately achieve a neat look. This design also contributes to greater strength. Holes are made in each corner of the cardboard, the diameter of which is approximately the same as the thickness of the wire. You should not make them close to heaven, as the material will quickly tear.
After the completed steps, the finished frame is installed on a cardboard base, its ends falling into the holes. In this case, the frame should not fall out of the holes, but should hold firmly. The ends of the wire on the reverse side are bent, but so that a sufficient part remains for complete fastening.
Next, we take the finished tent and place it on a flat surface. It is necessary to determine whether the frame is installed smoothly and how securely the house itself is designed. Be sure to pay attention to the fastening. If something seems wrong, it should be corrected at this stage of installation.
After leveling the frame of the house, an old T-shirt is put on it so that the collar becomes the entrance, and the sleeves can be tucked under the bottom. At the bottom of the sleeve, the T-shirt is secured with threads or pins.
Important! The fabric should be sufficiently stretched without sagging.
Inside, on the bottom of the house, you can put a soft pillow or a blanket folded in several layers to make it soft and comfortable for your pet to be inside. The cat will definitely appreciate such an original house.
Preparations for work
Before you start assembling the house, you must:
- Unbend the hangers without damaging them. If there is such a need, bite off the uneven edges with nippers. Then the wire from the former hangers is given the appearance of an arc.
- Cover the cardboard with tape. Firstly, this will make the cardboard base denser and more stable, and secondly, it will improve its appearance. If necessary, you can still use the same tape to glue two sheets of cardboard together for greater strength.
House for a cat made of a cardboard box and a T-shirt
To create such a house for a cat, you will need to find an empty cardboard box from household appliances or something else. If you don’t have it at home, you can always ask your friends, since most people keep containers from their equipment until the warranty on the device is valid. In a desperate situation, you can ask a department store for an empty box. They are definitely in stock there and the seller will easily provide it.
So, the box has been found. Now you need to get out of the closet the T-shirt that will be used in making the house. You will also need a pillow of a suitable size, but it should not be too high so that the cat can easily climb inside the house and get out when necessary.
Manufacturing proceeds according to the following algorithm:
- All folds and seams in the box are sealed with tape to give it strength.
- A pillow is placed inside.
- The box is covered with a T-shirt so that the neck serves as the entrance.
- At the bottom, the material is neatly folded and fastened with a stapler.
- Now the comfortable house for the cat is ready. Its creation does not take much time, and the pet will have its own place to rest.
Important! If necessary, the interior surface of the house can be cleaned by simply removing the pillow and treating it with a vacuum cleaner.
If the craftsman’s imagination is well developed, then the finished structure of the house can be designed to suit your taste and in accordance with the interior into which you plan to fit it. Decorative ribbons, flowers, bows and other elements that are glued to the surface of the T-shirt with a heat gun can help with this.
Features of building a future home for a pet
To make a cat’s house as comfortable as possible, you need to take into account the animal’s behavioral habits and preferences. For example, some owners of purrs may have noticed their pets’ passion for climbing to the very tops of sideboards and cabinets.
This is due to several factors:
- The higher the cat climbs, the more confident she feels. On an instinctive level, this is a sign of superiority over other animals and their relatives.
- With the onset of cold weather, warm air rises up to the ceiling, and to keep warm, the cat climbs as high as possible.
In this case, the cat will like a design with a post one and a half meters high and a diameter of at least 10-15 cm, on which the house will be attached.
Also, based on the animal’s habits, you need to choose the size of the entrance: for cats who like to relax purely in their own company, a compact entrance is suitable, but for those who like to watch all the household and everything that happens, they need an entrance that will provide a good overview. The optimal entrance width is 15-20 cm.
Soft house for a cat
Creating this design, in addition to an old T-shirt, will also require foam rubber and a sewing machine. In addition, at least initial experience with a sewing machine will be required.
To complete this you will need to create five patterns. Three of them will be solid triangular, one will be triangular but with a hole, and one for the bottom of the house will be in the shape of a square. Using the templates, you need to cut out parts from foam rubber and cover them with fabric. We sew the sides so that it looks like a triangle with a square bottom. A soft pillow is placed inside to maximize the conditions for your pet to stay inside the house.
Important! Such a house will be the best option not only for a cat, but also for a small dog.
Transforming an old sweater
You can sew a cozy and warm cat bed from an old sweater. Prepare pins, stuffing (eg polyester), pillow, needle, thread and scissors.
Main source material
We sew up the neckline, sew a transverse line between the sleeves (this way we separate the back of the future bed).
We fill the back and sides with polyester.
Sew the cuffs.
We put the pillow inside.
Sew up the hole and fasten the sleeves to the base with pins.
Sew and remove the pins.
You can brag about the end result!
Long Sleeve T-shirt House
If such a thing is available, then you can find a practical use for it, for example, create a beautiful bed. If desired, it can even be equipped with walls and a roof, but we will consider the classic version.
To complete the work, you will need an old T-shirt or turtleneck, a needle and thread, scissors and padding polyester, which can be replaced with pillows.
First you need to prepare the material. If you take a T-shirt, then the neck is simply sewn up. If a turtleneck or sweater was used, the neckline is first cut off and then also sewn up. The sleeves are sewn together in a straight line. Either a whole pillow or prepared padding polyester is placed inside, but tightly so that the product holds its shape. After the bottom part is formed, it must be sewn up so that there is no hole. The top and sleeves are also tightly stuffed with filling material. After this, the sleeves are laid in a semicircle, forming a small wall, and tightly sewn to a soft base.
Such a bed will become your pet’s favorite place, where he can not only sleep, but also simply relax during the day, watching what is happening in the apartment.
Cat in the chimney
Materials
To make such an original house for a cat, prepare: a wooden tube of the required size (can be purchased at a hardware store), acrylic paint, sandpaper, wood glue, a ruler (or measuring tape), a piece of foam rubber or soft fabric for interior decoration.
Measurements
We measure and cut the tube to the required size.
Cutting out the stand
We draw two straight lines along the tube at a short distance from each other.
We cut along the marked lines.
Thus, we will get a rounded piece that will serve as a stand for our house. Sand the rough edges with sandpaper.
Glue and paint
We paint the main structure and the outside of the stand. After the paint has completely dried, thoroughly glue the stand to the house. Turn the structure upside down and tightly clamp our stand to the base. Wait for the glue to dry (this will take about 30 minutes).
Glue a piece of foam rubber for softness.
Cozy details
Cover the bed with a blanket and place a small decorative pillow. You can also decorate it with curtains on the sides or hang a funny toy for the kitten.
T-shirt hammock
This design is universal and, as a rule, cats like it. It's very easy to do. There are even several ways to mount a hammock. First of all, I would like to tell you about the simplest option for creating a hammock. To do this, you will need to take 2 hangers with rotating hooks, an old T-shirt or just a piece of fabric, a barbell, if you have not determined where to hang the hammock.
Making such a hammock is very simple, even a child can handle it. To do this, you just need to thread the fabric into the bottom of the hangers and stitch it so that it stays on the hanger, and hang the finished structure. If there is no suitable place, then a rod is additionally installed between two walls.
Important! For this hammock, the strongest hangers and material are selected so that they can support the weight of the cat.
The hammock can be placed under a chair or table. In this case, a piece of fabric is cut from a T-shirt, equal in size to the dimensions of the animal. Strips with strong Velcro and carabiners at the ends are sewn onto the four ends. Afterwards, you can attach the hammock to the desired location. You can not only use it at home, but also take it with you on trips so that you can mark the animal anywhere.
Necessary materials
Usually, owners of four-legged animals think that housing for cats is only an element of apartment decor, and the cat can sleep wherever he wants.
But with a clearly defined area, your cat can be more disciplined and have her own corner. It is very simple to make such housing and it will not require any financial expenses from you. Read also: Ground turkey cutlets
To make a tent with your own hands from a T-shirt and a hanger, you can use available materials that are available in every home:
- old T-shirt;
- 2 wire clothes hangers;
- scissors;
- a piece of cardboard for the base measuring 40-50 cm, this could be the lid of a large box;
- ribbons;
- a few pins.
Plywood houses
Such houses are a little more difficult to make than those made from a T-shirt, but it is still possible. A plywood cat house looks presentable and will decorate any interior, and, most importantly, the pet itself will like it.
Important! Such houses require the initial creation of a project indicating the dimensions.
To create such a structure, you will need to cut out from a single piece of plywood the parts that will make up the structure and fasten them together. The connection is made using corner profiles. For the comfort of the cat, all parts are covered with carpet on both sides. For this purpose, foam rubber can also be used, which is placed between plywood and carpet. It is definitely worth remembering that a hole must be made in one of the walls so that the cat can get inside and get out unhindered.
The house can be left in its original form, or you can install it on a beam and mount a shelf underneath so that the pet can jump or sit on it freely. The beam itself is wrapped in thick jute rope. Once created, you get a full-fledged complex for cat games.
Step by step instructions 1
First, connect the long flaps of the box together and tape them together. Repeat the same procedure with short sashes. This will be the floor for the future house.
If the box is large, cut a large hole in the middle of one of the sides. For smaller volumes, two small windows located on the side of each other will do.
Also seal the top of the box with tape, and apply PVA for reliability.
Using a stapler, cover the outer walls with soft fabric.
Find the entry point and cut through the fabric. Wrap the edges and fasten with a stapler. Do not leave sharp ends of paper clips inside. Bend them with improvised means or pliers.
Place diapers and other cloth inside. The main thing is that the residents feel warm and soft. It is strictly forbidden to put cotton wool, because it can get into the kittens’ nose or mouth.
The nest for the expectant mother with children is ready!
Bright cardboard houses
You can create unique houses from cardboard boxes, which can become a real work of art if created correctly. They are made in the form of a regular house, castle or any other shape. Such designs are designed at the request of the owner, so a unique image is easy to achieve.
Important! For such houses you need to choose high-quality thick cardboard and seal the joints with tape.
: Fix the frame
Bend the section of wire sticking out from the cardboard base. It is advisable to make this piece at least 2.5 cm. Do this on each of the four corners.
When taping this tip, make sure that it fits tightly to the cardboard and that it is completely sealed with tape so that it does not cling to the T-shirt in the future.
