DIY: Cat Ladder

Our cat Raven loves the ladder we use when doing home improvement projects.  If we left it for a moment, she was always sitting at the top very pleased with herself when we came back.

Most cats like high spots and here’s a tutorial on making your cat their own ladder. The nifty thing is you could move this around your house to keep things interesting for your kitty—from a bookcase to a closet to a ledge.  I bet you could modify this design so you wouldn’t have to drill holes in your bookcase, shelf, etc.  Lean the ladder at enough of an angle, rubber caps on the feet of the ladder, long brackets with a non-slip material on them, etc.

You’ll need:

  1. some soft carpet or rug (the author used a $15 Ikea rug)
  2. 1×2 boards (measure where you want the ladder to reach and add some length so you can lean the ladder at a bit of an angle, and include the number of 5″ long rungs you’ll need for the length of the ladder)
  3. drill
  4. saw
  5. measuring tape
  6. scissors, carpet knife, utility knife for cutting carpet
  7. hot glue gun plus extra glue sticks
  8. wood screws
  9. metal brackets to secure ladder to bookcase, shelf, etc.

DIY: Waste Digester

garbagecan

Update April 19, 2011: I’ve recently gotten a few questions about this post, so I thought I’d repost it for those of you who may have missed it.  This is such a great idea for an Earth Day project!  Let me know if you make one yourself.

Last week I wrote about an environmentally friendly way to dispose of your dog’s poop using a waste digester—the Doggie Dooley or the Staywell Eco Clean.  They work like a miniature septic tank.  They can also cost a pretty penny and depending on how many dogs you have, may not be able to handle all your poop problems.

Happily you can make your own pet waste digester for dirt cheap.  You’ll need:

  • a large plastic garbage can with a lid hat fits tightly
  • a drill to make holes in the side of the can
  • something to cut the bottom out of the can
  • a shovel
  • a hole dug with that shovel
  • gravel or small rocks
  • septic tank enzyme available at hardware stores (Septonic, Septo-Bac, Roebic Septic Treatment, Drain Out, Rid-X)

Don’t locate your waste digester anywhere near edible plants.  And don’t put one of these too close to water, like a river bank, or anywhere where the water table is high. Waste digesters won’t work properly in very clayey soil and digestive activity stops below 40°F, but picks up again when the weather warms up.  If you live in a cool area, try to locate your digester in a sunnier part of your yard.  Also, too much chlorine in the water you add to the digester may slow digestive activity.

Check out the detailed slide show for a DIY waste digester and make your own.

The video tells you how it works and how to maintain you DIY Doggie Dooley.

Etsy: Spring/Easter Cat Toys

I haven’t done a post on nifty Etsy things in ages.  I love Spring and there are some pretty fun Spring/Easter things for cats on Etsy right now.  (I’ve included a few bunnies for people too.)

Row 1

  • Bunny with pocket
  • Bunny pin
  • Rabbit print
  • Row 2

  • Little ducklings
  • Mini bunnies
  • Catnip Easter trio
  • Row 3

  • Catnip rattling bunny
  • Knit Easter eggs
  • Wool catnip balls
  • Row  4

  • Polymer clay jingle eggs
  • Velvet catnip strawberries
  • Catnip carrot
  • Felted catnip egg
  • Row 5

  • Catnip peas in a pod
  • Little catnip ducky
  • Cloisonne catnip eggs
  • Catnip kick sticks
  • Row 6

  • Colorful catnip mice
  • Catnip pea pod
  • Catnip Easter eggs
  • DIY: House Rabbit Palace

    Check out this awesome House Rabbit Palace ! What a great idea.  The tutorial shows the first version and ends with the more sophisticated 2nd edition.  Sweet!  You could easily make this by retrofitting an old bookcase.  You could also make it wide and short instead to narrow and tall.

    If you’re thinking about getting a bunny, please don’t buy one!  There are tons available for adoption.  For the Dallas area alone, there are over 5,000 rabbits who need a good home.