More cat stuff.
27 May 2011 1 Comment
in craftables, crafts Tags: crafts, DIY, furry dependents
One thing about pets is that they create extra dirt, fur, smells, etc. to clean up. I am what some might refer to as a neat freak. Although I care less about tidiness (unless company is coming over) and more about hygiene and getting rid of germs and odors (ESPECIALLY if company is coming over). I have been to enough bachelor/frat boy pads that have grossed me out, that I want to make sure no one ever comes to my house and wonders when the last time I cleaned was.
Anyways, cat litter has been a recent nemesis of mine. I cheaped out in August and didn’t buy one of those covered cat litter boxes because it was more than twice the price of the regular or high-walled boxes. So I bought my boys a box with higher than average walls, foolishly thinking that would keep the cat litter inside. When I found out that didn’t work I went to Walmart and bought a small rug to put around the box to hopefully catch excess litter. That improved things, but I still found litter in places I didn’t want it. However, the covered cat boxes were still just an expense I couldn’t participate in. I know, my frugality is getting a bit excessive but I couldn’t bring myself to buy another one when I had one at home that sort of did the job. Besides, by now I had already bought a rug. I couldn’t let the high walled box win.
Enter grand upcycling idea number one!
One of my favorite storage devices are those Rubbermaid storage bins. I used them to move here and still keep some excess stuff in them. However, I have a few empty ones laying around. I thought they’d make a perfectly suitable covered cat litter box, and I seem to be right. 
My picky cat has already used it once and the other one has snuck inside for a peek. I now have more rug available up front, since the sides are covered, so hopefully my days of endlessly sweeping up litter are over. Not likely, but maybe I can cut down from everyday to every other day. I can also put stuff on top of this one so even though it is bigger it didn’t cut down on garbage area storage space.
These boxes run about $7 or so at Walmart, and if you don’t care about colors you can get some super cheap red and green ones on Clearance post-Christmas. I would recommend using one that is fairly tall. I tried a medium sized one at first and it ended up turning into a cat bed that will likely go unused after today. However, I still am happy with the end results.
Caturday.
08 May 2011 2 Comments
in craftables Tags: crafts, furry dependents
Well if you are still with us after that pity party below, we thank you.
Here is something a bit more fun to read about: a cat castle that I have nearly finished. I need to find some supports and paint it grey (I was thinking some kind of Home Depot mistint). I wanted to make sure they liked it before investing too much time on the exterior, though.
I decided to undertake this project because my office at work was filled with all these boxes. I got rid of a lot of stuff by way of donation to some local organizations and then decided to reuse the boxes for a fun kitty project.
Cats are strange creatures. A few months back I bought a cat tree from Target. It gets used a bit. Mostly for storing their toys and sometimes it acts as a hideout so that someone can swipe my legs when I walk by. However, for the most part it was a waste of money. However, the cardboard box that was going to be thrown away? It gets used daily as can be seen inthe photo below:
Notice unused cat tree on the right side of the picture.
So I decided to take that idea and run with it. I read somewhere that cats like cardboard boxes because it absorbs their scent quickly and thus makes them feel cozy and safe.
I started with just one big box and made it so there was only one entrance. Stuck an old pillow in it and B seemed to like it.
It also provided him a bit of reprieve from J, who is a few years younger and likes to torment him by jumping on him and wrestling him out of his catnaps.
Next I added a second tier with two boxes. One has two entrances as you can see and the other just has a sideways hole cut into it. The one with the front door has been more popular so far. I think it might be because it provides a bit more privacy and darkness. Or maybe it is the flower wrapping paper…
Lastly I added a top and two “wings” that are just those lids turned upside down. They have sides so I guess they sort of feel like little box nests. This is where the supports will come in handy as if only one side is getting used it is a bit top heavy and falls over. J found that out the other day. Ha.
It doesn’t look like much at the moment, but once I paint it grey and add some faux dead mice on spikes every cat in the 941 will want one.
