Cats are funny creatures; their personalities range widely between shy and retiring to energetic and outgoing — and everything in between.
As such, it can be difficult to find products that are just right for your cat, especially if you have a multi-cat (and multi-personality) household.
Luckily, there are some great ideas out there for do-it-yourselfers. DIYs are a fantastic option for people who want to tailor products to their cats and households. As a bonus, by going the DIY route, you may even save yourself a little money.
Here some ideas I found while looking for products for my cat.
1. Indoor Cat Garden
This is a fabulous idea. Cats love to eat plants, but some plants are dangerous for them to ingest.
You can easily create a customized cat garden that fits just about anywhere in your house or apartment, is visually appealing and, best of all, is safe for your cats to nibble on.
2. Climbing Wall
Does your cat like to climb? It’s not uncommon to find them in some rather peculiar — and unsafe — places.
A climbing wall gives your cats the opportunity to climb in a safe way, is inexpensive to set up and takes up virtually no space.
3. Cat Bed
Sure, you could buy your cat a bed, but why not do something fun? For very little money, you can create a bed for your cat that’s uniquely their own.
This particular example is a simple basket attached to a wall, with a soft cushion placed at the bottom. There are a ton of ideas out there, and it’s easy to find a bed that you can make yourself that fits just about anywhere you need it to.
4. Scratching Post
If you have an old stool hanging around (or a stool that your cat stubbornly insists is their personal scratching post), with a little rope and glue you can create a customized scratching post for your cat that takes up very little space and saves your better furniture.
5. Simple Cat Toy
I am not crafty in any way whatsoever, so this idea was a real find for me. All you need is an empty toilet paper tube and some cat food or treats, and voila — instant cat toy!
6. Homemade Treats
With concern growing about what’s in our pets’ foods, homemade pet treats are becoming more popular. Most recipes, such as this one, are easy to follow, inexpensive to make and give you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what you’re feeding your cat.
7. Cat Tree
Cat trees are a fun way for your cat to climb and play. This project is a bit ambitious, but if you have the knowledge and the tools, the all-natural end result is absolutely beautiful.
This particular blogger used some faux vines for hers, but it’s not a requirement — although you could get super creative and create a little cat garden at the bottom with real plants.
8. Shelves for Perching
Smaller homes and apartments don’t always have the space for a cat tree, so shelves are a great space-saving alternative. You can get just about any style you like and place them in such a way that your cat can safely sit and survey the room from a higher perspective.
9. Self-Scratchers
What if you’re at work and your cat wants a good scratch? With just a few materials and a little time, you can make them a cat scratcher of their very own. With this project, I highly recommend using new toilet brushes because, well, ew.
10. Window Perch
Even cats who go outside regularly enjoy sitting in the window and watching the world go by.
A few simple steps and you can build your cat their own window perch. These are great because they don’t take up a lot of space, and if you’re super crafty, you can install hinges so they fold down). They also allow your cat to enjoy the great outdoors without actually having to leave the house.
11. Cat Tent
An old t-shirt, some tape and a couple wire hangers, and you could create a cat tent for your cat to hide in.
This is a very easy-to-do project, and — bonus! — you can finally get rid of that old t-shirt you’ve been nagging your spouse to throw away.
12. Catio
Building an outdoor enclosure — or “catio” — for your cat sounds a little intimidating.
Catios are great because they allow cats to be outdoors safely. They can bask in the sunshine and get a better view of what’s going on but aren’t in danger of getting hit by a car or scooped up by a predator.
The video below shows you how to easily create a catio for your pet:
Cats are wonderful pets who give a lot of love to their humans. With just a few simple tools and objects that are already lying around the house, we can give a little of that love back.
