The Giant Cat Condo
Saturday, I had a difficult time getting Jordan out of bed and showered to go to the store to buy a birthday gift for my co-worker's daughter, whose party was this Saturday and we were invited to go. It was also Engineering Mall Day. Subsequently, because we got something of a late start, I didn't go to Mall Day and didn't exactly feel like driving across town just to drop off a birthday gift. I called my co-worker and told her I'd bring the gift to work on Monday (which I did yesterday).
So, now I had a free afternoon and since I've finally paid off all the Christmas purchases, vet bills, and Jordan's books that'd been charged to my visa... I had fundage to burn on something retarded.
We'd been entertaining the idea of building our own cat condo for some time-- the ones in the store are $70-110 for a cheap-ass piece of cardboard. I wanted something all 3 cats could use at the same time without the thing tipping over. Jordan mentioned something about the Cat Condo. I was game. So... we sat down and put together a design. A four and a half foot tall contraption with four levels that were 30" by 24" pre modifications. After calculating the amount of carpet, 4X4 posts, particle board, dowels, and sisal rope needed, it was off to the "Home Despot" (as we call home depot). $130 later, and several free wood cuts later, we exited the store and packed everything up in my Malibu. Our destination? Jordan's 'rents house where his dad has an arsenol of power tools.
It took us two days to "finish" our project. Of course, there are a few minor things that need to be done-- I'd like to wrap a couple more posts in sisal rope so they can climb to the top and we need to put some bracers on a couple overhangs that we created.
The thing is cool... the support legs are connected to the top and base with #14 screws. The center support legs are connected with dowels, so we can take it apart in smaller pieces when we move (if I ever get a damned house). I had wanted to use the router to make trenches in the leg posts, so a wall could be slid between posts, but I don't think that item will come to fruition. I also wanted to put a box atop the tower, but I don't know if that'll happen either. Truth be told, I'm kinda tired of wood working for a while... that, and I learned a few things about my husband that I didn't know before... number one is he gets so excited about a project that he doesn't notice he's not letting me work on it. Another thing is that no matter how many times I tell him I took shop in Jr High or that I worked on wood projects quite frequently with my mom who spent a few years cutting her own wood for her crafting business... he still likes to tell me how to do certain things I already know how to do... only he tells me several times. At first, I was annoyed by it. Then, it was kinda cute. Then it got old... By the end of the project, I was glad it was over...
My main goal in building the cat condo is to reduce the amount of hair that's on the couch by providing a place for the kitties to sleep in the sun where they can see out the window and play on and climb. So far, so good.
So, now I had a free afternoon and since I've finally paid off all the Christmas purchases, vet bills, and Jordan's books that'd been charged to my visa... I had fundage to burn on something retarded.
We'd been entertaining the idea of building our own cat condo for some time-- the ones in the store are $70-110 for a cheap-ass piece of cardboard. I wanted something all 3 cats could use at the same time without the thing tipping over. Jordan mentioned something about the Cat Condo. I was game. So... we sat down and put together a design. A four and a half foot tall contraption with four levels that were 30" by 24" pre modifications. After calculating the amount of carpet, 4X4 posts, particle board, dowels, and sisal rope needed, it was off to the "Home Despot" (as we call home depot). $130 later, and several free wood cuts later, we exited the store and packed everything up in my Malibu. Our destination? Jordan's 'rents house where his dad has an arsenol of power tools.
It took us two days to "finish" our project. Of course, there are a few minor things that need to be done-- I'd like to wrap a couple more posts in sisal rope so they can climb to the top and we need to put some bracers on a couple overhangs that we created.
The thing is cool... the support legs are connected to the top and base with #14 screws. The center support legs are connected with dowels, so we can take it apart in smaller pieces when we move (if I ever get a damned house). I had wanted to use the router to make trenches in the leg posts, so a wall could be slid between posts, but I don't think that item will come to fruition. I also wanted to put a box atop the tower, but I don't know if that'll happen either. Truth be told, I'm kinda tired of wood working for a while... that, and I learned a few things about my husband that I didn't know before... number one is he gets so excited about a project that he doesn't notice he's not letting me work on it. Another thing is that no matter how many times I tell him I took shop in Jr High or that I worked on wood projects quite frequently with my mom who spent a few years cutting her own wood for her crafting business... he still likes to tell me how to do certain things I already know how to do... only he tells me several times. At first, I was annoyed by it. Then, it was kinda cute. Then it got old... By the end of the project, I was glad it was over...
My main goal in building the cat condo is to reduce the amount of hair that's on the couch by providing a place for the kitties to sleep in the sun where they can see out the window and play on and climb. So far, so good.