Regular visits to the vet are an important measure in keeping your cat healthy. Only taking your cat when it is sick and neglecting regular check ups and inoculations can leave your cat in danger of catching an illness. Many vet offices will request that you bring in your pet on a leash or in a cage; this simple design will allow you to bring in your cat hassle free.
Things You'll Need
- Carpet swatch, 2' x 18"
- Staple gun
- Two pieces of 2' x 18" x 1" plywood
- Nine 2' x 2" x 1" wood planks
- Two 17" x 2" x 1" wood planks
- Nails
- Hammer
- Saw
- Chicken wire
- Handle
- Screws
- Screwdriver
- Latch
- Wood glue
Instructions
Constructing the Frame
Position the carpet swatch, carpet up, over one of the pieces of plywood so that it entirely covers the wood and staple in place.
Nail four of the planks to the carpeted piece of plywood along the 24" sides. You should have one plank in each corner flush with the 18" edge of the plywood and extending up above the carpeted side.
Nail three more planks to the plywood along the 18" sides and flush with the outside edges of the planks from Step 2. One end will have a plank extending up in both corners and will be the back of the cage, and one will have a plank extending from one corner and will be the front of the cage.
Position the second piece of plywood between the tops of the planks and nail in place to create the roof of the cage. An easy way to accomplish this is to turn the frame on its side, allowing you to slide the top inside the frame and hammer in place while flush with the tops of the planks.
Screw the handle into the center of the top of the cage. The handle should run parallel to the 24" sides, and should be centered across both the 24" and 18" lengths of the top.
Cut 45-degree angle cuts into the ends of the two remaining 18" planks and the 17" planks, across the 2" width. The angled cuts on each plank should both be facing up in the same direction. If a plank ends up as a rhombus, a lopsided diamond, then you have made a mistake.
Create a rectangle out of the planks and glue together. The 45-degree angles will allow you to slide the four planks together to make a rectangle, with an angled cut in each corner.
Cut two swatches of wire that are 26" by 24," a swatch that is 24" by 20" and a swatch that is 18" by 17."
Staple the two largest swatches of wire to the sides of the cage, and the second largest to the back of the cage. As the wire is 24" tall for an 18" tall cage, the wire will staple to the 18" inch planks along the side, and wrap to the top and bottom of the cage to staple those edges. This ensures the cat cannot get its paws on the top of the wire and tear it down.
Staple the final swatch to the outside of the door. It is cut to perfectly match the size of the door with no wrapping.
Secure the door to the frame by screwing the hinges to the side of the front of the cage that does not have the 2" plank nailed down, and to the side of the door.
Attach your latch by screwing one end to the side of the door near the 2" plank and the other end to the 2" plank.