How to Make a Playpen for a Kitten

If you've just gotten a kitten, you might be a little overwhelmed at how quickly it can get away from you and disappear into a small, dark corner of the house. Setting up a kitten playpen can be a great way to keep up with your kitten and fill the playpen with items that will entertain and occupy your kitten for hours at a time. A kitten playpen can also be used outdoors to keep your kitten safe.

Things You'll Need

  • Wood or metal beams/poles
  • Shelving
  • Screening materials
  • Connectors
  • Toys and furnishings
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Instructions

  1. Determine the size you need.

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      First, determine how big your kitten playpen needs to be. Keep in mind that the kitten will soon turn into a cat and will need more room to stretch and enjoy itself indoors or out. There are many kits on the market to help you get an idea of what a playpen can look like. View various cat playpens on sites like CagesByDesign.com. As you will notice, these kits can be very expensive. Hence, making your own will save you money and help you create it just the way you want it for your kitty. Create a design to use as a guide as you're building your pen.

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      Buy the materials After you've determined the size of your kitten playpen, next, go to your local hardware store and buy the parts. This may include wood or metal beams, screening materials, connectors to attach your screen to the metal or wood poles and any other material you want to add. For example, determine whether or not you want it to have its own floor or if you want it to sit on a patio, your rug or outside on the grass.

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      Begin assembling You may need some help assembling your unit. Ask a friend to help you construct the skeleton of the kitten playpen. From there, you can probably do the rest yourself. As the shell is assembled with metal or wooden beams in place, the screen can then be added one panel at a time. Same with the roof and floor, if one is needed. Add shelves where the kitten can sit and play up high. Be sure to leave room for a door.

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      Furnish it with kitty toys A first-rate kitten playpen will include lots of fun things for your kitten. For example, several cat scratching posts in different sizes can be enclosed in your unit, along with fun toys and cat nip balls to keep your kitten happy. Be sure your kitten playpen allows both sun and shade in various parts of the playpen and add food and water dishes in strategic locations of the playpen.