The dog/cat negotiations around the apartment are somewhat stalled. My roommates’ cat Shiro (who we expected to be the chicken of the pair) has been venturing out into the hallway, but will back off once my dogs appear at the baby gate. The other cat, Kachiko, will observe from afar but won’t go past the doorway.
It’s been like this for a few weeks now. The dogs have learned to be reasonably calm at the gate, thanks to lots of treats and praise and everyone keeping a watchful eye on them. Once in a while — especially if one of the cats moves quickly — the dogs will get a little riled up.
I started building a kitty condo, so the cats could have the advantage of height in the hallway. The ones we saw at the various pet stores were nice, but too wide for the narrow corridor. We decided it was time to improvise.
Materials:
- 1 set of those wire cube storage systems (wire panels and fasteners)
- My handy dandy Dremel tool
- Carpet remnants
- Duct tape
- Safety glasses
I first laid out the cube pieces, trying to get an idea of the shape the kitty condo would take. Steps would be good — that way, the cats could climb up the inside or the outside of the condo. Three cube units on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on the top.
Each level needs a door, so I grabbed a few wire panels and my Dremel tool with wire cutting wheel. This is where the safety glasses are VERY necessary — there were sparks and bits of plastic wire covering everywhere. Once I cut doorways into two panels, I went back and filed the edges down (again with the Dremel). Still, I don’t want the cats to get cut or caught, so I’ll cover them with duct tape underneath the carpeting.
So far, I’ve got two panels cut; I need to do three more, but my hands were getting tired. That will give me three outside doorways and two inside doorways. And yes, I’ll post pictures of the finished product!