I Made A Cat Condo...

I'm feeling pretty chuffed about now. I had this dresser with really dodgy drawer runners. They were plastic and all broken, so whenever I tried to use a drawer, it wanted to drop out. This dresser was a Marketplace purchase (cheap), but the owners loaded it into my Explorer before I could even test the drawers. It's all on me, as I should have given it a thorough check prior to purchase. At any rate, it really stunk as a clothes dresser, but I had an idea, so it's been sitting in our garage waiting for me to get to it.

It's been getting cooler at night - and was pleasantly cooler yesterday - so I decided I needed to get to this now. I made a little list and ran over to Home Depot to get what I needed. When I got back home, I got out Handsome's power tools and the parts I purchased, and got to work. Handsome only helped hold some of the plywood while I cut it, but I did everything else. It still needs paint, but this is what I did. I made a cat house condo for my girls!

 

I removed all the lower drawers, reinforced the dividers between levels, and then insulated the entire piece with sheet styrofoam. There are no gaps in the insulation, and during the winter, the entire condo will be moved to the compass barn so they'll have the building to protect it, too. I even insulated the insides of the upper drawers, which I kept for their supplies. They'll be snug little bugs in this when the winds blow.

I measured all my components and attached a swinging door to the front so I can access the inside should I need to add more bedding or clean out the interior. I even insulated the front panels!

 

I was a little concerned about whether or not the girls would be interested in this, but Claudette was immediately curious. Then, I wasn't sure the opening I cut between the levels would be big enough, but I worried for naught.

Before bed last night, I went out to see whether or not the ladies had moved in. I wanted to add one of their current beds to the padded lower section, and when I opened the door, Claudette was already tucked in her bed in the upper level. Seems she had no issues entering the front door and heading "upstairs" for the night. Once I put the second bed in the lower level and closed the front door, Crystal went right inside and tucked herself in, too.

I went to bed smiling last night, knowing both my girls were safely sleeping in the beds in their new condo. Now I'm assured that as the days get cooler, they have a warm, safe place to be, and once the weather turns toward winter, we'll move them out to the Compass Barn for more protection. 

 

I'm also planning to add a small cut in the side wall of the dresser so I can add a fixture to hold an oven or refrigerator light for a little extra warmth when it's freezing outside. I'm not thinking of anything bright or strong. Just enough to take the chill out of their condo. 

The only thing I have left to do for now is apply a coat of paint to the front panels...and I'm thinking I'll paint a garden scene with faces of my girls peeking out of the grasses and flowers. Of course, they'll need their names above the door, too, along with a little "eyebrow" over the entry. Nothing is too good for my girls, and if I can't have them indoors (at least while Handsome is home), then I'll make sure they have the best in the meantime. What do you think?