how to build a cat cage

7/23/2019 How to Build a Cat Cage

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How to Build a Cat Cage

Isaac W. Foraker

Copyright © 2003 Isaac W. Foraker

Table of Contents

Disclaimer for How To Build a Cat CageIntroduction1. Required Tools

ToolsRecommended Tools

2. Materials3. Tips4. Cutting the base corners5. Building the floor 6. Building the frame7. Installing the wheels8. Installing some tile9. Building the long shelf 10. Building the top shelf 11. Building the bottom shelf 12. Building the top door

13. Building the bottom door 14. Building the lid15. Finishing upA. After ThoughtsB. Feedback

Abstract

This howto describes one possiblemodel for building a cat cage (or Kitty

Condo, as some like to call them).The cage presented in these plans will be 4' wide by 2' deep byapproximately 4' 4' tall (depending onthe size of the wheels).

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Disclaimer for How To Build a Cat CageIn these sue-happy times, I am compelled to disclaim responsability. Please bear with me.

The author provides the following instructions free of charge. The author provides no warranty for theaccuracy of these instructions. The author is not responsible for any damage, injury or death that mayresult from use or misuse of these instructions.

This cage is intended for stationary use only. Do not move the cage while cats are in it, or injury mayoccur.

Introduction

This howto details one plan for building a cat enclosure. If you do not feel comfortable making your own measurements and cuts, this howto is not for you. First, a little background.

I had a dilemma. My wife and I agreed to foster some kittens until the local rescue agency could findhome for them, but we did not have a kennel for them. A good size cat cage costs anywhere from$300 to $500, and that's just a bit too much.

I decided that I would build a cage. Running immediately to my nearest Internet search engine, I wasdisappointed to find very little help. Several people talk about having built a cat enclosure, but I onlyfound one set of plans. Time for plan "B".

I began to visualize what I wanted in a cat enclosure. It had to be able to fit through a door, be on



wheels, be easy to gain access to, and be easy to clean. I found a scrap piece of plywood in my garage that measured 4'x2', and decided thatwas a good size for the floor of the cage. The rest of the plans are builtaround this.

My only qualification for this project is that I have watched a few toomany episodes of Home Time. The instructions that follow describe4'x2'x4' high enclosure. In the pages that follow, I share my

experiences, including how I fixed my mistakes.

Chapter 1. Required Tools

Table of Contents

ToolsRecommended Tools

You should already be familiar with how to use each of these tools

before you begin.

Tools

Safety GogglesEar plugs or Ear Muffs (if you use power saws)GlovesWood Pencil4' straight edge (3' is okay, but harder to work

with)Tape MeasureCutting bladeSaw Horses or a work benchA square (triangle looking ruler)Wood SawHack SawHammer Screw DriversStaple GunPleanty of staplesPliersC-Clamps and/or Quick Grips

Recommended Tools

Wood Glue (for secure joints)Electric Drill (cordless is good) with screw driver bitsMiter Saw (Saves a lot of time and gives you nice square cuts)First-aid kit

Strong hand soap (especially if you use glue).

Chapter 2. Materials

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All of the materials you need should be available fromyour local Home Depot or Lowe's. Remember, it may

be a good idea to buy a little extra, in case you make amistake. Many of these stores will allow you toreturned unused materials. I put an estimate of what I

paid for the materials to give you an idea of what toexpect.

10 2"x2"x8' boards - $1.86 ea (1.5"x1.5" acutal,suggest 1 extra)2 1"x2"x8' boards - $0.89 ea (.75"x1.5" actual,suggest 1 extra)*4'x8'x1/4" plywood - already had scrap, est. $104'x15' chicken wire - $17 (I had to buy 25' because 15' was not available)16 1'x1' self adhesive tiles - $0.29 ea (suggest 2 extra)**5 2" castors - $3 ea (wheels that spin in any direction)Box of Staples - $2.67 (for your stapler)Box of 2 1/2" - $3 nails

Box of 2 1/2" wood screws - $4 (I like self drilling masonry screws)Box of 1 1/2" wood screws - $42 pair small hinges - $1.67 ea1 pair medium hinges - $2.294 latches - $2.86 ea (1 for top door, 2 for bottom door, 1 for lid)***Some wood trim (optional)****Paint - $15 (optional)*****Screen (optional)

* Many home improvement stores will cut your wood for you. This is a really good idea as far as the plywood goes, especially if you need to fit your materials into a car. Either you or the store will needto cut the plywood into a 4'x2' piece, 4'x10" piece, then 2 2'x1' pieces (cut a 4'x1' piece, then cut that

piece in half). That will leave you with a 4'x4'2" piece, which you may want to keep for your next project.

** The castors are optional, but recommended. If you do not plan on ever moving your cage, you cansave a few bucks and get rubber feet instead of the wheels.

*** Wood trim can make a good lip for shelves, so it's harder for the cats to knock bowls off of them,and also for covering the edges of the chicken wire on the outside of the cage.

**** These instructions do not cover painting, so if you would like to paint your cage, you are onyour own.

***** If you are planning to keep an open litter box in the cage, it is a good idea to install screenaround the bottom of the cage to keep the litter from splashing all over your floor.

So you are looking at around $100 to $125 depending on what you but and sales tax.

Chapter 3. Tips

Read through all the instructions before beginning.

Make sure you review the "Afterthoughts" chapter before you get too far into the project. If you wantto add any of the features I mention, they will be easier to add before the cage is together.



Use the pictures of the completed page as a reference when you are not sure where a shelf or door should go.

This does not need to be a solo project. Things may go a lot smoother if two people work on ittogether.

Use your safety goggles. You never know when a stray splinter, dust, or chicken wire might hit you inthe eye.

Measure twice. Cut once.

An electric screw driver or drill will make things go a lot faster.

Put a drop or two of wood glue on joints before screwing them together. This will help make the cagemore durable and stable.

Make sure all joints are screwed together tightly. If there is a gap between the joints, remove thescrew and try again.

Keep your cage clean for a healthy cat!

Chapter 4. Cutting the base corners

The first thing I did was to cut squares out of each corner of the floor board. These measurements assume that your 2"x2" boards are actual1.5"x1.5". If not, you will have to make your own measurements.This cut will allow the 2"x2" corner boards to attach through the

plywood floor to the boards under the floor.

On your 2'x4' piece of plywood (that's feet, not inches), measure a1.5"x1.5" square in each corner. Mark the square with a wood pencil.

Check your measurement. As you can see in the photo, I got it wrongthe first time, when I thought the 2"x2" boards were actually 2"x2".

Cut each corner square out with a hack saw (or jigsaw if you haveone). After each cut, measure to make sure the cut was big enough. Itis a good idea to take a 2"x2" board, and fit it into the corner, to make

sure it sits flush with the edge of the plywood. If the board is a bitsunken in, that is okay. If the board sticks out beyond the plywood,you need to increase your cut.

After you have all four of these cuts squaredaway, you will be ableto begin measuring for your foundation

boards. Keep thecorner pieces you cutout! You will needthem later.



Chapter 5. Building the floor

You should now have a sheet of plywood with four corners cut out. If you have a 4' straight edge, you cansee how easy it will be to measure

pretty much anything you need for this project.

In this step, you will be attaching boards to the bottom of the floor togive it enough strength to support the

weight of the cage, cats, andaccessories.

You will be cutting 2"x2" boards for this step. You will require approximately 1 1/4 8' boards. If your 2"x2" boards are not 1.5"x1.5", then you must take your own measurements. We are cuttingthese beams based on the the floor being 48" wide by 24" deep, minus the 1.5" for each square cutout of the corner of the board.

Cut two (2) 45" beams out of the first board.

Cut three (3) 21" beams (you should be able to get two from the first 2"x2", and the third from a

second 2"x2").After you finish cutting the beams,you are ready to assemble the floor. Ihighly recomment using glue whenattaching the beams to the floor. Placea line of wood glue along the edge of the floor before you attach a beam. Donot use too much, or it will seep outand make a big mess.

Now place the beam on the edge of the floor where you have put a line of glue, and use two or threeclamps to hold it in place. The clamps will hold the beam in place while you screw the floor to the

beam. If you are using a C-clamp, it is a good idea to use scrap wood between the clamp and thefloor to prevent the clamp from damaging the floor.



Instead of C-clamps, I am fond of using Quick Gripclamps. These clamps lock into place as you squezethem, and have a protective rubber mouth instead of raw metal, so you do not need extra wood to protectwhat you are clamping. Comparatively, the quick gripclamps attach in a couple of seconds, as opposed to aminute or two of fussing with a C-clamp and scrapwood.

Once you have firmly attached the beam to the floor

with clamps, turn over the floor and attach the beamto the floor with 1.5" wood screws. You will bescrewing from the top of the floor into the beam. Isuggest six (6) screws for each 45" beam and three (3)screws for each 21" beam.

Once you attach the beamwith screws, remove theclamps. You should havesomething that looks like this.

For the middle 21" board, measure to the middle of both 45" boards. This should be 22.5" inches.



Don't forget to lay a line of glue before attaching thecenter board.

Screw the 21" center board to the 45" side boards oneach side with 2.5" wood screws. It is a good idea tovisually verify that the screw will go all the waythrough the first board.

Turn the floor assembly over and prepare to secure the floor to the center beam. Measure to thecenter of the board, which should be exactly 2' if you are using a 4' wide floor board. Drill 1.5" woodscrews into the center beam from the top using the center measurement as a guide.



The center of the floor should look like this.

Now stand up your floor assembly and look at the bottom. If it lookslike an "8" on a digital clock, then congratulations. You havesuccessfully completed the floor assembly.

Chapter 6. Building the frame

Now that the floor is done, we can start building the frame. You will need to cut some 2"x2" boardsfirst. Again, if your boards are not 1.5"x1.5", then you need to take your own measurements.

Cut six (6) 4' beams. Basically, cut three (3) of the 2"x2"x8' beams in half.

Cut two (2) 45" beams.

Cut four (4) 21" beams.



After cutting your beams, attach the first 21" beam tothe center of two (2) 4' beams to form an "H" shape.Place a mark at 2' into each 4' beam, and that is wherethe screw show go. Screw the boards together using a2.5" wood screw. When attaching two beams together like this, I like to stand on each beam on the groundwhile I screw them together to ensure a snugconnection. Make sure the ground is flat if you try

this.

The joint of the joined boards should look something like this.

Attach the two "H" sections to the floor assembly. It may be easier todo this with the floor and "H" frame on their sides.

When attaching the frame wall to the floor assembly, it is best to drillscrews in from both directions. Make sure you offset the the screws(i.e. put one higher and one lower) so they do not hit each other onthe way in.

Attach the two 4' beams to the top of the "H" frame walls using 2.5" screws.



Attach the two 21" beams to the top of each wall as shown in the picture, keeping the all the top beams flush with each other.

There is, unfortunately, not a picture for this step.

Install the two 45" beams on the side walls of the frames. These should be at the same level as the beams on the end walls so that a shelf can be placed on them. Attach these beams with 2.5" screws.

Decide which side of the cage will be the front. Measure 2' from the left side. This will be where thelarge bottom door goes. This door needs to be large enough to allow you to clean and put in or takeout a litter box.

Measure the height from the floor to the bottom of the center wall beam. This should beapproximately 19.5", but use your measurement for cutting the next beam. Cut a 2"x2" beam to fit inthe space you just measured. Attach the beam with 2.5" screws, being sure that there is 2' of width

between the beam and the left wall beam.

Chapter 7. Installing the wheels

Turn the entire cage upside down. Cut four 2" long blocks from a2"x2" beam. Glue each block to each of the four corners under thefloor, as in the picture.

Let the glue set for a few minutes.



Turn the entire cage right side up. Using 1.5" wood screws, screw the blocks to thefloor.

Turn the cage upside down again and line up each wheel.

Attach each of the four (4) corner wheels with four (4) 1.5" wood screws.

For the fifth wheel, I attached the wheel diagonally across the center of the middle floor beam with

only two (2) 1.5" screws.

Chapter 8. Installing some tile

Always place the tiles in their desired position beforeattaching them, to make sure they will fit properly.

You will need to cut out bits of the tiles before youattach them to fit around the wall beams.

When setting the tiles, try to keep them snuggly together. This will help prevent moisture fromgetting between the tiles, and make the cage easier to clean.

Work your way across from one side to the other.

This is a view of the finished floor.



This is another view.

Chapter 9. Building the long shelf

Cut a piece of plywood to 10" wide by 4' long. It'seasiest to have the store cut this for you.

Cut out 1.5"x1.5" squares from the two corners that will rest agains the wall beams.

Place the shelf and secure it with 1.5" wood screws.

Depending on your preference, you can start placing tile now or waituntil you have all the beams in place.

Cut the tiles to fit on the shelf. You can usually use scissors or a

cutting blade.



You may be able to cut the tile in place using a cutting blade. Simplyscore the tile (make a small cut along the line you want to cut out),and fold the tile and it should snap neatly.

Here is the completed shelf.

Chapter 10. Building the top shelf

For the top shelf, cut two (2) 2"x2" beam to 1' long.Measure from the center beam to the top beam andcut two more 2"x2" beams to fit vertically betweenthem. Separately measure the beams for each side of the cage, since the long shelf will cut about 1/4" off of the rear vertical beam. Lastly, cut a 2"x2" beam to21".

It is helpful to use a 1' beam to measure the placement of the vertical beams.

Attach the vertical beams to the front and back using 2.5" wood screws.



If you have already tiled the long shelf, you will need to cut out a

square of tile to allow the vertical beam to have contact with thewood underneath.

Choose a height for your shelf. Mark this height in wood pencil on allthe verical beams. Then attach the horizontal beams using 2.5" woodscrews.

Cut a piece of plywood to 1'x2'. Cut 1.5"x1.5" squares from the two corners that will be against the

wall beams. Place the shelf and secure it with 1.5" wood screws.



Chapter 11. Building the bottom shelf

Prepare beams for the bottom shelf as you did for the top shelf. I useda 1"x2" beam for the front and back support of this shelf because Iwas running low on 2"x2" beam. Don't worry. This is pleanty of support. Use a 2"x2" beam for the side wall.

Cut a sheet of plywood to 1'x2'. Cut 1.5"x1.5" squares out of

the corners that will be against the wall beams. Place the shelf and attach it with 1.5" wood screws.

At this point, your cage should look something like this.



Chapter 12. Building the top door

I didn't want a gap under my top door, so I took scraps of plywood,and filled in the space to the beam, as shown in the picture.

You will be making the door out of 1"x2" beams.

When measuring for the door, make sure you insert a tile on the shelf so you take the proper measurement.

Make the left and right door beams measure from the shelf floor (with tile) to the top beam, minus about 1/8" to allow the door toswing without scraping the shelf or ceiling.

When measuring the top and bottom beam for the door, remember tosubtract the side beams from the measurement. Again, subtract about

1/8" so the door has room to open.

This next part is a matter of preference. For this door, I decided to attach the side of the door to thehinges first. This means that you have to take the door side off when you attach it to the rest of thedoor. I suggest building the door, and then clamping the whole assembly to the cage beam.

With the door firmly clamped in place, attach a pair of small hinges, being careful to keep the hinge centered between the the door boardand cage board.

It is important to keep the screws in the centers of the holes in the

hinge. If the screw is too far toward the inside of the hinge, then the pressure created will cause the door to pop open.



This is a picture of the side beam of the door attached to the cage.

Test to make sure that the door will be able to swing all the way open.

Start to assemble the door, making sure that the top and bottem beams go between the side beams of the door, and not on top and bottom of the side beams.

If you attached the side beam to the hinges already, take it off. You will want to mark which end isup with a wood pencil, and then attach the rest of the door frame on the left side of this beam.



Attach the door.

You can go ahead and attach chicken wire to the door now. This canhelp you feel like you are making progress, because the door will becompletely finished.

When unwrapping the chicken wire, wear your safetygoggles. These rolls are usually wrapped in a thinwire that can unexpectedly whip around and hit youin the eye. It is also a good idea to wear gloves, as

chicken wire has a lot of sharp ends.

Cut out a piece of chicken wire bigger than the door. Attach the wire,then use your fence cutters to trim off the excess. Use a pair of pliersto bend back any wires that are sticking out so no one cuts theirself while opening the door. There will probably be a lot of wire to bend

back, but it's worth the effort.

Install the latch on the door and side beam.

Congratulations. You have finished the top door.



Chapter 13. Building the bottom door

Measure for the bottom door. I build the bottom door out of 2"x2" beam for the top and 1"x2" beams for the rest of the door. I used athicker top beam because this door is heavier, and I thought it coulduse more strength at the hinges.

When measuring, make sure you put a tile down on the floor, if youhave not already tiled it. Leave about 1/8" gap at the bottom of thedoor to give the door room to swing open without scraping the floor.Also leave about 1/4" inch gap for the sides of the door (that is 1/8"for each side). The top and bottom beams should be the width of thedoor, and the side beams will go between them. On my project, the

top and bottom beams were 23.75", and the side beams were 19 1/8".Still, take your own measurements.

Attach the door by using clamps again to hold it in placewhile attaching a pair of small hinges. Keep the screws for the hinges in the center of the hinge holes, or you may havetrouble opening or closing the door.

You can go ahead and put chicken wire on this door now,using the same method as for the top door.

Test the door to make sure it opens and closes freely.

Install latches. I put latches on either side of the door so thecats cannot bend a side of the door because it has no latch.



Chapter 14. Building the lid

At this point, I had just enough wood left for the lid (I did not buy extra beams, so it's a good thing I did not make anymistakes while cutting the wood).

The perimeter of the lid is all 2"x2" beam, and the center beam is 1"x2". Cut two (2) 4' beams (i.e. cut a 2"x2"x8' beamin half). Cut two (2) 21" beams from 2"x2" beam and one (1)21" beam from 1"x2" beam.

Assemble the pieces to form an "8" shape.

Cover the top of the lid with chicken wire. Pull thewire tight as it will tend to stretch anyway, and will

bulge if it is too loose.

Chapter 15. Finishing up

At this point, if you have not tiled the floor or shelves, do it now.

Carefully unwrap and attach the chicken wire to the outside walls of the cage, trying to keep itstretched. I advise using an excessive number of staples to attach any part of the chicken wire that thecats will be leaning against, or this area is more likely to break under the stress.



Phwew! Almost there. All that is left is to attach thelid.

Attach the lid to the top with hinges and latch, and you're all done!

Add a cat for size.



I think she likes it.



And finally, who it was all for. With anice warm blanket and a litter box, our rescued kittens can settle in untilthey're old enough to be adopted.

Appendix A. After Thoughts

I had a few realizations hit me after I finished the cage.

The cage needs more doors. I will need to add a door on the first shelf on the bottom left, and on themiddle shelf, probably under the third shelf.

The kittens like to push their bowls off the shelves. I will need to add a piece of trim to the edge of each shelf to make a lip that he bowls will be harder to get over. This will require that I cut awaysome of the tile to make room.

Appendix B. Feedback If you would like to share feedback about this project, you can send an e-mail to the author at<isaac(at)noscience.net>. You will of course have to change the (at) to an @ sign.

mailto:isaac(at)noscience.net

how to build a cat cage

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