One day, Reddit user and crafter daidougei noticed that his three cats really enjoyed sleeping on the shelves in his house.
Of course, this led to a lack of storage space, so he decided that maybe a cat tree was the way to go. He even has the perfect space for it, behind a pillar in his home.
But when he looked for cat trees, he didn't find any to his liking. "I've never liked carpeted cat trees," he explained. "I've always felt they're a bit of an eyesore and the carpet tends to look dirty over time."
So what could he do? He made his own! Using natural wood, artificial plants, and some careful planning, he was able to create a cat tree that looks just like a cozy little forest hangout.
It's no secret that cat people love creating little spaces for their feline friends — there's even a whole line of furniture dedicated to making space for cats — but daidougei's handmade construction is extra cool because it's totally unique!
Check out how he did it below, and let his design inspire you to make something special for your furry friends.
[H/T: Reddit]
The first step was planning. You can't go into a project like this with no plan!
Using the design software Blender, daidougei created a model of what he wanted, which gave him an idea of how much material he would need, and how everything would need to be put together.
The design would change a bit over time, but he had the basics for measurements and proportions.
For the main supports, he bought some artificial plants from IKEA. Since cats like to chew on plants, he wanted to use plastic so they wouldn't potentially poison themselves on a real plant.
For the natural bark areas, he used some fence posts. But not having a car meant everyone got a workout carrying them back to the house.
Next, he assembled the house portion. "If you can make a gingerbread house, you can make this," he says. He even added in some personalization with a Dremel.
A "helicopter pad" was added to the roof so that the cats could access the second level. It turns out the 45º angle of the roof was too steep, even for cats!
Finally, it was all put together, and of course, his curious friends tested it out at every stage of development. But it actually helped daidougei determine what they liked and what they didn't.
Talk about the perfect focus group!
The finishing touch was this little hammock under the house. He also put down some artificial grass and wrapped one of the posts in rope for scratching.
And it was a success! As you can see, the final product is slightly different than the original plan. Instead of being on the ground, the house is raised.
He installed it near a pillar in his house, which kind of adds to the forest effect, too.
If your cat-fan friends are at a loss for where their cats should hang out, SHARE this stylish, creative idea for some inspiration!
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