DIY Cat Tent
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Introduction: DIY Cat Tent
I kept seeing photos of cat tents on Pinterest and being shared on Facebook, but none of them had good instructions! I decided to make a cat tent for Luna and document it so you guys could make one too. :D
This cat tent is super easy to make - you really just need a t-shirt, some wire hangers and a piece of cardboard. As a bonus, it really only takes five minutes, so if your cat ignores it you didn't put too much effort in. ;)
Step 1: What You'll Need:
- a cat
- a medium t-shirt
- a 15 x 15 inch piece of cardboard (mine was 13x15 and a little wonky)
- two wire hangers (like these)
- tape
- safety pins
- something to cut the hangers with and help bend them - I used a large pair of pliers. :)
Step 2: Cut the Hangers
Cut off both squiggly ends. I untwisted mine and then cut, but that's not really necessary. (though it was kinda fun!)
Step 3: Shape the Hangers + Reinforce the Cardboard If Needed
Shape the hangers so they look like the above - try to make them smooth and pretty uniform. You want two graceful curves that will go from corner to corner of your piece of cardboard.
(Lu did an excellent job of this.)
I also took this time to tape on a couple supports to the cardboard and tape all around the edges for a little more stability. This is really only necessary if you're using a piece of cardboard with a crease in it.
Step 4: Poke a Hole in Each Corner
You should be able to use the end of the hanger to do this!
Make sure it's at least a half inch in from each edge and not too large.
Step 5: Tape the Two Hangers Together
Cross the two hangers in the middle and make sure all the ends touch the surface you're working on. Tape them together really well so they don't shift.
Push the ends through the holes you just made in the corners.
Step 6: Bend the Ends and Tape Them Down
Bend at least an inch on the bottom of each hanger so it sits against the bottom of the cardboard. Tape the ends down flat against the cardboard - make sure you tape it well so it's nice and smooth and won't snag the shirt when you pull it over!
Step 7: Check and Make Sure Everything's Lined Up
At this point you can bend the wire so that it looks nicer - fiddle around with it and use the pliers if you need to straighten it out a bit. :)
Step 8: Create the Tent!
Pull the shirt over the tent frame and position it so the neck hole is in the front middle and the bottom of the shirt is trailing behind the tent frame.
Flip the whole thing up so the bottom is facing you and the hole is pointing upwards.
Fold up the excess from the bottom of the shirt and tighten it up so the neck hole is taut and safety pin the bottom in place. Then pull the sleeves tight and safety pin them in place too.
As you can see in the last image, it should be pretty tight over the frame. Keep tucking and safety pinning until it's ready!
(Yes, I know it would make sense to cut it, but I decided to leave it whole and safety pin it instead so it would be easy to remove and wash. :D)
Step 9: Give It to Your Cat!
I put a paper bag inside as a floor since it's been pretty hot here and a blanket would be waaaaay too warm. I also put a little catnip inside as a bonus.
As you can see, she was pretty stoked. :D
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- logomachia made it!
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413 Comments
1 year ago
A quick suggestion to strengthen the connection of the wire to the cardboard is to use grommets. They are super cheap and will help the cardboard last longer. You can get them at any home improvement store and they are only a couple dollars. Thanks so much for this tutorial. I am going to make one for my sisters cats.
Reply 1 year ago
Grommets are a great idea! Clever :D
23 days ago
OMG thank you. my aunt and uncle has a cat that looks exaclty the same as my profile picture. They are expecting a baby coming in a few months.First I'm going to make this for her. Her name is Burri
6 weeks ago
i love the idea and the cat
Question 6 weeks ago on Step 3
could i use wire instead?
Reply 6 weeks ago
Definitely! As long as it's a thick enough gauge :)
Reply 6 weeks ago
thanks
6 weeks ago
OMG YES. THE FIRST CAT PROJECT I HAVE SEEN ON THIS WEBSITE UWU i will totaly use it
8 weeks ago on Step 2
A question about step 2 cut the hangers :: I am not sure where to cut it, is the place you need to cut the twisted part of the hook part?
Best Answer 8 weeks ago
You should cut right below where it twists together. I marked it on a photo:
8 weeks ago
I made it !! And just when we finished making it, I showed it to my cat. He sniffed the air then came into the tent and then slept/relaxed.
4 years ago
Does it have to only be for cats or can it be for dogs too?
Reply 8 weeks ago
I think that it's for cats AND dogs but only for small dogs.
Reply 2 months ago
Tiny dogs also love this tent! :D
Reply 2 months ago
No, it's only for cats.
4 months ago on Introduction
I don’t have wire hangers. What can I use instead of wire hangers?
Best Answer 3 months ago
You could honestly just put a shirt over the box and it would be the same! That's what I did haha.
6 months ago
Great idea, thanks !! I will do it for my cat
12 months ago
Thanks so much for sharing this DIY! My cat is having a hard time going in the tent because she just got spayed and has a cone collar, but once they take off the cone, I think she will love the tent! She has been sniffing around the tent and I think that Yuki is definitely interested!
1 year ago
Thank you for this! Trying to find ideas for my smaller critters.. you made this seem do-able even for a lousy diy-er like myself! 💜