David Griffin - 24 Weekend Projects for Pets

24 WEEKEND

PROJECTS

FOR PETS

Doghouses, Cat Trees,

Rabbit Hutches

& More

by David Griffin

Minneapolis, Minnesota

www.creativepub.com

Contents

Resources

In recent years pet stores have changed from small mom-and-pop operations to big box superstores that peddle everything from guppies to automatic litter boxes to dog ramps to parrot perches. The advent of the pet store megamart has turned the special relationship between people and their companion animals into a multibillion-dollar industry. But unlike other retail markets that have undergone large-scale consolidation to a few big stores, the overall prices have not gone down as a result of economies of scale (if youve ever been charged $100 for a piece of thin foam wrapped in light fabric and called a dog bed, youll agree).

Furthermore, anybody whos looked below the surface of pet store merchandise knows its not Chippendale furniture. A typical cat condo, for example, is made of strand board, 2 4s and carpet remnants. Expensive reptile enclosures are fiberboard and Plexiglas. Dog kennels are little more than chain link panels tied together with pipe clamps.

This book is the culmination of research into pet structures that anybody with a few basic tools can make. Weve intentionally kept the plans simple, but not so plain that they look completely homemade. Most projects require only basic hand tools, a circular saw and a drill/driver. The beauty of pet accoutrements is they dont have to be fancy. They just need to work well, be safe, look good, and make pets and their people happy.

Wherever possible, weve selected inexpensive commodity building materialsplywood, framing lumber, melamine-coated particleboard, hardware clothstuff that is common enough to keep the cost down. Yet we have specified oak, upholstery fabric and other nice materials for selected purposes where theyll make a difference. While weve tried to keep costs and difficulty low, we havent settled for projects that are ugly or flimsy. To the contrary, we explain how to make sturdy, reliable products that in many cases outclass commercially available alternatives.

In short, weve done with these designs what you would have done if you had the time. We put careful thought and ample research into sizing, material safety, and functionality so you dont have to. That doesnt mean you cant innovate. Need an aviary that fits under the stairs? Modify our plan. Want to upholster a windowsill cat perch to match your couch? You can. One of the beauties of making it yourself is you can build it to suit your needs, your house and (most importantly) your pets needs.

Perhaps the greatest pleasure of building pet structures is the creative outlet of the process. Cat climbers, thank goodness, arent toasters; the only limits to their final appearance are the boundaries of your imagination (and a few assorted laws of physics). We hope youll take the structural fundamentals of our plans and make the finished products your own and your pets. Building a doghouse may have practical and economic advantages, but its also an opportunity to let your inner artist shine.

Finally, lets not forget whom this book is all about: your pet! Making something he or she can use, for many, is an act of love. Its a way of giving something back to our furry, scaly, or feathery friends. Weve taken these animals into our care and theyve enriched our lives. Let us, with our hands, make their time with us enriching too.

Every project in this book can be built with just a few ordinary hand and power tools you probably own already.

Building homes and accessories for your pets can be accomplished with many of the same tools and building materials we use in our houses and landscapes. However, in some cases the fact that our pets are more inclined than our children to eat their house does impact the selection process. As with people-scale projects, youll select materials for your pet projects based on safety, ease of use, appearance, durability, and cost. And most of the projects in this book can be constructed with simple hand and power tools that you probably own already. On the following pages we review some common materials with these considerations in mind. After that, youll find a very brief refresher course on a few basic woodworking skills youll need for even the most simple pet projects. Then, we jump feet-first into the pool of pet projects.

Building Materials for Your Pet Projects

Sheet goods such as plywood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) can be shaped easily with a router and some, especially MDF and medium-density overlay (MDO) feature a smooth surface that takes paint and contact paper well on both faces and edges. Machining most sheet goods produces hazardous dust that needs to be collected. To limit off-gassing of formaldehyde, use contact paper or apply sealing primer to sheet goods used for pet enclosures.

Interior plywood Frequently sold with a smooth, finish-grade hardwood veneer surface, plywood may be painted or sealed and stained. Plywood cuts easily and is the easiest sheet good to fasten. Hardwood plywoods are expensive and should be sealed to slow off-gassing of formaldehyde.

Exterior plywood and oriented-strand board (OSB) (sheathing, sub-floor decking) Panels are inexpensive and easy to fasten and cut. OSB and exterior plywood do not contain formaldehyde, making them preferable to hardwood plywood for unsealed carpeted cat structures and other interior structures where appearance is not an issue. Surfaces and edges are rough, and the plywood may not lie flat without framing.

Melamine Mostly available in white, melamine features a particleboard core and hard, water-resistant plastic faces that require no other paint or finish. Melamine is sometimes used as flooring for pet enclosures and cleanout trays. In this application, sides made from other materials are screwed and glued to the particleboard edges.

Common sheet goods