Cardboard Cat House

All cats deserve to have some kind of cat structure so here’s a way to make a cardboard cat house on the cheap. You only really need three things that you probably already have lying around the house, or you can get free or for minimal cost.

diy-cardboard-cat-house
Sitting in my cardboard cat house.

Cardboard Box House

Materials you will need:

  • Boxes
  • Duct tape
  • Scissors or box cutter to cut the holes in the boxes

I make a new cat playhouse for my cats on a regular basis. Here is a video of one of the current cardboard box house structures my cats are destroying, I mean playing in, at the moment.

If you don’t happen to have empty boxes, go get free ones at your local grocery store or another retail store. Most are happy to give them away free to you. If they don’t have a section to take them from, just ask someone.

I like to get a variety of sizes. I tend to put the larger one as the base of the structure to provide the most stability. I arrange them, then decide where the holes need to go. I make different size openings for variety and take note that they are large enough for my cats to fit through.

DIY Cat House

I also like to make sure there is a path through the structure because my cats like to run through it, just like a tunnel. Another reason for lots of holes is to ensure your cats have a way to escape once inside. Sometimes mine can get a bit rambunctious and start wrestling in there.

My cats always get excited when there are boxes. If yours do too, you may want to make the holes in the boxes in another room, so your cat isn’t getting in the way while you are using a box cutter.

How to Make a Cat House

When taping the boxes together, I tend to use the flaps to tape to the boxes because it is easier to connect them that way. The flap also acts as additional thickness and the boxes tend to stay together better.

You can stack them and make a DIY cat condo with different compartments. I have made ones with sections, but for the most part, they prefer ones like the one in the above video.

A cat cardboard house is pretty simple to make, costs almost nothing and your cats will absolutely love it. As I mention in the video, mine do have cat trees to play on, but they still like the homemade cat house structures I create with boxes for them.

Not for Outdoors

Although a cardboard cat house is fun, please know it isn’t a permanent structure and not meant for outside cats. You may be able to get away with having one on screened in porch, as long as it doesn’t get wet.

For outside cats, you should consider getting an outdoor cat shelter made out of wood. There are even heated ones, so your kitty stays warm no matter what the weather is doing. For those living in areas where you have a real winter with snow, ice and freezing cold temperatures this is the way to go for those with cats who insist on going out all year round. Mine are all indoor cats now, but they still do love their K&H brand heated cat beds and make great use of them once the summer is over.

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