Create Your Own Cat House Indoor Cardboard Retreat

Cats have an undeniable fascination with boxes. Provide your feline friend with the ultimate cozy hideaway by crafting your own DIY Cat House Indoor Cardboard structure. It’s a simple project that transforms a basic box into a charming sanctuary your cat will adore, offering them a dedicated space to lounge and feel secure.

Calico cat named Lucy resting comfortably on a person's lap.

Creating a personalized space can be especially rewarding. For instance, making a special retreat for a cat like Lucy, the only female in a house full of boys, provided her with her own girly haven. If your cat has taken a liking to your favorite pillow, offering them an appealing alternative like a custom cardboard house might just reclaim your sleeping space from unwanted cat hair! The goal is a cozy spot for them, and undisturbed rest for you.

Gather Your Supplies

Before you begin building this delightful indoor cat shelter, collect the necessary materials:

• A sturdy cardboard box, approximately 20-24 inches cubed, or large enough for your cat to fit comfortably inside.
• An additional sheet of cardboard for the roof, sized appropriately for your chosen box.
• A sharp utility knife for precise cutting.
• A metal ruler to guide your cuts.
• A hot glue gun and glue sticks for assembly.
• Optional embellishments: Craft paint, colored paper, ribbon, washi tape, etc., to personalize the design.

Supplies for making a cat house indoor cardboard project: Amazon box and cardboard sheet.

Note: The following construction steps are illustrated using a small model for clarity.

Building Your Cardboard Cat House: Step-by-Step

Follow these instructions to assemble the basic structure of your cat’s new favorite spot.

Prepare the Box Base

Using the utility knife and metal ruler, carefully remove the two shorter top flaps from your main box. Take the two remaining longer flaps and cut them into triangles. These will form the peaks supporting the roof.

Cardboard box flaps being cut into triangles for roof peak of DIY cat house.

Construct the Roof

Cut the separate cardboard sheet to size for the roof. Ensure it’s large enough to overhang the base box by a couple of inches on all sides. Fold the roof piece in half lengthwise to create a central ridge or peak.

Cardboard sheet folded to create the roof piece for the homemade cat condo.

Assemble the House

Apply hot glue along the top edges of the triangular flaps on the box base. Carefully position the folded roof piece onto the glued edges, holding it firmly until the glue sets.

Using hot glue gun to attach cardboard roof onto the DIY cat shelter base.

Cut Openings

Decide where you want the entrance and any windows. Use the utility knife and metal ruler to carefully cut out these openings in the walls of the Cat House Indoor Cardboard structure. Ensure the door is large enough for your cat to enter and exit easily.

Cutting door and window openings into the cardboard cat house structure.

Decorate Your Creation

Once the basic structure is assembled, it’s time for the fun part: decorating! Priming the house with paint can provide a nice base color.

Priming the assembled cardboard cat house with white paint before decorating.

Let your creativity flow! You can paint designs, add washi tape for window frames or trim, glue on paper cutouts like grass or flowers, or even attach clip art elements like a mailbox or porch light. Adding lace around the doorway or other fabric scraps can add extra flair.

Adding creative details like washi tape and paint to the DIY cat house.

Introducing Your Cat to Their New Home

With the cat house indoor cardboard fully built and decorated, it’s time for the grand reveal to its intended resident.

Close-up of Lucy the calico cat looking towards the camera.

Cats can sometimes be cautious of new items in their territory. Patience is key. Placing the house in a familiar area might help.

Fully decorated pink DIY cat house indoor cardboard structure ready for a cat.

In Lucy’s case, placing a bowl of her favorite dry food nearby helped pique her interest. Initially, the food was the main attraction!

Lucy the cat eating Nutrish dry food next to her new cardboard house.

Sometimes a little encouragement, like a favorite treat or toy placed inside, can entice a curious cat to explore their new dwelling.

Cat eating dry food from a bowl placed near the entrance of the homemade cat box house.

Once Lucy finished her meal, her curiosity finally led her inside the house. Success! It quickly became her preferred spot.

Lucy the cat sitting protectively near her new indoor cardboard cat shelter.

She settled in comfortably, proving that even a simple cardboard box transformed into a house can become a cherished possession for a cat.

Lucy the cat peeking out from inside her cozy DIY cat house indoor cardboard structure.

Creating a DIY cat house indoor cardboard retreat is a fun, inexpensive way to provide enrichment and comfort for your feline companion. It offers them a sense of security and a personal space to call their own. Give this project a try and watch your cat enjoy their cozy new home!