How to build a cat house

This step by step woodworking project is about how to build a cat house. Building an outdoor cat house is a fun project that doesn’t require complex skills or a significant investment. An outdoor cat house for winter is a great idea, if you want to protect your pet from bad weather and to create proper conditions for it. Add a few coats of paint or stain to the components, to protect them from decay.

If you want to build a warm and nice shelter for your cat, then you have to pay attention to this project and to the underlying instructions. From our experience, we recommend you to invest in quality materials, otherwise the cat house won’t be durable and won’t have a beautiful appearance. Always align the components at both ends and drill pilot holes, to prevent the wood from splitting.

Don’t forget that you should adjust the design and the size of the car house, as to suit the needs of your pet and to fit your budget. Check out the rest of the projects on our site, if you wan to get a better grasp on the woodworking projects you could choose from. Work with attention and with great care, if you want to get the job done in a professional manner, from the very first attempt. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Made from this plan

Building a cat house

Building an outdoor cat house

Materials

A – 2 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 14″, 3 pieces – 16″ FLOOR
B – 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 14″x19″ FLOORING
C – 8 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 12″, 4 pieces – 11″, 4 pieces – 19″ WALLS
D – 2 pieces of 3/4″ plywood – 16×19″, 2 pieces – 15 1/2×24 1/2″ SIDING
E – 6 piece of 2×2 lumber – 11 1/2″, 4 pieces – 13″, 1 piece – 19″ RAFTERS
F – 6 sq ft of 3/4″ plywood ROOF
G – 6 sq ft of tar paper, 6 sq ft of asphalt shingles ROOFING
H – 4 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 13 1/2″, 2 pieces – 23 1/2″ TRIMS

5 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 10 ft
1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 4’x8′
1 piece of 1×3 lumber – 10 ft
6 sq ft of tar paper, 6 sq ft of asphalt shingles
2 1/2″ screws
1 1/4″ screws
glue, stain
wood filler

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses
Miter saw, jigsaw
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Add trims to the cat house
Secure the walls to the floor frame with galvanized screws

Time

One Week

Building the floor of the cat house

The first step of the project is to build the floor frame of the cat house. As you can see in the plans, you need to build the frame from 2×2 lumber and to attach a small piece of 3/4″ plywood to it. Check if the corners of the frame are right-angled using a carpentry square and secure the plywood sheet to the frame with 1 1/4″ screws.

Building the frame

Build the wall frames using 2×2 lumber on a level surface, using the information from the image. Lock the components together tightly using 3 1/2″ screws and waterproof glue. Attach the walls to the floor, drill pilot holes trough the bottom plates and insert 3 1/2″ galvanized screws.

Attaching the exterior walls

Attach 1/2″ plywood to the exterior of the walls frames and lock them into place tightly with 1 1/4″ screws/nails. Cut the top of the faces at 45º, by using a circular saw with a sharp blade. Make sure you align the sheets properly at both ends, before inserting the screws.

Cut both ends of the rafters at 45º and fit them into place, as in the image. If you want to create a rigid structure, we recommend you to cut small notches at the ends of the rafters, as to fit into place properly. Pre-drill the components and insert screws into the top plates.

Attaching the plywood sheets

Attach two pieces of 3/4″ plywood to the rafters and lock them into place with 1 1/4″ screws. Make sure you don’t leave any gaps between the sheets, if you want to get the job done as a professional.

Attaching the trims

Attach 1×3 trims to the front and back faces of the cat house, as well as to the ends of the rafters. After aligning the trims, you should lock them into place with finishing nails. Add waterproof glue to the joints, if you want to enhance the bond of the components.

Installing the shingles

Cover the roof with tar paper and install asphalt shingles, starting with the bottom left area of the roof. Work with attention and make sure the shingles overhang the trims with at least 1″, on all directions.

How to build an outdoor cat house

Last but not least, we recommend you to take care of the finishing touches. In order to get a professional result, fill the holes and the gaps with wood filler and let it dry out for a few hours. Check if there are protruding screws and fix the issue if necessary.

Thank you for reading our project about how to build a cat house and we recommend you to check out the rest of the projects. Don’t forget to LIKE and SHARE our projects with your friends, by using the social media widgets.

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