IKEA Hackers just featured this incredibly simple and brilliant kitty hideaway hack from a reader in Portugal. Simply take two GOSIG toy baskets, flip one over, sew them together, and you have the perfect kitty hideaway for just $10! Brilliant!

This is one of the most brilliant DIY projects I’ve seen! Moderncat reader David was looking for a mat for outside the litter box that would actually trap the litter to prevent it from scattering. He also wanted something stylish, so he searched the internet and found some excellent products that do just the trick. It’s perforated floor tile that snaps together to fit almost any size. It’s usually used for garage floors, workshops, decking and various commercial applications, but it is perfect for creating a customized litter mat!

David found two companies that offer these tiles at reasonable prices and in a variety of colors. The first is Swiss Trax where you can purchase a 2′ x 3′ sample doormat kit in your choice of colors complete with tiles, edges, and corners for just $34.95. David ordered the Ribtrax Garage Tile pictured above which I think is perfect. He also found Kiwi Tile, another company that offers a perforated floor tile in lots of colors. Kiwi Tile will send you two free sample tiles for just $10 shipping so you can see if you like it.

I’m so excited about this! I’m ordering some right away so we can test it out! Thanks, David!

We have a very fun prize for our October monthly giveaway! It’s the Whisker Studio Contoure Climber DIY Kit! This is the unfinished birch version of the Contoure Climber so you can finish it off any way you like. Stain it, paint it, stencil it — whatever floats your boat! Here are some examples of customized climbers:

If you’re not so much of a DIY person, the winner of this month’s giveaway will have the option of upgrading to one of the finished models of the Contoure Climber if they would like to pay the difference. Also, due to shipping costs, this giveaway only includes free shipping to addresses in the continental US, but other readers are welcome to enter if they would like to pay the extra shipping.

EXTRA CHANCE TO WIN!

To enter the monthly giveaway, make sure you’re signed-up to receive Moderncat updates via email. If you’re already getting the updates but you’d like an EXTRA chance to win this month, please leave a comment on this post. Complete details on the monthly giveaway here. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on October 31, 2011 and contacted via email.

The folks at Hollywood Franklin are now offering DIY kits for those of you who have a little more time than money. The DIY kits are available for the Hollywood Franklin Cat Tower as well as the new Santa Monica Promenade shelf steps. Kits include unfinished MDF pieces that are ready to be stained or finished however you like. Kits also include the carpet tiles and mounting supplies.

Labor Day Savings!

Now through September 4 the Hollywood Franklin Tower is 10% off!

Lowe’s Creative Ideas put together an awesome set of instructions and a demo video showing you how to make this cool 3-section kitty condo using basic supplies.

It starts with a cardboard concrete form and a carpet runner. A little adhesive (look for one that says non-toxic when dry) and voila!

Visit the Lowe’s Creative Ideas website for all the instructions or check out this video to see how it’s done (if you can’t see the video below in your email, click here to watch it on the site).

Thanks to Moderncat reader Jim for the find!

Neko no Ie (The Cat House) was designed by Japanese architect Akira Koyama of the firm Key Operation Inc. This home, located west of Tokyo, incorporates several features to accommodate the family’s pet cat. Now that’s a Moderncat house!

Stepping stone shelves allow the cat to navigate vertically in the main living room, accessing small openings in the wall that lead to other rooms in the house.

Notice the wall openings to the left of the red staircase in the photo above.

This efficient use of space allows the owners to live in harmony with the feline resident.

Little touches like the sisal wrapped post in the office pictured above, are brilliantly integrated into the design. This would be a dream come true for any cat!

Via designboom & dezeen. Thanks to Moderncat reader Vivian for the find.

O.H.M. stands for Oi, Huyi, and Miao, three adorable rescue kitties who live in Singapore in their new modern villa that their people made for them. Check out all the colorful shelves and cool features, including the kitty skywalk, the most coveted spot in the villa. See more photos and details over on Oi and Huyi’s blog, Pawsomely Oi.

When I saw this on Design-Milk last week, I immediately thought, “This is a cat’s dream come true!” What kitty doesn’t love to sleep in an open drawer? This is part of a project by Sovrappensiero Design Studio for Italian office furniture manufacturer Manerba, taking old office furniture and creating new products from the parts.

Just think of the possibilities here! I want everyone to hit the thrift shops and see what you can come up with. Please send photos of your creations!

I know it may seem strange for me to be posting this after recently launching the new Palm Springs Lounge, but remember, the very high end design is meant to inspire everyone to be creative! So, I did just that by converting this vintage planter into a simple DIY cat bed. I had a custom cushion made to fit the planter, but you may be able to find an inexpensive ready-made cushion that will work just fine. Look for a large planter or other container at a thrift shop or vintage store, keeping in mind that cats like to fit into snug spaces, plus they like to peek out and survey the world around them. This cushion is about 5 inches thick, so it’s nice and comfy, plus it has a removable, washable cover. Mackenzie settled himself right in!

I’d love to see any creative DIY cat beds you have made. Please send photos to kate [at] moderncat [dot] net.

Do you remember Colin’s Kitty Catsle and Sari’s awesome copy that it inspired? Well, Moderncat reader Urs created another fabulous version. He wanted his to match the bookshelf, so he used laminated birch plywood, plus he added a scratching post. Perfect adaptations! Colin will be proud!

And as you can see, Urs’ cats are loving their new castle.

Jayne, designer of the beautiful retro cat beds from Like Kittysville, created these awesome climbing shelves in her garage using only scrap lumber, some of which she pulled right out of the dumpster. It goes to show that a creative design and some white paint can transform old scraps into a sensational kitty playspace!

The green fabric designates the kitty climbing shelves with storage above and below. The two kitty staircases are connected by a loft, shown below, that’s covered with soft padded blankets. Jayne says this is the cats’ favorite hangout spot. I’m sure they love it!

Jayne from Like Kittysville designed this fabulous climbable Christmas tree for her kitties. Here’s what Jayne had to say:

For years I’ve missed using my vintage aluminum Christmas tree, but don’t miss the kitty havoc that was decimating the tree and its vintage ornaments. I wanted a tree that’s not just cat-proof but cat-inviting. This tree has a Jetsons space-age look but is quite practical. It can be climbed but not knocked over. It can hold gifts, which saves floor space. The ornaments are cheap and easily replaced.

The tree is made of a single sheet of MDF (medium-density fiberboard). Its pieces slide together without any hardware, yet the assembled tree is as sturdy as a bookshelf. Its flat back can be placed against a window or wall.

The five shelves feature staggered semicircular cutouts which allow kitties to jump from one shelf to another. The shelves could also hold cushions for kitty naps. Styrofoam balls are the ornaments shown, but any kitty toys could be hung from strings threaded through holes in the MDF. After Christmas the tree can be taken apart and stored flat.

Finished size: 6 feet tall x 4 feet wide x 2 feet deep. Stored size: 6 feet x 2 feet x 3 inches.

For do-it-yourselfers, Jayne has made the pattern and instructions for making the tree available online. Thanks, Jayne!

Eleanor and her husband, a diplomatic couple who move frequently, prefer a simple, minimalist design aesthetic, and with five special needs animals who share their home, they were having difficulty finding just the right decor items that would suit their lifestyle. Items needed to be designed to fit their aesthetic, to function for the needs of their animals, and to be disassembled, shipped, and reassembled when moving. They finally hired a designer to create several custom pieces. Here are the results.

CAT STAIRS & WINDOW LEDGES

Their current residence is an adapted office space with cathedral windows and a very long, narrow hallway. The tall bookcases that line the hallway are natural perches for cats. To give safe access, they created a circular staircase, with carpeted treads, that allows even the older male cat to ascend easily, with intermediate platforms for resting along the way. It attaches to a bookcase with a simple wooden hook and a single screw, and has a detachable weighted base for stability. The steps have wooden supports, also attached by one screw, and the carpets are removed and replaced using a fine blade to lift, and a few points of strong adhesive to attach. Assembly or disassembly and packing take only minutes with a single tool.

The cathedral windows have deep brick tile ledges, so they created 12 lightweight custom beds to fit these ledges. The cats have comfortable places to lounge, sleep, and watch the world go by, and the beds can easily be packed, or even used as packing material, without adding weight to the container.

THE ULTIMATE CLIMBER & SCRATCHER

One cat, Gigi, survived panleukopenia, a usually fatal kitten disease. She is blind, deaf, and without sensation on one side of her body, and has limited sight and hearing on the other. This had to be taken into account in all designs. A large custom climber and scratcher provides a solid, carpeted inclined plane that all the cats use for scratching, which also allows the blind cat to climb safely to and from the perch on the top. It also has a lounging space on the base that allows a cat to sleep in complete privacy, while still keeping an ear on the environment.

The high level of the perch allows for access to a window, regardless of the architecture in any given residence. The wood stain and carpeting are the same as in all the other pieces, making this the key piece in the suite, linking the designs across the interior.

THE LITTER HUTCH

To accommodate the litter boxes, as well as create a storage space for litter supplies, they created three custom litter hutches. These simple black lacquered boxes have no exterior decoration. Entry and exit are through an opening on the side. The inside is fully carpeted, to assist in keeping litter inside the box, and the support framework is out of sight. The entire remaining wall is hinged inside, and secured with strong magnets, so that nothing disrupts the elegant line. However, it lowers flat, to allow easy access to the litter box, and rapid cleaning.

Since one of the cats objects to having his fur touch the inside wall of the standard covered litter box, oversized storage boxes replace the usual litter pan. For storage, a separate, smaller hutch stacks on top of the larger one. It is also carpeted and has a magnetically secured wall.

There are three sets of litter hutches throughout the interior. One set serves as a room divider in the living/entertaining room, another as a bookcase and bedside table, and the third is in a busy office, where it often ends up being the extra shelf that every office needs. Visitors are surprised to discover that these are not standard home furnishings, but cat litter hutches!

THE SAFETY BOX

Special needs animals pose their own issues. The blind cat needs a place to eat undisturbed and an environment that takes into account her vulnerability. She cannot be left unsupervised for long periods of time. Like all cats, she loves to run, to climb, and to get into things, however, unlike a fully sighted and hearing cat, she can fail to see a door, step casually off a table or shelf because she cannot see that there is nothing there, or fail to detect the approach of a threat.

Eleanor and her husband have two special needs dogs — not cat friendly. Normally, the dogs live in their own room, with a direct outdoor exit. However, “Privilege Time” upstairs is a part of their daily routine, and the cats need to be securely protected for that period.

The safety box is the solution to these issues. A completely secure environment, it contains three levels, joined by carpeted ramps that overlap the center of the base, so that there is no possibility of a cat falling any farther than 10 inches. Since the levels are cushioned, even if a fall occurs, the landing surface is soft.

The floor level contains a litter hutch fitted to a regular litter pan, the entry to which is masked by the ramp to the first level. There is also a lacquered food and water tray, for easy cleaning. A small, magnetically fastened entry door allows the cats entry and exit when it is open, but holds firmly in place when closed. The lower walls, also with magnetic catches, serve as flaps that can be lowered flat for easy cleaning access.

The roof of the hutch has a fitted cushion, attached with Velcro, easily removed for cleaning. A third, L-shaped level, in the center of the large Plexiglas panes, allows any cat in the box a full view of the environment. This level also has a soft cushion.

Three levels allows three cats to co-exist in a small space during the dogs’ Privilege Time without disagreements about who is lying on whose tail.

Measuring 41″ x 41″ at the base, the box is 52″ tall. It is constructed from lacquered wood and Plexiglas, with ventilation slots carved in the roof and the lower sides to ensure clean air, and to allow odors from the litter hutch to escape. The roof, attached by six screws, is easily removed, as are the Plexiglas panes and their frames. For shipping, it holds the disassembled cat perches, the steps and base from the cat stairway, and all the window cushions, with room left over for litter scoops, toys, a full tin of the lacquer and the remaining carpet, for repairs and touch-ups after a move.

All the cats quickly colonized the safety box, with the blind cat voluntarily spending most of her nap times inside. The older cat also loves the box, and they are often found curled around each other on the top level. The dogs, who used to run straight to the closed door of the room in which the cats were secured and bark insistently, run past the box, often in a frenzied search for cats, apparently unaware that the cats are watching them with varying degrees of disdain through the window of the box they have just passed.

Thank you so much to Eleanor for submitting these amazing designs. Eleanor writes, “Every one of these items was inspired by Moderncat. Before we began getting your mailings, I had bewailed the lack of ‘interesting’ animal furniture available for a reasonable price in the market. It never occurred to me to design and build my own. Seeing what other people had achieved, whether commercially or DIY, changed my whole attitude, and gave me a lot of ideas, some of which are still awaiting execution!”

When Daniel and Valeria were renovating their 1940s home, they wanted to include a special bed for their beautiful cat Lambi. They created this simple plywood box, which matches their newly installed floors perfectly. Add a soft cushion and Lambi couldn’t be happier. I love the simplicity. Read more about the project on Daniel and Valeria’s blog.

Daniel and Valeria write the design blog Hindsvik where they share insights and inspiration they’ve discovered while renovating their home. They also run the Hindsvik Etsy shop offering beautiful vintage home decor.

Thanks to Gerda for the find.

If you’ve been wanting to build your own catio, but don’t know where to start, there’s a new Catio Design Guide available that can help you get it done. This guide includes 10 complete plans for building outdoor cat enclosures in a variety of styles and sizes. Each plan comes with detailed instructions and diagrams, a tools and materials list, and 3D color architectural drawings. Choose the perfect plan to suit your outdoor space.

Get more information about the Catio Design Guide over at Catio Showcase.

These adorable little mice are all made with recycled men’s suit fabrics. Leave it to the folks at Martha Stewart to come up with something this cute! You can make your own with the complete instructions and download-able pattern over at Martha Stewart.com.

When Charlene and her husband moved into a 5th floor apartment in Singapore, they were worried that their three cats Tyger, Neem Neem, and Xiaomao would have trouble adjusting to a smaller space, so they incorporated all sorts of cat-friendly features into the renovation. Inspired by The Cats’ House, and also by the cat-friendly Japanese house design, they added climbing shelves, walkways, and openings in the walls leading from one room to the next. As you can see, their cats made themselves right at home.

The walkways allow the cats to easily access the tops of several cabinets where Charlene has placed rungs and mats for them to nap on.

The color scheme in the apartment — green, blue, and cream — was inspired by the cats’ eye color.

Instead of using carpeting on the shelves and walkways, Charlene and her husband chose an anti-slip tape by 3M, which looks like an excellent option for keeping kitties safe and for easy cleaning. Charlene says it’s a cinch to clean the tape with a vacuum or a damp cloth. Great idea!

Here’s a fun and easy summer IKEA hack for your cat. Jo found this decorative hat shaped bowl in the decor section at IKEA. She had a feeling that her adorable orange tabby Frank would like it for a bed, and she was right. It seems to be the perfect size and shape. Franks loves to lounge in his new summery hat bed. Jo plans to make a nice fluffy round cushion for the bottom.

Hilary from Vancouver created this pair of window perches for her two boys Hank (orange) and Truman (Tuxedo) and they seem to be a perfect fit! She used the trusty old IKEA Ekby Bjarnum brackets and Jarpen shelves mounted just below the window sill. To create cozy cushions that don’t slide off the shelves, Hilary smartly stitched some twill tape to the corners of two faux sheepskin cat beds and tied the beds to the shelves. Nice solution! And they can be easily removed for cleaning.

Jessie had some old weathered wood and an idea to make a rustic looking coffee table. Little did she know that it would be the perfect lounging area for her cats. The little patch of grass and the catnip garden are a perfect touch. (Don’t worry, she sealed the wood so the paint chips won’t flake off.)

Here’s a link to Jessie’s original post.

Antonio Rosa da Silva is an architect — and Moderncat reader — from Portugal (check out his portfolio, it’s amazing!). When he recently remodeled his home, he created this sleek built-in area for his two gorgeous Norwegian forest cats. The area houses both the litter and the food and water, but with a distinct divider between the two, since we know that most cats don’t like to dine right next to where they do their business. This arrangement seems to work well for these two lucky moderncats.

Moderncat reader Andrea really wanted a neko chigura after seeing it posted here last month, but since they don’t seem to be available in the US, she decided to make her own. She used 1/2 inch piping and 1 inch strips of calico fabric with a coil basket weaving method to create a shape similar to the traditional Japanese neko chigura cat beds. I love the photo above with her two cats testing the unfinished design with a hole in the top!

Andrea ran into a structural challenge, since her cats kept sitting on the top, causing the basket to cave in. She tried to reinforce the sides, but eventually gave up and dismantled it to create two separate beds, which seem to work quite nicely.

I hope that Andrea can figure out a way to reinforce the basket to achieve a similar structure to the original neko chigura. If she does, perhaps she will share her design with us.

Read all about Andrea’s project over on Craftster.

Here’s a sweet solution for creating a DIY litter box hider. We’ve seen other DIYs using cabinets with entry cutouts, but instead of cutting a regular old square, what about making a cool cat silhouette – very nice!

via Apartment Therapy | Thanks to Melissa for the find

Dave is an architect and a photographer and, boy, does it show in these gorgeous photos of the cat tower that he and his girlfriend Alison made for their two new arrivals Milo and Lyra (there are only two, although the photo above shows one Milo and six Lyras!) The best part is that this beautiful and functional cat climbing and scratching tower made excellent use of reclaimed and inexpensive materials, costing under $40.

Using the remains of an Ikea wardrobe, some old carpet tile samples, waste cardboard rolls, heavy string, and pine edging, Dave created this sturdy structure that can be expanded in all directions as the kitties grow and need more room to play. Dave even created a 3-D model of the tower before construction, just to make sure it would fit in the space.

Thanks to Dave and Alison for sharing this awesome DIY project. You can see more photos on Flickr.

Kim and her boyfriend took a trip to IKEA in search of something they could hack to create a window perch for their cats. They ended up in the baby section where they found a simple two-shelf changing table called Sniglar.

Kim knew she wanted a narrow napping spot for the cats to perch on, so they cut the table in half and attached it to the wall. Then Kim made two custom cushions with some gorgeous mod fabric, and there you have it! To see more photos, check out Kim’s Flickr album and be sure to visit Kim’s blog to see the cool pottery display shelf she made with the other half.