Over the weekend I was able to finish the upstairs hall cat platform! About 10 seconds after I finished with the last bracket, Darwin came up the stairs [how do they always know when to show up?] and was instantly intrigued by what he saw:
After using the steps to get up [*impressed*], and after a quick glance out the window, he thoroughly investigated the new platform, then returned to the windowsill for some quality bird watching. It was so mild out yesterday [50 degrees!] that I opened the window and let him enjoy the nice breezes & smells coming in through the screen. A real treat amidst this frigid and crazy winter!
After cleaning up the huge mess I’d made, I grabbed Bonkers [who was sprawled on the dining room cat platform] and placed him on the new platform next to Darwin. Darwin was NOT amused. He jumped down right after I took the 2nd picture, which allowed Bonkers some quality window time. And – much to my amazement – Bonkers got down all by himself, using the access steps. I was SO proud! *tear*
A little later on, I came back upstairs and found Darwin enjoying a nap on the new platform! You can tell by his ears he wasn’t amused to be woken up – Darwin spends half his life being unamused by something!
The only things left to do will be to paint the black bracket white, and paint the wall where I spackled the extra holes.
There’s a possibility that the wall that won’t accept nails or screws is an original outside wall – and, if that’s the case, heaven only knows what’s in there!
Success! Great job and Happy Cats!