Outdoor Squirrel Feeding Platform

One of the items on my 2018 Projects list was to build a platform outside one of the dining room windows so the squirrels and birds would have a nice place to eat and so the cats could watch from inside.  I had already built a cat platform in the dining room window back in 2014:

        

That’s our old cat Bonkers enjoying both the platform and the step.  RIP buddy, we miss you SO MUCH 🙁

This past March I decided to use that same platform as the outdoor squirrel platform [because it’s fairly over-sized] and build 2 smaller indoor platforms, one for each South-facing window.  Back in 2014 I had drilled the platform directly to the windowsill.  Since then the screws have gotten old and rusty.  2 gave me such an issue I had to bring out the dremel tool and slice a deep groove into them before I could get any leverage with my screwdriver:

        

After removing the last screw and freeing the platform from the windowsill, I attached large, white, metal brackets to the bottom of it:

        

I decided to hang it outside the left window because there’s a giant HVAC box under the right-side one which would probably scare the squirrels away:

        

Here’s a shot of both windows so you can see what I mean:

I added birdseed and unsalted peanuts and made sure everything looked good from inside:

        

Then headed down to my basement workshop and cut a piece of pine down to make the 2 new inside window cat platforms.  I primed and painted them:

        

Then added brackets and attached them to the wall in the dining room underneath each windowsill:

       

This time I opted for shelf brackets and an extra bracket on top attached to the underside of the wooden windowsill instead of screwing them directly onto the windowsill:

        

I staple-gunned pieces of IKEA bath rug to each platform and that was it:

        

The weather didn’t exactly cooperate for squirrel and bird watching:

        

But soon Spring started to arrive and the squirrels and cats have been quite happy:

        

        

        

We’ve had at least 2 different squirrels.  One has a scar on her back and the other doesn’t:

        

        

        

Stay tuned for an upgraded feature I’m very excited about!