As you saw in my last post, I decided to extend the small platform in the upstairs hallway. Birdie has taken to sleeping on the small platform:
After work Monday I cut the new platform and primed it. Last night after work I added 2 coats of paint. And tonight after work I hung it up! I started by drilling holes for 3 IKEA shelf brackets, and screwing them in:
Then I drilled holes in the wall and hammered in some anchors:
Thankfully the central anchors went into studs – total lucky break [well, the anchors didn’t, but the screws did]! After that it was super easy to screw the shelf to the wall:
To make things look better, I’m planning to switch out the white brackets on the small shelf with black ones.
After hanging the shelf I cut a piece of IKEA bath rug and tied it to the new shelf with string. Then I bungee corded the litter box to the far end of the new platform:
Which leaves the main platform free for sprawling cats and food/water bowls:
Darwin checked it out and seemed to approve:
My next plan is to cut/paint a little divider wall to hide the litter box – it won’t cover the top of the box, just the front. It will give Birdie some privacy while she uses the litter, keep the litter box from falling off the shelf [so we won’t need the bungee cords anymore], and allow us the luxury of not staring at the litter box every time we walk by it 🙂 I’m planning to paint a little “Privacy Please!” sign on it with a cat face. Then I’ll screw it to the edge of the new platform and brace it against the wall with an L-bracket. I’ll start work on that tomorrow night!
In case you’re wondering how bungee cords fit around the back of the shelf/litter box – there’s a gap of a couple inches between the shelves and wall:
Last night she was sprawled out on her new platform, purring:
Even though Bonkers initially stalked her:
This morning, after breakfast, she headed right back up:
Yay!
Great job – this whole project will make life a lot easier for Birdie.