We love upcycles for pets and this cat tent could not be easier to make. Show your cat a little extra love with this sweet upcycled cat tent. All you need is a few minutes, 2 wire hangers, a piece of cardboard and an old t-shirt!

cat tent

Cats just love exploring nooks and crannies! To make an awesome upcycled cat tent you will need:

  • A t-shirt
  • 15″ x 15″ piece of cardboard
  • 2 wire hangers
  • Masking tape
  • Safety pins
  • Pliers

Step 1 – cut the tops off of your hangers using pliers.

cat tent

Step 2 – Bend your cut wire hangers and shape them into curves.

Step 3 – Reinforce your cardboard box by taping the edges with masking tape. If your cardboard has creases in it you can also tape over them to provide additional support.

cat tent

Step 4 – Using your the edge of your hanger, poke holes in each corner of the cardboard. These holes should be around a half an inch in from the sides of the cardboard.

cat tent

Step 5 – Cross the hanger in the middle. Make sure the ends touch the cardboard so that everything is even. Now tape the hangers really well to secure.

cat tent

Step 6 – Push the wires ends through the holes you’ve created in the corners. Using your pliers, bend the edges of the wire hangers down. Bend around an inch of the wire so that it sits flush against the bottom of the cardboard. Then tape this down to secure. This will protect your cat from sharp edges and allow the t-shirt to fit well without snagging.

cat tent

Step 7 – Check to make sure everything is even. If necessary tweak the wire hangers with your pliers.

cat tent

Step 8 – Pull the t-shirt over the tent frame and position it so the hole is in the middle.

cat tent

Step 9 – Flip the tent over and fold the excess fabric over the bottom of the cardboard. Make sure the neck hole and sleeves are pulled taut. Then safety pin everything into place.

cat tent

Alternatively you could cut the t-shirt, but leaving it whole will make it easy to remove and wash it when need be.

Step 10 – Introduce your cat to its new upcycled cat tent!

cat tent

Source: jessyratfink on Instructables

13 Thoughts on Upcycled Cat Tent

  1. how thoughtful for the cat! I gotta do this!

    Reply
  2. That is super innovative and super cute! Cats are great to upcycle for because they are small. I have a 100 beast 😉 and her cage takes up half of the dinning room.

    Reply
  3. cool idea, looks like my simon is gonna have a new hiding place

    Reply
  4. Jessyratfink does the best instructables! Thank you! This is great!
    Blueangelcat

    Reply
  5. Oh my… I love this idea! I have two cats and I love them and I was going to buy them something like this little house but it is expensive. I will definitely made that little house by myself. Regards!

    Reply
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  7. Lovely 🙂 I saw once something like this, but a bit easier – all you need is a box, t-shirt, glue and scissors 🙂

    Reply
  8. My favorite 11-year-old creative and I made this today. We included ‘wall-to-wall carpeting’ and a string with beads hanging from the center cross for the kitties to play with. Great fun!

    Reply
  9. Lovely ! Pitty : my cat went to the cats-heaven ! But I’ll keep it – you never know – taking an other cat is always in my mind ! Maria, Belgium

    Reply
  10. It’s a lovely idea will try to have it printed out.

    Reply
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