Windowsill Cat Bed

While there are plenty of cat beds on the market, none of them seem to do the job correctly; usually due to a combination of smell and unfamiliarity, they end up never being used. If having a nice bed for your pet is a big want, though, designing your own is a reliable (but time consuming) option. Following these steps, while adjusting them to fit your own window best, will cut back some of that time, and leave you with a bed your cat will never want to leave either.

Supplies

25 square feet of plywood; between 1 and 3/4 inch thick

Sheet of durable canvas; more than 25 inches long, and more than 12 inches tall

30 x 22 inch sheet of carpeting; ideally non-looped, to prevent cat related damage

8 Wood screws/drill; several sizes will work; #5 screws of various lengths are recommended

Sandpaper or belt sander

CNC router, table saw, chop saw, or jigsaw

Staples/staple gun, or nails/hammer

Brackets to be installed in the windowsill

Clamps

Step 1: Step 1: Taking Window Dimensions

First, make sure your window is able to have brackets installed; any small brackets will work, and those that I used were only an inch wide, so space is lenient. Find the space in the windowsill where you would like to install the brackets.

Then, using a ruler or tape measurer, determine how long entire windowsill is; mine was 7 inches total, so I made sure to add an extra 7 inches to the design to be inside of the window.

If your windowsill has any trim, measure the height of each curve, diagramming it similar to the drawing above; this does not need to be curved at all, but the mount pieces should be able to rest against the trim and wall without issue.

Step 2: Step 2: Designing the Bed Pieces

Four pieces will need to be cut, the identical top and bottom of the bed, and two also identical mount pieces.

Using the window dimensions, determine how deep the bed should be: to have plenty of space, I had a total of 21 inches, with seven being on top of the windowsill, and 14 hanging off of the edge. Also determine how wide the bed should be; it should be the length of the window, minus around a quarter of an inch for tolerance. Because my windowsill is 30 inches wide, my bed is 29.75 inches wide.

Make room for a rectangular hole in the front of the design; mine is 24 x 10.5 inches, starting 1.75 inches from the front edge of the bed. This will hold the canvas and create an indented bed space for the cat.

Step 3: Step 3: Designing the Mount Pieces

To make the two mount pieces, you will need to carefully design along the trim of your window.; these pieces prevent bending and add extra stability, and do not need to be screwed into the windowsill.

The depth of the mount should be able to support around half of the hanging depth of the bed; because 14 inches of my bed is hanging, my mount pieces make a 7 x 7 inch right triangle between the bed and wall.

Design the mounts to be cut so that they can sit against any flat parts of the trim or just against the wall, similar to the 3D model above.

Step 4: Step 4: Cutting the Pieces

Using ideally a CNC router or an electronic saw, cut the plywood sheet to produce your 4 pieces. The cuts should match your design as close as possible, but there is a solid amount of lenience.

Be careful, especially with the small cuts!

Afterwards, sand down the sharp edges and rough surfaces of the pieces.

Attached is the program I used in the CNC router, which is ideally the way to produce this project, as it can make well rounded edges and holes nicely.

Step 5: Step 5: Attaching the Canvas

After cutting your pieces, designate one of the bed pieces to be the bottom. The canvas will be attached to this piece via staples.

Lay the canvas over the rectangular hole, and let it hang slightly; this produces a hammock like area for the cat.

When it is in a nice space, either hammer or gun staples around the outside to fasten it to the bed.

In either case, hammer down the staples to make sure they are flat.

Mark where the staples are on the other side of the bed; this will save you a lot of trouble!

Step 6: Step 6: Attaching the Top of the Bed

Using clamps, secure the top of the bed to the bottom, making sure they line up as they should.

Drill four screws into the bed, making sure you avoid the marked staples; two should be in the very front corners, and two near the tail corners of the bed. If you are planning on using bolts with the bracket (not necessary), make sure to screw in a separate place from them as well.

The pieces should be tightly held together; a little space in-between is expected, though, due to the staples.

Step 7: Step 7: Attaching the Mounts

Next, use a clamp to hold the mount pieces in place, one at a time.

Marking out where the mounts should be based on your design, drill two pilot holes in the bed for each side, lining up along the edge of where the mounts will hang. Make sure not to interfere with other screws or the staples.

With the mount secured, glue the bed structure to the mount.

After some time, drill the two screws into the mounts, through the bed. Do this for both mounts.

The mounts should be tightly fastened.

Step 8: Step 8: Fastening the Carpet

Clamp the carpet sheet to the top of the bed and use some wood glue in addition.

Cut the carpet with any sharp enough blade so it leaves the rectangular hole open, and matches the edge of the structure. Be careful not to cut through the canvas!

Still clamped, use a staple gun or hammer and nails to fasten the carpet down as needed. Again, watch for staples and screws!

From here, sand the bed one more time.

Step 9: Step 9: Attaching to the Window and Conclusion

After screwing in your brackets, slide the bed against your windowsill. Assuming everything was done right, it should be snug and held in place by the brackets pulling down!

If it doesn't fit right at first, it's okay. Cut down pieces as needed, or add foam to increase tension. I needed to do this, too!

Enjoy the bed!