Materials: Lack wall shelf
Description: We wanted to put up something that our cats could use to climb on and that didn't take up any valuable horizontal real estate. Saw a pet store in our neighborhood using shelves as climbing walls for cats and looked online only to find that this is not so uncommon a practice and discovered this fab site along the way. Here is our version of a cat hack using Lack.
We got four Lack wall shelves (the smallest width available) and used double sided tape to stick some non-slip kitchen liner
to the top so it wouldn't be slippery for our kitties. Then we used plastic anchors to secure a bracket to the middle of the Lack shelf for additional support. And finally some plastic toggle bolts on the ends to hang the shelf and secure the bracket to the wall. We used a non Ikea shelf for the one above the door because it seemed to be a better fit. Scotty seems to like it...
~ Grace, Philadelphia
I have two Lack shelves up for my cat, and he loves them, but your shelf im the transom window is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like just about the most content cat in the world! I love the design, it's simple and elegant.
ReplyDelete- David
Aloe Vera 101
Holistic Health Info.
Forever Living Products
This is such an adorable idea - a great perch above the door for your "watch cat."
ReplyDeleteI'm worried the lack shelves won't hold my cat; they say the weight limit is anywhere from 12-15 lbs. Anyone had problems?
ReplyDeleteDig it!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous with the zaftig cat -- That's the weight limit on Lack as designed - as a floating shelf. We're all using big L brackets underneath, so there's no worry. (My Lack stairs held my 18 lb. girl, no worries.)
Nice, Scotty must be a very happy cat.
ReplyDeletethis is an awesome idea! Our roommate just adopted a big, goofy retriever who (although harmless) scares our cats. They'd love to be able to sit up high, out of his reach.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh...I love that!!! My cats would so enjoy that!
ReplyDeleteHow is the cat not going to set off the sensor alarm???? Usually pets don't set off alarms because they're too low to the ground for the sensors to pick up, but here they built the shelves directly in the cat's path.
ReplyDeleteit looks more like a motion detector. They dont usually have alarms!
ReplyDeleteThat comment makes absolutely no sense. A motion detector is pointless unless it is wired (or connected via wireless)to the adjacent alarm panel. Basically these type of people pay all the money to install an alarm system but never ARM the alarm system and therefore oblivious to such common sense problems (and oblivious to people breaking in at night). "If motion detectors don't usually have alarms" then what are they supposed to do? The blind spot created by the shelves is rectangle shaped and runs along that wall about 4 feet out. That is the bigger concern. They cut their alarm systems capability by installing the shelves too close to the sensor.
DeleteThere seems to be a gap behind the shelf and i'm worried that his tail could hang down and get caught in the door!
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, that is one lucky cat!
um, motion detectors ARE usually part of the alarm system...I had the very same question, because ours would bring the police with that set-up! Big fan of climbing shelves at our house though.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I'm not english (I'm pretty rusty). I have the same thing in my living room, for a 5 kg kitty. We bought 4 small Lack and one bigger (+/-1.2m) so she lay quietly. Bellow the small ones, we added and L shaped metal plates because when she jumps, at that moment, her 5 kg become much more. It's been 2 years and all's well (the wall has paw marks of when she streches when she awakes of her naps). On the top of each small Lack, we put cloth that seems like velvet so she didn't slip if her paws were wet.
ReplyDeleteLisbon (Portugal)
I ran immediately to Ikea and adopted this idea! I have a loft that a previous tenant has frosted the windows. The only windows left alone was the transom. The cats are leash trained.. but love to lounge beside a window.. Thank you ! Great idea.
ReplyDelete[IMG]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q53/wana053/bed6782c.jpg[/IMG]
ReplyDeleteour solution..
I've done this before on the exterior of our walk- up bldg outside a kitchen window once because our unit didn't have direct access to the backyard for kitty. Floating shelves support a cat's weight but not a person's so we weren't compromising security. It took kitty about 30 seconds to learn to use the switchbacks to come and go (via our backyard facing kitchen window) as he pleases.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Looks like you just made a huge blind spot for your motion sensor. You should move it down and closer to the door trim or just remove it since it will only be sensing the door movement anyway at this point and you probably have a separate door sensor. Heck, put it on the other wall facing the other way. People make small errors like this all the time with shelves. Blocking AC vents, drilling screws too deep and hitting wires that disable power outlets. People be careful, think, and use stud detectors and magnets!
ReplyDelete