When you become a pet owner, you essentially become a mom or dad to your new furbaby. While you might originally vow to never be “one of those embarrassing pet parents”, your overwhelming love for the latest addition to your home takes over, and before you know it, you’re wearing a shirt with your cat’s face on and spending hundreds of dollars on your dog’s birthday.

Out pets also give us the opportunity to get creative with everyday items. Cats and dogs aren’t always interested in fancy furniture or plush toys – they just want to play with the packaging it came in. And when it’s safe to do so, that packaging can be used to produce all sorts of masterpieces that your pets can’t get enough of.

One woman who is particularly proud of her pet parent status is Gentry Sanders. She is mom to two adorable black and white kitties, Huckleberry and Floy.

The pair love their toys, but they love cardboard boxes even more. Whenever a package arrives in the post, this cheeky duo just want to climb inside the empty boxes.

Their love of the simpler things in life inspired Gentry to make them something a bit more exciting than a cardboard box – out of cardboard boxes.

Speaking to The Dodo about what she did next, she said:

“I figured I could just use the boxes to make something cute since they were always sitting out in my house. I love mid-century style and figured, ‘Why not a mid-century house?’”

We have to say, Sanders’ cat house is very impressive. It has a tiny door and windows, a space for the cats to enter through the side, and even a couple of miniature realistic outdoor plants.

While Sanders was initially worried her cats wouldn’t be interested now that she’d turned her cardboard boxes into something pretty incredible, she was pleasantly surprised by the response she received.

She said:

“Huck sleeps in it all the time while I am working. Floyd either sleeps in it or works on tearing apart his catnip toys. I am honestly surprised how much they love it.”

Sanders has shared how to make the cardboard box home on her blog, so other cat owners can give it a go too. Here’s what you need to know.

What you’ll need:

• Cardboard
• Exacto Knife
• Ruler
• Craft Paint
• Glue & Tape
• Measuring Tape

What to do:

1. Plan a design

Do you want your cats to live in a gothic mansion, a beach vacation home, or an old church? The decision is yours.

2. Prepare your boxes

Flatten your boxes, remove any unnecessary tape, and start drawing your cut lines. You’ll need to draw lines for your doors, windows, and roof, plus anything else you’ll need to cut away.

3. Cut your lines

Carefully cut out along your lines using an Exacto knife.

4. Attach your components

Use tape and glue to stick your roof and walls together. Sanders used hot glue for instant hold, gorilla glue for long-lasting hold, and tape to keep everything in place during the drying process.

5. Spray with spray paint

Your new kitty home now needs some color. Spray a base paint with a can of white spray paint.

6. Paint on the details

Finally, paint the detail onto your home. This took Sanders two coats to achieve a bold color.

So there you have it – it’s much easier than you think to make a DIY home for your cats like Sanders’. Gather your cardboard boxes and get planning!

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Source: The Dodo, The Green Mad House