I'm a total amateur, looking for feedback on my plan for a DIY wood-and-PVC cat cage before I build it.
CONTEXT:
My cat injured his spine and needs cage rest.
However, he anxiously scratches the mesh sides of his current cage whenever I'm not around, hurting himself.
Therefore, I need to build him a cage/playpen:
- Whose walls are only vertical bars. Because he will scratch any mesh or horizontal crossbars, hurting his spine.
- Whose vertical bars are 1" apart so there's no risk of him getting his head stuck between them.
- As low cost as possible.
MY IDEA:
Above is a crude sketch I made.
My idea is simple:
- Build 4' square frames out of 2x4s (laid flat)
- Drill 3/4" holes (using a spade bit) in both frames
- Place 3/4" PVC pipe, 25 inches tall, in each of the holes
- Attach the top frame (also with holes drilled to fit the other ends of the PVC pipes)
- Once it's built, and sturdy enough, adding a ceiling is easy. (I'm not worried about this part of the project. As long as the frame is sturdy, there's any number of objects I can zip-tie to the top for a ceiling.)
MY CONCERNS:
Here's where I need feedback -- I'm a total amateur, and I'm afraid I'm missing something.
Some concerns off the top of my head:
- Will this work?
- Will the PVC support the weight of the top frame?
- Will 3/4" PVC pipe fit into holes drilled with a 3/4" spade bit?
- If I drill the holes halfway through the flat side of a 2x4, is that deep enough to secure the PVC pipes?
Thanks in advance.