DIY CAT SHELVES !

Surprise upload!
Follow along on my journey, attempting (and failing multiple times) cat shelves for Nani, my cat!
Let me know what you think! I thought my first try was a fail, but she actually could climb it as we see at the end of the video! She's so much more athletic than she pretends to be, I love her hahaha
Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to try new projects now that I'm feeling more confident with power tools! Owning a jigsaw is opening a whole world of possibilities to me, I cant wait to show you what I have in store!

[@lingolift5917]

I'm really glad you showed the whole process. I'm building a cat jungle for my sister's cats, and seeing what not to do is just as valuable as seeing what works. Great video!

[@Mama.mariaAngelique]

I love your self pep talk 😂 “I’m so good at this!”

[@ZaDussault]

Also, I feel like the top one lets a space that is a bit too narrow between the shelf and the furniture piece wall. I would make a concave space on that side so that she gets a good view of it if she wants to jump up and enough space if she wants to jump down.

[@DragonsGaura]

I was thinking the same

[@bmiles4131]

Yes, or switch the top and 2nd shelf. Top is bigger than second, so she’s having to drop, twist and kind of aim under.

[@Confidentk9sCa]

Final top shelf she strongly hesitated coming down from so was probably a bit too difficult to want to try again. Awesome job! ❤

[@Zoey24]

I really appreciate all the effort you put into these projects, even the failures were a really good case of ‘lesson learned’. Your end result looks super professional and matches very comfortably with the rest of the room.

[@emiliereigne]

Thank you so much, this comment warms my soul on this rainy day ❤️

[@caravanrose]

Well said. I appreciate her leaving the "fails" in as well!

[@fleurdelune5240]

I know this is an old video but its still interesting to see the final product and hear about the later modifications in the comments. It was fun to see your cats opinion of the build and how she used it. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@emiliereigne]

I'm so glad you took the time to read the comments! I was beginning to wonder if they showed up 😂 thanks for the nice comment too! Much appreciated 🙏♥️

[@GuyG.KTalesOfAnimals]

Don’t shame yourself for doing anything wrong honestly I have a friend who just got into Catfication, I don’t have a cat but I still am interested in doing some enrichment for my pet animals, newbies who’re up for fun and having new skill learning experiences! Your experience is relatable!

[@OneBlessedYoungLady]

You're so awesome! The courage you exhibited for your lil cat as well as yourself is heart touching and watching your determination grow after each attempt is inspiritational, thank you. I can't thank you enough for this video as it served several purposes; do's & don't, much needed take aways such as using templates first (many times I've turned good pieces of wood into nice scrap piles😕) and absolutely the cuteness overload of your cat learning & familiarizing itself right along with you🤗 so sweet. 👏Great job working that drill and Grandma's jig saw. My biggest hindrance is a saw, of any kind, I've limited my capabilities & let my creativity suffer due to not getting out of my comfort zone. But watching you gives me motivation so thanks for the encouraging, heart felt video. Oh a big shout out to your grandma not just for passing down her power tools but actually owning one, helping pioneer young ladies into self sufficient carpenters and taking really good care of her tools! Thanks Grandma🙏🧡 and thank you and your lil cat for the video. God bless

[@intrepidolivia482]

Appreciate so so so much that you show things that didn't work in addition to things that did. Really learned a lot from this video, thank you!!

[@emiliereigne]

Aww thank you! I tried to be as honest as possible, I knew some people's wouldn't watch the whole thing, but I didn't want to pretend I got it all in the first try to make a "short" video, these kinds of projects are not easy and I like to think that the process is half the fun!

[@brianahrens4637]

That is one of the most entertaining KZbin videos I've ever seen. You should be proud of yourself. You're absolutely adorable

[@joymiller2368]

We learn by trial & error so GREAT job. You’ve given me ideas. Thanks

[@isetor]

I loved to watch your prosess! I watch a lot of DIY cat tree/furniture building videos and it's often made by people who have a woodworking station in their garage packed with power tools, its quite intimidating tbh. Its lovely to see that you don't need a lot of experience or fancy tools to make a beautiful result, one day I may try it myself.

[@seresamgala8125]

Emilie, your cat is a real trooper willing to try new things. What a beautiful friendship you have, and congrats on the working project.

[@bobrogue]

Thank you for this video. It'll save me from so many pitfalls catifying our place.

[@beckytobey2984]

Great job. I refurbished my entire house, what a job! But I did it. Learned to use power equipment, measure and repair. Glue became a best friend. You should be proud of yourself, Great job!

[@emiliereigne]

I bet your home looks amazing now! I'd love to tackle such a project one day, houses are so expensive though I wonder when I'll have enough funds for a downpayment!

[@morganstovall4062]

I had to STOP this video when I saw how you cut a small hole in the plastic for the rope. If only you could see how many loose spools of rope are in my closet right now. THANK YOU 😂

[@cohen860]

Good job. Everyone should know about screws with anchors, which you used! I was a shop teacher. Woodworking is very cool!

[@leecarlson9713]

I am a 79 year old woman, who is slowly accumulating power tools. I recently had to get 20V batteries for my recip saw, and DeWalt had a special sale-buy 2 barreries, and get a tool free, so I chose a circular saw. I also have a jigsaw, and other corded and battery powered tools. I just wish I had known how much I love creating things out of wood, because my dad and his father were woodworkers, and Daddy would have loved to have someone to pass his skills and knowledge onto. I still have the desk my dad made in high school shop class, made in 1922 or ‘23. Has the original finish, but the key to lock it is gone. I am thinking of taking the drawer to a locksmith, and see if he might have a key to fit. It is my prized possession!

[@cohen860]

Happy to hear all this! @@leecarlson9713

[@stefaniegodfrey6155]

Your darling! Keep up the journey of learning! Thanks for sharing every raw moments

[@edwardwalshie5350]

Thank's for the inspiration ! really helpful to see the trial and error and posative work ethic while I'm designing. something similar

[@not_today_satan_7]

I'm getting ready to make the same type of shelves for my cat. Thank you for posting and allowing me to learn from your pre success attempts and your success story. Great video

[@psykco]

I was planning to experiment for my cats, and now I don't have to, cuz you did. 😘

[@GuyG.KTalesOfAnimals]

But still go experiment with your cats! How fun!

[@khwezik3894]

I think that space between the cabinet and the third shelf could use a scratch post too as i think the gap may just be too big hence your cat doesn't was to go past the bottom few. But wow, well done you!! Trying to get inspiration for my cats as i am moving to a one level, smaller place so my cats will be losing a lot of roaming room that i want to create on the wall. This has been so helpful (never would've thought to use cardboard for templates you know)

[@dancingwithgravity]

I'm so proud of you for going out of your comfort zone and following through to success. The first two attempts were necessary learning lessons. Well done 👏👏

[@danniefrenchpea63]

Hi Emilie, you did a great job and even if you had two "fails", it was great to see your positive spirit and determination to find the right shelving for your beautiful puss 💖 We have recently got a little kitten who is *very* active and needs a climbing system so this is all great information and very motivating 😁Thank you so much for taking the time to share your project 🙏🤗

[@morticiaheisenberg9679]

Even the failures were you doing this for your baby to have a better space. Excellent cat mom for sure!! But I am glad it eventually worked out for you two. ❤

[@bambinaforever1402]

What a nice girl and so cute she and her cat. Nice projects and reminded us about an adverb. I knew it but never used. Thanks for reminding. 👍

[@dianahopkins7994]

I would love to have you as my little sister! You don't realize how fabulous it is (and you are) for thinking up something and then doing it and modifying it until you were happy with the result. I really don't know any other way to build confidence and new skills. People don't like to admit it, but everybody has a first day. You cannot escape those feelings or the occasion. I wish good things for you ...which are even now on their way to you.

[@emiliereigne]

Aww this is so sweet, thank you!!!! I also felt it was important to show all the stages of the building process, because it shows the reality of what I had to go though!

[@amandamoon777]

I love the process !

[@annettereigneau59]

The final product is nicely done. Good job 👍🙂. The third time is a charme 😉.

[@Orientalbackyardgarden]

So helpful to show what don't work, thank you❤❤

[@dM_gH]

Wow! I learned a whole lot watching you work through this special project for your sweetie. Thank you!

[@texasbella576]

your little cat is sooo adorable!! Your kitty is lucky to have such a great mommy!!

[@jasperandre7399]

I have to give you an "E" for effort!! There isn't anything we won't for our pets!! Even though you weren't experienced you hung in there! You were determined to get it right, no matter how many times you had to do it!! You don't know me, but I am proud of you!

[@emiliereigne]

Your comment gave me whiplash hahahaha I'm back at school, and E is a failing grade! But I kept reading and I'm glad I did, your comment warms my heart ❤️ so thank you!!!

[@jasperandre7399]

@@emiliereigne

[@jasperandre7399]

@@emiliereigne You're welcome. Have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

[@kalindakelly3417]

I heard that cats have a hard time coming down like that, griping the sisal because of the shape of their claws. That’s why cats like to jump down or slide down backwards. Your cat will need shelves for coming back down. I see you did that after watching till the end. Great job!

[@emiliereigne]

thank you for mentioning that you watched until the end! I've had a few comments who mentionned the shape of cats claws, and Im thinking they didnt watch the whole video haha

[@livelaughlove0209]

So happy I saw this video. I kind of had to adopt 3 cats suddenly against my will. I need to catify my apartment so I gained a lot of info from this video! Thank you!

[@bambinaforever1402]

Who adopts cats against their will? They are a blessing. How can people live without cats is beyond me

[@conniewojahn6445]

Thank you for adopting! Marie, your efforts will be abundantly rewarded. You may soon find yourself wondering why you ever doubted adoption. Many happy hours, the four of you!

[@beckya040301]

Awesome!!! So inspiring

[@Maksuka1010]

1) Хорошо когда руки из правильного места растут. 2) Для того что бы мой кот куда то залез, его не надо заманивать едой. Достаточно запрещать ему лазить туда😂

[@Alexander-zr6vf]

Very informative video. Awesome 👏

[@emmmoo8631]

very good use of part of wall and look nice too........

[@enforcerlucario932]

Such a nice design of a DIY :D

[@sandykiester3472]

Well you showed me what not to do! Saving me some $ and lots of time. It looks great!

[@SorvEas]

The final result is awesome! Congrats! And thank you for sharing! Love it!

[@Arwen41]

It functioned quite well in the end. And it seems to me that the scratch pole might pretty well work out too when it ends about at least a hand with above the upper shelf. It's easier for cats to get into their turn when they can claw into something above their head when they're about to climb down. After all she seemed to enjoy climbing it very much!

[@jcepri]

Love your enthusiasm. Lucky cat!

Congratulations!!! You learned by yourself. Also your Cat got the best of you. Thanks for sharing.

[@masoncote9783]

Good job! It looks neat and functions well. The reward of her using it makes the work all the more worth it. I’m thinking of making a cat wall and really like the wrapped wood ladder you made. I’ve been watching videos of DIY cat walls throughout the day and found one with a platform on top of the wrapped wood with a big hole for the kitties to climb up and through. Seeing this process has encouraged me to just get to crafting! Thank you!

[@77lases]

Good for you! So impressed with your efforts. You're such a wonderful cat mom 🤗💗

[@gemmacartwright7646]

Thank you for sharing this. The great results and the changes to get there.

[@anacalvente836]

What a beautiful project! I'm not a fan of heavy duty, but watching you accomplishing this has changed my mind somehow. Beginning to love this furniture DIY!

[@analogdriver]

Oh and this really motivates me to now finally mount those shelves I got laying around for over a year.😿

[@carolguthrie4143]

I love that you have your gramma's jig saw 😍 You have skills!

[@melissamohamed7622]

Awesome!

[@gaylerickard6896]

I loved watching your video! Thanks for sharing your "fails". I can see me attempting this and messing up so many times as well. I'm certainly not very handy. Your cat is adorable trying to get down. I've learned that as cat's claws are curled downwards, they can climb upwards, but have great difficulty climbing downwards, as their claws are of no use. That's why cats get stuck in trees. Anyway, great video, Thanks.

[@Hadassah-KaquoliMReno]

I love seeing how much you love your cat! I’ve had cats for years but now I have a small dog. We love our fur babies! ♥️

[@user-tf4bg2kz5v]

Painting the shelves the same color of the walls would make it seem seem less! You inspired me!! I love how you did this and showed the process!! Good job!!

[@uni-with-anna]

Love the video and the humor:) Thank you!

[@drletedelete2928]

Thank you for this funny video. The do's and don't s Try to avoid screws. They can harm their paws. For carpets, use door mats, top made of coconut fibre and the back is natural latex. It can be cut with a cutter. Easy to clean, cats love it. No synthetics or chemical products in it. It ages well Your cat does not climb up, because it does not feel safe. All your woods are too small, so your cat can not turn it's body around to take the right position to go down. Make them bigger, so your cat can also sleep on them. Remember cats claws allow them to climb UP, not down.

[@beckytobey2984]

Hahaha, really funny kitty trying to get down

[@vanessamadrigal633]

I absolutely loved watching your process. I want to build something fun for my kitty but have no clue where to start or what I’m even thinking of doing 😅 lol but this was very informative and helpful. You’re a natural!

[@shell88ish]

Nice work...very inspiring...Thank You for posting!

[@geminiinnc]

Great job, thanks for the ideas!

[@TEWAdventures]

You did great especially by not giving up. I'm searching for ideas I have 2 main-coon mixs and they need something to explore on. So thanks for posting this.

[@emiliereigne]

Aww thanks for the positive comment! Hope your fur babies enjoy their shelves! Mine loves hers :)

[@alfilkemper9240]

What a great video!

[@sandybrown7005]

You did amazing!!! Great video.

[@janonprice232]

So cool 😊 thank you for sharing

[@stefaniegodfrey6155]

Proud of you!! Keep making more. She will be so happy with you mommy

[@marcosmagic1983]

Great vid 👏 The completed project looks brilliant definitely inspired now to do something for my 🐈‍⬛

[@emiliereigne]

Yay! Goodluck!!! 🐱

[@robertajones4394]

It's been a while since you did this so I doubt you'll see this bit just in case... 🎉💯💫💥 AWESOME JOB, and you are adorable!

[@emiliereigne]

I get notified with every comment ❤️ thank you so much for the positive comment hihi!

[@josephswann5192]

Awesome video! You are inspiring just teaching yourself how to use those tools! Your final design looks and works great!

[@9catlover]

really love this and that you showed your failures too. Such a cute cat. I am going to make storage shelves and want to make them cat friendly so this will help me a lot too...so much to think about...width, climbing up and down...and I need to make some stairs for my older 15 year old cat who likes to sleep in higher places. The card board tracing was very clever

[@emiliereigne]

I hope your project goes more smoothly than mine did hihihi

[@robertweissman5911]

I appreciate your dedication and initiative. Another approach I've seen used, is to install one vertical post and attach "paddle" steps on alternating sides, interspersed at different heights; kind of reminds me of an alternating or spiral staircase, almost. That would allow great maneuverability for your cat, unobstructed by the steps themselves, and allow you to cut out less pieces of wood and make less screw holes in the wall. I think the fact you are making this system of steps near a corner also makes this approach worth considering.

[@underratedunity1528]

Looks gorgeous!

[@amyprecociouslake4806]

Idea.. the bedroom? Plate shelves? Up high. U did a good job In the front room why not try a wall shelf in the bedroom! Good luck! 😎🤣💐😀

[@thetexadelphian5105]

I love this video! Thank you very much for proving to me, that even though I live in an apartment-style condo, that I can cut wood shelves, myself. For some reason I thought I would need more space and more tools, but your setup would be perfect for me. I love your willingness to make mistakes and try again. I am going to harness some of your ingenuity for my kitty world. Your kitty's attempts to come down the posts are so smart and cute! Very smart and diligent kitty. She is adorable!!

[@emiliereigne]

This comment warms my heart 💖 thank you so much for all the kind words!!!

[@siliconpenguin]

I think you got an A+ grade, and a gold star, just for your tenacity!

[@isabelramosortiz7923]

Muy bueno, gracias 😂

[@childensstorytime]

Awesome

[@donalsteinbach7034]

Cats can easy climb up but not down like a squirrel. Their nails curve one way. Good idea using a wall intersection.

[@jessicastolz3029]

Hi there, maybe add some carpet on top of the cupboard - pretty sure, this will make the area much more attractive, because she won't slip. Good luck!

[@richardbarber5911]

Nicely done!

[@Stadtpark90]

Respect. And she is really cute.

[@take5meditationandrelaxati133]

You really are a great mom... thank you for sharing with us.

[@emiliereigne]

I'm not the only one who would do anything for her furbaby 😍 I'm glad so many people are finding this video and are getting something out of it!

[@elisebrown5157]

Looks good! I'll be interested to know how the carpet holds up over the years - do the edges fray, or does it stay looking good? A couple of suggestions would be to drive some screws through the platform onto the horizontal wall brace for extra stability. (I believe you just used glue). You could also screw some small hooks onto the bottom and use those to attach hanging from strings. By changing those up, you can also give her more mental stimulation and things to play with.

[@thetexadelphian5105]

She used screws too.

[@shaybear228]

You are so cute! Good job!

[@cathyramirez3370]

Super nice 👍🏼

[@czechoslovakianwolfdog]

Jura the wolfdog has a brother and sister cat that needs shelves made, so thank you for this.

[@rtaskyy]

Wow great job! Love that you did it all pretty much with a jigsaw and in your apartment. Planning to do a similar thing for my two cats in my new place. Shelves on etsy are so expensive.

[@emiliereigne]

Thanks!!! I agree, Etsy is inspiring, but if you have the ability to DIY I say go for it!!!

[@nena2281]

One day in your future you will be a super mom! Your kids and husband will be coming to you all the time to build this or fix that. You will be an expert at assembling cribs, training wheels, tree houses ect. Good job on your cat shelves.

[@yluo824]

Great video and awesome idea! Just thinking of making the similar cat shelves for my cats. Very impressive!

[@emiliereigne]

Do it! Mine have been up for a few weeks now and I love them!!! My cat is also very happy with them hihi

[@jerryhinds6009]

Good job! 👍

[@eevagirl]

👏👏👏🧡

[@makennamarshall5558]

I loved some of the fails! What I would say to people with young and healthy cats is to leave up structures your cat may be "bad" a climbing for a week or two... they learn quickly and the problem solving process is excellent stimulation

[@emiliereigne]

Agreed! My cat initially only climbed the first shelf, but now she climbs all the way to the top and she LOVES it!

[@megansummer5251]

You two are adorable... I LOVE this video. Great job!!

[@emiliereigne]

🥺 thank you!!! I worked so hard, I'm glad it's over and she's now enjoying the shelves!!!!

[@jamitripe459]

I love it thank you . I'm going to do this for my cats 😊👍💓

[@teabagger0871]

Good job!

[@DeeDee-zo7rv]

you go girl you did such a good job i want to do some like these too! hoping mine will turn out as good as yours!

[@denali-energetique.et.creation]

So beautifull and it inspired me!

[@emiliereigne]

Aww I'm glad!

[@glomontero6011]

Cats r very smart she would have gotten use to all of the different types of steps u created. U just had to give her time to be curious. However ur 3rd attempt turned out great. Im glad u got over ur fear of using power tools.

[@lou1825]

I LOVE IT 🤩❤️❤️

[@emiliereigne]

Thank youuuu 🥺

[@sheilamckie8106]

Good job 👍 😊