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I don’t know about you, but I do most of my shopping online. I love the convenience of it – especially with Amazon Prime free 2-day shipping. There is just one downside… BOXES! SO MANY BOXES! (The cats would disagree, of course.) Then it hit me… I could repurpose all these boxes and make a cardboard box cat castle!
Making a DIY Cardboard Box Cat Castle is super easy, and you don’t need many supplies at all! In fact, I bet you have the necessary supplies lying around your house already.
Box Fort/Cat Castle Materials:
- Cardboard boxes – the number and size depends on how big of a box fort you want to make. The one we made used 9 medium sized boxes.
- Box Cutter
- Scissors
- Packing tape or duct tape
Steps to Building Your Cardboard Cat Castle:
Step 1: Stockpile boxes.
Step 2: Cut the flaps off the top side of the boxes.
Step 3: Brainstorm a rough layout of the box fort before cutting any holes.
Step 4: Use the box cutter to cut entry holes into whichever boxes you choose.
Step 5: Line up entry holes to create long tunnels or larger cubbies.
Step 6: Tape boxes together. Be generous with your taping.
Step 7: Now that the first level of the box fort is complete, you can start building vertically. Just repeat Steps 2-6, and start stacking! Get creative! Just be careful not to build too high, or the fort might not be sturdy enough to support the weight of your cat.
Step 8: Have your cats complete the quality control inspection.
Step 9: Enjoy!
The KCC Gang has been loving their Box Fort. It has been great environmental enrichment for them. A DIY Box Fort is also environmentally friendly, and it saves you the cost of having to buy an expensive cat tree! There’s no reason NOT to make one 🙂 So start saving up those boxes and have some fun. Your cats will love you for it!
Have you ever made a box fort or cardboard cat castle for your cats before? Did they absolutely love it?!
Summer says
This is such an awesome idea!
teagan says
I know right!? My cats love it, and I’ve got to say…..im jelly about my cats, having a cool fort like that! Have a nice day! -teagan
@kittey says
I know, I know! My kitties like it, and I have to say, I’m ecstatic that they have such a wonderful fort! Have a wonderful day! -teagan
Lone Star Cats says
Looks like a fun fort!
Eastside Cats says
Golly, all of my Chewy boxes are full of summer clothes or stuff that is to be donated! But I love your cat fort…wonder where we could set one up around here…?
The Swiss Cats says
Wonderful fort ! It looks like a lot of fun ! Purrs
Andy says
putting extra boxes for sitting on the top is genius, I work in a warehouse so I have access to soooo many boxes, thanks for this tutorial!
Edie Chase says
My cat would love to have a box fort, but we don’t have room right now. When we move I’m going to make one.
Lola The Rescued Cat says
So I’ve decided I’m coming for a vacation to your house. Mother says we don’t have room for a fort, but I think she’s just too lazy to make me one.
Love,
Lexy
Jan Zimmerman says
I don’i have room either so I am going to try building one UP! I will try to get my great grandson to help me. That will be the hardest part!
Melissa & Mudpie says
What a fun and creative idea! I know Mudpie would love this. She’s coming right over…
Molly O'Hara says
I wish we hadn’t recycled all our holiday chewy boxes! Of course, our puppy would probably destroy the box fort trying to play with his bff kitty, when in reality, the other cats would appreciate it more, hahaha. We did do this once before though, when we didn’t have a dog, needed sturdier boxes that time!
da tabbies o trout towne says
guyz…yur fort total lee rocks !!! happee new yeer two ewe two all; heerz ta happee nezz healtheez N grazz oh plentee 🙂 ♥♥
Random Felines says
not sure where we would put something like that, but heaven knows there are times we have enough boxes to pull it off
The Island Cats says
You have some lucky cats! The mom always throws our boxes out. Phooey.
Anita Aurit says
I love the idea of these box forts and since we live more remotely, we do a LOT of online shopping! I’ve seen some that use paper towel rolls for columns and some folks have gone crazy decorating them. I’m sure The Tribe of Five would like a box fort.
Anita, Purrsonal Assistant and General Lackey to The Tribe of Five
Tenacious Little Terrier says
Box fort! All of ours get recycled and I don’t know where we would put one but Mr. N would probably enjoy playing in one.
Heather Wallace, Bridle & Bone says
OMG this looks amazing! You are so creative. I have thousands of boxes between Amazon Prime, Chewy, Bulk Apothecary, and more. My garage is really scary right now actually. I try to reuse boxes as much as possible, but this is a fantastic idea. My dogs would demolish it, but my kids would love it! Then they would demolish it.
Ellen Pilch says
That is a great idea. I think we have that many Chewy boxes too 🙂
Amber says
We had one of those awhile ago, but we had to move this past spring, so it got disassembled! Purr-haps we’ll have to make another one. 🙂
Tamago says
This is such a great way to use the empty boxes! We have boxes here as well constantly. I usually cut windows and put up but usually use only one box. I should start connecting several boxes together ‘cause that looks so much more fun 🙂
Chirpy Cats says
Glad we’re not the only cat nerds who would build a box fort. MOL Okay ours was just rough and ready, largely arranged by the cats themselves for a week’s boxing pleasure. Next time I will get creative and get the box cutters and tape out. An awesome tip for indoor cat enrichment!
Cathy Armato says
This is such a fun DIY project! I’m sure the kitties will have many hours of fun with it. I can’t believe you had so many boxes – too bad we’re not neighbors, my husband re-uses nearly every box we get when he sells stuff on e-bay. We have been selling off our stuff (clutter!) for the last year so no box is wasted, LOL! We don’t buy all that much online, I love to shop both for myself and the pets. Plastic bags we’ve got tons, boxes not so much LOL! Thanks for sharing.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Beth Patterson says
What a fun idea. I can see how cats would really enjoy this fort.
Kristin Rosenbach says
This is a great idea to put all those boxes to use! Who doesn’t enjoy a fort!?!?
meowmeowmans says
What an awesome box fort! Sadly, our mom and dad just recycle the boxes after they unpack the stuff. Spoilsports!
Claire + her cat, Roy says
My dad does it and its SO ANNOYING!!! I make my cat forts where he doesn’t see them as often. You cloud to it too! For example: My dad never goes in the basement except sometimes to get some food from the pantry. I placed a piece of that blue construction foam so that no one can see it from the pantry. Then I make my cat forts behind that. Problem solved until he comes and does his workout. That’s why I make them away from his workout space so he doesn’t really notice them.
NOW problem solved! I encourage others to do it too.
Claire + her cat, Roy says
And by the way, I ment to say “could” instead of “cloud” and the “it” is my dad throwing away cat forts.
Lori Hilliard says
This is a great way to combine recycling with making your cats happier. Cats are a lot like kids sometimes – they both love to play with boxes.
Jana Rade says
This is awesome what you created. Sometimes, when I see such projects, it almost makes me want to have a cat so I could build such things.
Denise says
Oh my goodness, I have THE EXACT same problem. I am an AMAZON PRIME and CHEWY junkie and always have sooo many boxes! This is such a great idea! Since we don’t have any cats I am going to have to track some friends down to share the boxes with them! 🙂
Sweet Purrfections says
You are so smart! Have you shared your Chewy fort with Chewy.com? I’m sure they’d love it!
I had so many boxes here during the holidays because of the 12 Days of Catmas. I’m still tearing down boxes.
Paroma Chakravarty says
Love this DIY, so fun! Cats are super flexible and I guess this works for them! Might work for agility in small dogs too. Thanks for sharing this fun activity.
Amelia Johnson says
This is great! So many cats sit around bored but I can see where your cats now have choices and a way to stretch those muscles as they move from box to box. What a thoughtful idea to have “observation” boxes on top…you thought of everything…cat approved 🙂
The Dash Kitten Crew says
OooOOOooooH You guys amaze me. I wonder if I can make one for ours/ Rainy days keeps them indoors and having something like this would be so much fun!!!
Clare Reece-Glore says
I love the fort and by putting it in the corner you can go vertical and not take up too much room. I did the very simple version with two large boxes for my 3 yr old grandson and he loved it!
Kitties Blue says
Emily, we knew you were going to do this, and it turned out great. We had a bajillion boxes at Christmastime, and we could have had a terrific fort, but we have a space issue. The only spot we really have room for this is in the foyer, and that is already filled with our various toys. Maybe when this summer rolls around we can get our Mom to build one for us on the upper deck. Astrid sends Sampy all her love and 234567890987654321345678909876543234567890987657890987654345678909876543456789876543456765432 kisses. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer
Raven says
Great use of all those boxes. Raven has one box she’s still enjoying from a gift we received at Christmas. It’s a fun size that she can hide in but isn’t so big that it gets in our way. That fort is definitely a space commitment, at least until everyone is bored with it.
Connie - Tails from the Foster Kittens says
what a fun and enjoyable project
Claire + her cat, Roy says
I know, right? I have many different ways to make cat forts that are really cool, but this one is EPIC!!
Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs says
That is so cool! Pipo is not the most ‘boxy’ of kitties, but Angel Minko would have loved it!
Right now Dalton would rip anything like that to shreds…he just ripped a part of the kitchen linoleum:(
Claire + her cat, Roy says
We have something like that, although it is not as epic. During the coronavirus, my mom has been buying more Chewy stuff than ever. We already used up two boxes this month, and one of them got thrown away. Now we do have one box, and so I used it for my cat castle. It has more tools, like two smaller chairs that go with a small table. Roy (my cat) does like it though!
Jason says
yeah. but i have a cat fort made of 178 boxes. we get most from the store. its as big as my whole room! its soooooo big!
jennifer says
So cool
Jan Zimmerman says
Don’t think ROOM, think ceiling. Lots of room building up!