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When your cat is pregnant, she has many needs that you must meet to guarantee a safe and healthy birth. One is a birthing box. Providing your cat with a quiet, warm space to give birth to her kittens will help her feel safe during one of the most vulnerable points in her life.
While you can purchase a birthing box online, they can be expensive and may not suit the style or needs of your home. If you’re a crafty person with the right materials and tools lying around, you can construct your own feline birthing box.
In this article, we look at seven DIY cat-birthing boxes that you can make for your cat. Keep in mind that some of these plans will take longer than others to complete.
The 7 DIY Cat Birthing Boxes
1. Disposable Whelping Box by All Things Dogs
| Materials: | Cardboard |
| Tools: | Scissors and glue |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
For a birthing box that can be easily thrown away after the kittens are born, check out this disposable whelping box plan. It’s simple enough to be constructed with items around the house, such as cardboard, scissors, and glue. However, check your glue to ensure that it is non-toxic before using it. The disposable whelping box can be made in a short amount of time, so if your cat is getting far along in her pregnancy, it might be the ideal option. One of the disadvantages is the material, as the cardboard will get wet during the birthing process and may become unpleasantly smelly and unhygienic. It’s important to line it with absorption puppy pads or other materials that will ensure the area remains as clean and dry as possible, as wet newly born kittens can easily become hypothermic.
2. Whelping Pool by Timberidge Goldendoodles
| Materials: | Plastic kiddie pool, pool noodles, and zip ties |
| Tools: | Drill |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
Do you have a plastic kiddie pool that gets limited use now that the kids have grown up? If so, you can repurpose it as your cat’s whelping pool. This plan is also great for beginners on a time budget since it only requires a few steps.
You’ll want to drill holes into the sides of the kiddie pool at regular intervals. From there, you’ll attach the pool noodles to the inside of the pool by looping zip ties through the holes. Once you’ve secured the zip ties, you’re finished! Just make sure your cat doesn’t try to munch on the pool noodles.
3. Plywood Panel Birthing Box by McEmn
| Materials: | Plywood, varnish, paint, button head socket cap screws, corner braces, and tee nut |
| Tools: | Table saw, screwdriver, wood bits, and drill press |
| Difficulty Level: | Expert |
The plywood panel birthing box requires tools, time, and skills to construct. If you have experience creating objects from wood and using woodworking tools, this project can be a fun challenge.
The plan provides technical, highly detailed instructions for you to follow, but you can rest assured that you won’t get lost in the process. The measurements are specified for dogs, but you can adjust the scale to fit your cat if necessary. Line the wooden floor with puppy pads or other materials that can keep it clean and dry during the birth and afterwards as well.
4. Wooden Cat Birthing Box by Guillory Family
| Materials: | Wooden drawer/crate, blanket, beach towel |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
One of the simplest DIY plans on this list may be the wooden cat birthing box. All you need is a wooden drawer or crate, an old blanket, puppy pads and a beach towel. If you want to, you can construct the box yourself, but that will increase the difficulty of this project.
Once you have your chosen box, you will put in a blanket to provide a comfortable space for your cat. The beach towel can be draped over half of the box to create a tent-like hiding place for your cat’s security.
5. Crate Birthing Box by Hometalk
| Materials: | Crate and paint (optional) |
| Tools: | Screwdriver and paintbrush (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner to moderate |
This project can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. The plan for this crate birthing box suggests that you start with a crate and then remove two slats to create an opening for your cat, but some people may choose to create the box entirely from scratch.
If you decide to paint it, look for a non-toxic paint. Then, you can add a blanket or pillow to make your feline comfortable. In this example, the crate is used for a cat bed. To make it appropriate for a cat birthing box, increase the size of the box and remove the legs so the structure is secure on the ground.
6. Cardboard Birthing Box by Escamilla Fables
| Materials: | Cardboard box |
| Tools: | Scissors, tape, and glue |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
According to countless cat videos on the internet, cats love sitting in cardboard boxes. So, why not take advantage of that and make your pregnant cat a birthing box out of cardboard? With this plan, all you need is the box, scissors, tape, and glue.
Remember to check that the glue is non-toxic before using it. You will use the scissors to cut out an opening for your cat to enter and exit easily. Next, all you will need to do is fold a blanket or towel, and place it inside, with a few absorbent puppy pads.
7. DIY Cat Tent by Instructables
| Materials: | Used t-shirt, cardboard, wire hangers, safety pins, tape |
| Tools: | Scissors and pliers |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Don’t throw out that used t-shirt just yet! There is still a chance to use it for this DIY cat tent plan. It’s a bit of an unusual design, but your cat may take to it more than a standard box. Take the T-shirt and wire to create the dome of the tent. With the cardboard, poke holes into each corner for the wire to fit through. Fold the shirt over the cardboard, and pin it together on the bottom. Place padding inside of the tent, and you’re finished!
How to Provide a Proper Birthing Box for Your Cat
Whether you construct a birthing box for your cat or purchase one online, make sure you are keeping her needs in mind. Ideally, you should have the birthing box ready for her at least one week before the expected birth. This will give her adequate time to acclimate to the area and view it as a safe space. If you feel that you do not have enough time to construct some of the DIY plans on this list, check the less time-consuming options.
Your cat will prefer a quiet, private location to give birth. Therefore, when making her birthing box, ensure that you can place it in a secure and peaceful area in your home. Similarly, this location should not be drafty, as newborn kittens are not able to thermoregulate on their own and are prone to hypothermia. The box should be placed somewhere warm, ideally around 85–97°F.
Final Thoughts
A DIY birthing box doesn’t just save you money, but it also enables you to be more involved in your cat’s pregnancy. Crafting an object that will be used to comfort your cat and provide a safe haven for her kittens can be a sentimental and heartwarming experience. We hope that this article has given you great ideas for how to best provide for your cat and future kittens.
Featured Image Credit: Rashid Valitov, Shutterstock
