When your cat is pregnant, she has many needs that you must attend to guarantee a safe and healthy birth. One of their needs is a birthing box. Providing your cat with a quiet, warm space to birth 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 are 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 cat birthing box.
In this article, we will look at eight DIY cat-birthing boxes you can make for your cat. Keep in mind that some of these plans take longer than others to complete.
The 8 DIY Cat Birthing Boxes
1. DIY Cat Birthing Box by Cat Breeder Sensei
| Materials: | IKEA Kallax shelving unit, 12” piano hinges, 5’ plywood, 2 yards of vinyl, thick foam sheet, cotton batting, your choice of paint (optional) |
| Tools: | Handsaw or table saw, screw gun, marking tool, ruler, paintbrush (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate to expert |
If you’re a fan of IKEA’s furniture store, the DIY Cat Birthing Box may give you an excuse to visit. This project requires an Ikea Kallax shelving unit, which is a central part of the rest of the design. While you could replace this shelving unit with a different model, it would require significant adjustments to the plan.
You start by taking the IKEA shelving unit and removing two of the crossing panels to create an open space for your cat. You can end the project there if you like, filling the box with blankets or towels to provide a safe nest for your cat. However, this plan is designed with a dual function, and the birthing box can be transformed into a comfortable seating area. If you choose to paint the box a different color, use a non-toxic paint.
2. Disposable Whelping Box by All Things Dogs
| Materials: | Cardboard |
| Tools: | Scissors and glue |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
For a birthing box that can be easily disposed of after the kittens are born, check out this disposable whelping box plan. This DIY project is simple enough to be constructed with items around the house, such as cardboard, scissors, and glue. However, check your glue to ensure 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.
3. 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 hotels 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 that your cat doesn’t try to munch on the pool noodles.
4. 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 more 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.
This 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.
5. 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, 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 fill it with 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.
6. 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 the 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 that the structure is secure on the ground.
7. 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. Why not take advantage of that and make her birthing box out of cardboard? With the cardboard birthing box plan, all you will 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.
8. 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. Take the shirt and wire to create the dome of the tent. With the cardboard, you’ll 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 before she enters her final trimester. 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, look through the less time-consuming options.
Your cat will prefer a quiet, private location to give birth. Therefore, when making her birthing box, ensure you can place it in a secure and peaceful area in your home. Similarly, this location should not be drafty, as newborn kittens are susceptible to temperature changes. The box should be placed somewhere warm, ideally around 85–90°F.
Final Thoughts
Using a DIY birthing box doesn’t just save you money, but it also allows 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 this article has given you some great ideas for how to best provide for your cat and future kittens.
Featured Image Credit: Rashid Valitov, Shutterstock
