How to make an outdoor tunnel for my cat?

[321boo]

Hi, 

I'm trying to an L shape cave/tunnel outdoros for my cat. Hoping to make it out of material that is not transparent as its part of a large project. Just not sure what materials to use. Was thinking wood? Somethign like MDF pannels, but I don't think MDF is any good outdoors. Any ideas? Thank you!

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @321boo 

I hope your darling cats  enjoy there  out door space.  I have almost made my cat  yard space  escape proof just waiting for kitties to outwit me yet again with some new acrobatic escape  route.Sorry back to your  life helping you cats.

So Pretty much Ply wood sounds like a universal go to for your needs in a range of sizes thicknesses  and qualities from form ply to  top grade marine ply. Sound like you will need at least 10mm ply as a minimum for some thing a little  robust.

you can use  any one  you wish cut the pieces to suit your runs but I highly recommend undercoating and acrylic painting the individual ply pieces individualy if possible to  preserve the timber from rain etc more fully

If you wish to add a photo of you  project area  we  can advise more precise options.

[Akanksha]

Sounds like an interesting project, @321boo.

I agree with @Jewelleryrescue that it would be great if you could provide photos of the area where you wish to build the tunnel along with any other details that you think might be helpful. This will help our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL and other members get a better idea of what you're trying to achieve. 

Have you had a look at the Top 10 most popular pets projects shared on Workshop? It contains inspiring projects like this Indoor to outdoor cat tower by @Shannon that might spark some creative ideas. 

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're delighted to have you join us. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you need a hand getting the most out of the site.

Akanksha

[EricL]

Hello @321boo 

Thanks for sharing your question about building a tunnel for your cat. I suggest having a look at this discussion - Catio and catwalk - My first major DIY by @Kenzi. It's a good example of how the tunnel can be built using plywood and wire mesh supported by angle brackets. But if you want it to be totally sealed then you can create it all out of plywood.

The plywood can be joined together using screws and liquid nails. Painting the outside of the plywood will be a plus at it will protect it from the weather. Would it be possible for you to post a picture of the area where you'll be installing the tunnel? This will give our members a chance to assess the area. We can then make more recommendations on how the tunnel could be built.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric