Check Out Joe’s Homemade Cat Ramp

I’m excited to share that we’re not the only ones with a homemade ramp!

Joe’s Mac

A few months ago Joe adopted Mac, a CH kitten with mild symptoms. When Joe learned about Mac’s CH, he decided to build a few DIY ramps so Mac would have an easier time navigating his home.

A few days later, Joe posted photos of the ramp on Facebook. The best part about this ramp? Joe says the materials cost less than $20, and it took only about an hour and a half to build.

I really appreciate the craftsmanship in his ramp: notice the side wall, how the bottom is carpeted, even the top corner is walled off so Mac is extra safe and secure.

Although Joe considers Mac’s CH to be mild, it was after carefully watching Mac to see what he could and couldn’t do on his own when he had this brainstorm.

According to Joe, “[Mac] has a noticeable head bobble when he really concentrates on something or is getting ready to pounce. He raises his back legs when he walks and stumbles when he darts across the room.

“The reason why I made the ramp was because he loves to be up with his brother, Jack (no relation, just his house brother). Every attempt he made to jump up was sometimes met with an unbalanced fall which resulted in him appearing depressed. So, I measured the height of our wood bed frame, and that was the beginning of the idea: a ramp.”

In addition to the instructions below, Joe also has a PDF available with the detailed instructions. He said there are also alternative mounting ideas if you don’t have a wooden bed frame or prefer not to drill into your frame at home.

Joe’s Homemade Cat Ramp:

A 5-inch 12v circular saw
A 12v drill
14 1″ screws
9 3″ screws
A 12″x6′ strip of remnant
A 8″ wide by 7′ long strip of 1/4″ paperboard or fiberboard (something with no splinters)
Some staples
A door hinge
1 10″x6′ board
A 18″ piece of 2×4
And a piece of scrap 1″ thick wood to make a small corner support.

I took the 10″ board and measured a foot from one end, marked it across, then cut it. Now I had a 5′ and 1′ board.

I cut the 2×4 so I had a 12″ and a 6″ piece.

I attached the 8″ 2×4 to the 1′ platform on one edge and secured it with 2 of the 3″ screws.

I attached the other piece of 2×4 the same way on the longer board. I would use these two pieces to attach the boards to the wood bed frame.

I did a dry-fit of the parts on the floor so I could get the angle I would need to cut the sheetboard so I would have a seamless wall transition from ramp to platform.

I then cut the angle and attached the boards to the side of the ramp using the 1″ screws. I also attached the sides to the platform in the same manner.

After that, I attached the piano hinge to the underside of the boards.

After that, I mounted a small triangle piece to the two wall sections of the platform to give it more stability.

Added carpet with staples to secure it and attached it to the bed with the 3″ screws.

Now as many of us have learned, you can build a ramp, but will your cat use it?

“I used toys to get him to learn how to walk up and down the ramp but he was sitting on the platform the entire time wondering what I was doing so I knew he was interested to begin with,” said Joe.

Have you built a homemade ramp for your CH cat? What other ways have you come up with to help your CH cat around your home? Please share!