Cardboard Cathouse 紙箱貓宅

Last year, we started to care for a neighborhood wild cat.  It’s a three-legged Calico that roams our lane - the poor thing must have lost her leg by the fox traps in the mountains.  To provide her with outdoor shelter, we simply put a cardboard box on our porch.

去年我們開始照顧一隻野貓，只有三隻腳，很可憐。我們放一個紙板箱在門口，讓它避寒。

We named her Tripod.  The front left leg is missing.
我們幫它取名叫Tripod。 缺了前左腳。

After reading this book, I decided to build Tripod a house…
看完這本建築101的書，我決定幫Tripod建個窩

…out of a PC-home cardboard box.
用PC-home的貨運紙箱盒。

It's a mansion!  The slipper gives you an idea of the size.  There's even a skylight for light and ventilation.

有天窗，好採光，又通風，是貓豪宅啊！

How did I do this?  Easy.  Tools you will need: scissor, tape, construction knife, pen.  Since this house was made last year, I will use another cardboard to demonstrate.
怎麼作？很簡單。工具：剪刀，膠帶，美工刀，筆。

Step 1: Find a cardboard box big enough to fit your pet (I underestimated the size one time and Tripod had to “back in” like a delivery truck when entering).  Secure the bottom of the box with tape.

找個紙板箱。要夠大哦！箱底用膠帶貼好。

Step 2:  Angle the “roof” and mark the slant.  The space between the two flaps will be the skylight.  Replicate the lines below.
把“屋頂”的角度畫下來。中間的空間是天窗口。

Step 3:  For the DOTTED lines, use a construction knife to make a shallow cut on the surface of the cardboard.  Do not cut all the way through!  For the SOLID, lines use a scissor.
虛線用美工刀，輕微割紙板的表面（不要割深）。實線用剪刀。

Step 4:  Fold the dotted lines.

折虛線

Step 5:  Tape the corners together.

兩個角落貼起來

Step 6:  Stand it upright.  This is the structural support for the roof.

這個建築物是來支撐屋頂

Bird's eye view.

Step 7:  Fold over the flaps and tape it securely to the structural support.
把屋頂折起來，用膠帶貼住

It should look like this.

Step 8:  Use wide tape (e.g. duct tape) to seal the edges of the roof.  Fold the unused portion onto the façade.
用膠帶封閉邊緣 （覺得會”漏水“的地方）

Step 9:  Use a construction knife to cut out a grand entrance.  Your pet is officially a homeowner!
用美工刀割出大門。你的寵物是個屋主了！

Beware though.  Once Tripod moved into her mansion, other male cats (who wouldn’t look at her twice due to her handicap) started to court her.
小心哦。自從Tripod住進豪宅，以前看不上它的男野貓都開始追它。