A savvy shopper and cat-loving mum has transformed her garden into a safe space for her beloved pet cats using a range of recycled materials and budget-friendly bargains from Aldi.
Clare Bryson, 35, came up with the idea after their family kitten was killed on the road, as she didn't like the idea of her two house cats being 'stuck inside their whole lives'.
Concerned that her two beautiful Ragdoll cats would go missing or get themselves in dangerous situations if she let them roam free Clare decided to look into building a "catio" on the side of her house, to let her beloved moggies enjoy their time outside safely.
READ MORE: Northern rail launches one million 50p train tickets in biggest ever flash sale
The full-time clinical practitioner created the new outdoor space using a range of items from low-cost retailers including B&M, Amazon and Aldi, which has just been named the UK's cheapest supermarket for 2022, with a typical shopping basket costing almost a third less than other retailers.
After a friend helped her build the roof and frame, Clare created a cat-friendly interior using a range of recycled items including an old drinks cabinet from a closed-down pub, old kitchen kickboards and bunk bed slats wrapped in jute rope from Amazon to create scratching posts.
Speaking to the money-saving community LatestDeals, Clare discussed her budget DIY project and explained how she wants to inspire other women to 'have a go' a being creative.
Clare said: "I painted, decorated and created play areas for the cats myself, all for under £100 - just by being creative with leftover materials and recycling items where I could.
‘It was quite dark with the roof on so I decided to go with this and make a ‘midnight’ theme under the stars, painting the roof a beautiful dark navy colour. On the outside, she scattered leftover Christmas fairy lights on the roof to look like stars and bought solar-powered string light bulbs from Aldi for just £10 a box."
The mum-of-two, from Perth in Scotland, said: “I decorated the walls with one of my old cat paintings I did many years ago. Then I added an old mirror I picked up for free, some topiary balls from my garden and I bought some artificial ivy panels from IKEA at £5 each. My friend also had some left-over Astroturf I used for the path, and I bought plum slate chippings for the edges from B&M. I used 2 bags for a total of £8.
"I upcycled the kids’ old drawing table by painting it with the leftover paint. I have previously made YouTube tutorials on jute macrame plant hangers and tie-backs so I used these as decoration/play items."
Speaking about her catio garden project, she said: "It was so successful I’ve since started breeding Ragdolls, and the kittens love the outdoor space too. I would definitely do a project like this again. I’ve since helped my friend make one.
‘I don’t have any specific influences for my DIY work but I do enjoy networking with other female DIYers. I like to inspire females to give DIY a go as so many people I know seem to be afraid of it and rely on their partners rather than do it themselves."
Read Next:
