So out of nowhere we lost my 4 years young tuxedo. Found him lying on his side near his water (he loved to play with the water in the bowl with his paw.) No noises, no abnormal behavior, just all of a sudden gone now.
So, many other plans are altered or on hold now. I guess we don't need to worry about random doors and cabinets being opened anymore which we're among his many skills, but he was also the cuddler, happy to lap-sit to get pet evil henchman style or climb up on you to lay on your chest for a nap.
Tonight I went out and got 58 lf of 1" thick red oak to build his final house with, and 2 yd of satin fabric for the lining. I was going to use cedar like I have in the past, but the quality was poor. It was only about 15% extra to step up to the oak so that's where it's headed. Sounds like a lot of wood, because it sort of is. He was a very long kitty, not fat, just long. Lying down on his side partly curled, not stretched out, he still measures 27" long from nose where the tail starts, and from shoulder to paw came in at 15"... so looks like a 30"x18" project.
I haven't used oak before for a project like this so it may be a bit of a learning experience. I figure pre-drilling and painters tape should help prevent cracking and splintered ends, but I guess any experiences you guys have with oak boards in this capacity would be welcome.
So there we go. Still a good bit of disbelief and an unwanted project... I didn't think I'd be doing this again for at least another decade. And even then not with him, not yet.
So, many other plans are altered or on hold now. I guess we don't need to worry about random doors and cabinets being opened anymore which we're among his many skills, but he was also the cuddler, happy to lap-sit to get pet evil henchman style or climb up on you to lay on your chest for a nap.
Tonight I went out and got 58 lf of 1" thick red oak to build his final house with, and 2 yd of satin fabric for the lining. I was going to use cedar like I have in the past, but the quality was poor. It was only about 15% extra to step up to the oak so that's where it's headed. Sounds like a lot of wood, because it sort of is. He was a very long kitty, not fat, just long. Lying down on his side partly curled, not stretched out, he still measures 27" long from nose where the tail starts, and from shoulder to paw came in at 15"... so looks like a 30"x18" project.
I haven't used oak before for a project like this so it may be a bit of a learning experience. I figure pre-drilling and painters tape should help prevent cracking and splintered ends, but I guess any experiences you guys have with oak boards in this capacity would be welcome.
So there we go. Still a good bit of disbelief and an unwanted project... I didn't think I'd be doing this again for at least another decade. And even then not with him, not yet.
