Peter’s Folly – Phase II

I’ve arrived at the mid-point, I guess.  Basic construction is complete, but many of the finer details I will address this winter.  This construction is a cat staircase, nothing more nor less.

The design of the spiral staircase blends well with the raised garden cabinets used for vines in my backyard area.  There are three stair step levels, and then three landings – two for the cat and the highest one is my bedroom/breakfast balcony floor.

That first jump is over 2-1/2 feet and the next almost two feet as well.  Big jumps, even for a cat, but I can always add a small platform.  These platforms are made of soft redwood fencing boards.  Their texture is rough and uneven, perfect for cat-scratching and clawing; also good for helping the climb up the staircase.  There is a flower bed planter box along side the stairs, with a trellis going up one side.

For the cat, step two provides a view of the narrow passage between my house and my neighbor’s.  There’s the cover of the trellis vine to watch the bird feeders along the fence line.

Or, saying goodbye to the neighbor’s house, the cat can jump to level three, which affords the initial view of y backyard.  This is a nice resting spot after having done three big jumps.  A backward reflection on what a climb we have made is shown next, looking down, which people say we should never do.  Nonetheless, it provides perspective.

The steps are necessary in their own right.  It’s not just to get to the landing decks for wonderful cat views of the world.  I’ve always hated cat doors (others come in unwanted).  An I won’t put up with lengthy, midnight arguments about nocturnal freedom.  So, my solution is the deck off my bedroom, which has French doors that I leave open 99% of the time. 

If the raccoons can make it to my bedroom deck, then cats can do so as well.  But I’ve made it easier for them with the stairs, and a lot more pleasant with the two special lounging cat decks/landings.  You can see on the left that the Sun Deck will be a bright and spacious area for enjoying the backyard vista.

Of course, the best view is from the Observation Deck, one more landing up.  It isn’t as roomy as the Sun Deck, which also has rain protection.  Even though cramped, I already know that Peppermint Pattie, the cat in question, loves the views from each of my highest windows: back yard, side yard, and front. 

She is currently awaiting a surgery (of a private nature), and when the healing from that is done [Halloween ?], we will have a grand opening.

2-legged friends are restricted to the very top deck, which is my bedroom balcony.

This construction work has been labelled, “Peter’s Folly”.  Not just because it’s for a 6-month old kitten, but also because the whims of all cats are capricious.  It may never be used, but that is the prime characteristic of “Folly’s”.  The second reason for the “Folly” nomenclature is that while photographing the “contraption” from my normal deck, I was loathe to notice that that there was only a two-foot difference in height between the two decks, across a span of a dozen feet.  I could have laid a 1” X 12” twelve-foot board across the span, which would have allowed the cat to quite happily use the back porch steps and then cross the gulch on the pine board bridge, suitably outfitted with guard rails.