By OpalCat

tags: animals, cats, crafts, instructions

This ramp is suitable for small pets who need help getting onto surfaces such as a couch or a bed. The ramp folds flat for storage.

For a 4-foot ramp you will need:
1 8-foot long 1”x12” board
1 8-foot long 1”x2” board*
10 wood screws
2 3” hinges with screws (no longer than 3/4” screws)
1 strip of carpet 12” wide and 5’ long*
staple gun and staples

*adjust these lengths for ramps longer than 4 feet.

Cut a 1”x12” board to the length you want your ramp. For a typical couch this will probably be around 4 feet. The length is determined by the height you need and how steep an angle you want the ramp to be.

Cut another length of the board for the support.

To determine the length of the support, place the ramp against the surface you want it to reach. Measure the distance to the floor perpendicular to a point on the ramp roughly 1/4 of the distance down the board from the top.

Screw a 1”x2” to each edge of your ramp, so that the top edge has a lip but the underside is flat. These should each be the same length as the ramp itself.

Attach the support to the underside of the ramp with two hinges as shown in the diagram. The support should fold flat in the direction of the bottom of the ramp, and should be stable perpendicular to the ramp when fully opened.

It is important when attaching the hinges to make sure the end of the support is touching the ramp, otherwise there will be too much stress on the hinges.

Using a staple gun, attach a 12” wide strip of carpet to the ramp, folding it over on each end and stapling it to the underside as well.

Be sure to test the ramp for sturdiness before allowing your pet to use it unsupervised. Always be sure the support is fully extended when ramp is in use. If the support is not fully extended, the ramp may collapse.

Download these instructions as a pdf file:
pet_ramp_plans.pdf

You can see my ramp in the background in this photo. (I will try to get a better picture on here soon.)

— 02:25:49 PM
[110165]