When I was a kid, the list of VHS tapes I’d worn out included Joe Dante’s Explorers, The Last Starfighter, The Last Dragon (the deliciously cheesy 80s kung fu classic set in Harlem, not the Bruce Lee film), Ridley Scott’s Legend, The Neverending Story, and maybe the first truly great comic book movie, 1989’s Tim Burton-directed Batman starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger.
And, of course, there was Ghostbusters.
As a kid it was adventurous, fun and even a bit spooky. As an adult it evokes a rush of warm nostalgia and joyful recognition that the actors – Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray and Signourney Weaver — had a hell of a lot of fun making the film.
To this day when I see a stack of books I have to restrain myself from exclaiming “Symmetrical book stacking! Just like the Philadelphia Mass Turbulence of 1947!” like Aykroyd hot on the trail of a haunting at the New York Public Library. When someone tries to convey an object of massive scale, I find myself echoing Hudson’s Winston: “That’s a big Twinkie.” When someone questions my expertise in an area, especially one I know nothing about, I slip into Murray’s New Yorkese: “Back off, man, I’m a scientist.”
That’s why Buddy I was so excited to see this cat condo build that’s designed to look like Ghostbusters HQ from the 1984 classic. Buddy I would love to have one of these things. Instagrammer Shawn Waite explained in a post that he was just kidding around when he proposed the idea, and his family pushed him to go for it:
“We got a new kitten (her name is Stria) a couple of months prior, and we were adding some cat furniture to our home for her. We thought that she may enjoy having something in our home office, which is where I have my vintage toy collection, so I joked that we should build a cat condo that looks like the Ghostbusters Firehouse play set so that it would fit with the theme of the office. My wife loved the idea, and our twin daughters (age 9) were excited for Stria to have a condo.”
Waite not only managed to retain the three-story interior layout with a scratching post cleverly taking the place of the fire pole, he tweaked the logo so there’s a dog in place of a ghost, just in case any jealous pooches get ideas about lounging in Stria’s sweet condo.
I’ve always wanted to learn to build stuff, especially after seeing examples like Waite’s build or the amazing Hobbit house litter box one cat servant made for his feline, Frodo.
But hey, if I’m gonna go all out and build a spectacular lounging spot or bathroom for the Budster and mine 80s/90s childhood obsessions for ideas, wouldn’t the Thundercats HQ — known simply as the Cat’s Lair — be more appropriate?
Pain In The Bud 
Buddy, The Cat’s Lair is a spectacular building. I suggest that you start with something more modest to develop your DIY skills, and move up to more complicated designs as you progress.
You can go on Wikihow for lessons or subscribe to the Handyman’s magazine site.
And I want to know how Frodo’s human servant gets that place open to scoop the poop.
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It looks like the front facade swivels open. There’s a gap between the facade and the “grass” beneath it, so it could be on hinges:
https://www.boredpanda.com/hobbit-cat-litter-box-sauron-scratch-tower-superfan-builds/
Is it practical to build stuff like this in an apartment? That’s my main challenge, aside from having no experience. A while back I had sketched up a plan to create a miniature throne for Bud, with armrests that looked like gilded lion heads, red padding, etc. It would be awesome to build something like that.
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Yes, it is possible. I have built things in a number of different apartments.
It’s easier if you have a couple of bedrooms, but given the rent in NYC, something tells me that you don’t. Also, having more storage is better than less, but you’ll have to be creative in this department anyway.
You should have at least one screwdriver (and you can certainly fortify yourself with the liquid one as well), a hammer, a drill and drill bits, a measuring tape, a spirit level (you do want to hang pictures) and at least one pair of pliers. I don’t know about your landlord, but my experience has been that it’s more conducive to my comfort to do my own repairs rather than wait for months for the landlord to ignore them. These tools are what you’ll need for your own apartment upkeep.
In order to build something, you’ll also need a jigsaw and possibly a circular saw. At least, I use both. You’ll need clamps. And if you can afford it, get a Dremel. (I once cut the wood base for a valance on my kitchen table with a Dremel.) Buy a canvas drop cloth to contain the sawdust and wood chips you will create. Store all of this stuff in a closet. (I had a cardboard box for the tools, which I put on the floor of the linen closet and slid it in and out as needed. I had another box for paints and painting supplies.)
Then, of course, you will need wood.
And don’t forget that library card! Go to your local library and look at the books on DIY projects for your home. They will have plans for some things you might want to try, or at least they will inspire you to draw a plan for something you have in mind. They also provide cutting lists, which you will need to figure out how much wood you need and how to cut the pieces out most efficiently. You can store the wood flat under your bed or prop it up behind the headboard: anything to make it as flat and compact as possible. (You may want to invest in a wet/dry shop vac to pick up the sawdust.)
All of this can be done in an apartment.
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Thanks for this, Susan. The Dremel looks interesting if it’s the type of thing you can do detail work with. I envisioned making a frame and attaching parts I found on sites like eBay and Etsy: the lion heads for the armrests (or paw rests I suppose), the circular lion seal for the back, the pads, etc. Then I’d paint the details gold, contrasting with the wood and the red of the padding.
The biggest problem with tools like jigsaws is noise. We have assholes who pull into the garages with their stereos so loud that their subwoofers rattle the windows of the apartments above, but somehow the few times I’ve tried to do small projects, the building staff is up my ass within minutes.
I can design and sketch the thing, then maybe enlist the help of a friend for the cutting.
Thanks again for the great info.
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Yes, the Dremel does do detail work. It comes with a bunch of attachments, especially if you get the Dremel Pro. It sounds like just what you need.
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P.S. I subscribe to Popular Woodworking and Family Handyman for lessons and ideas.
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The miniature throne for Buddy is exactly the sort of thing that is a great beginning project! Look at how the DIY books draw up plans, so you can go from your sketch to a formal plan. (You may want to get some graph paper if you don’t have any now.)
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Holly just got a new stand, it’s short and not even a full kitty condo (her old one was worn out) I wanted to get her the kitty condo that looks like a Princess castle. It has a tower and is pink and everything! PLUS it’s made out of carpet and sisal rope, like a normal kitty condo! It’s amazing! There might be a less feminine version, I’m not sure. I think His Majesty Buddy would like it, but maybe not as much as the Ghostbusters one Dad likes. 😆
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I googled the princess castle cat condo to see what it looks like (pretty sweet!) and found a site offering castle condos for $1,5000…and those are the “cheap” ones! One of them is $5,000. They’re hand built but they’re not so different from mass produced cat condos, or so incredible that you’d think they’re worth $5k. Sheesh.
I’m sure Holly’s is much nicer and didn’t set you back an eye watering amount.
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