Crochet Cat Cave Free Pattern
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This ADORABLE crochet cat cave is sure to be the hot spot for all the COOL CATS to hang out this year. If your kitties like to perch and stare out the window, or curl up in a cozy space, they’ll love you for making them a cozy cat cave from this free crochet pattern. Grab your supplies and let’s make one!
Cat Cave Crochet Pattern
Do you love cats? I don’t have any cats myself (due to allergies) but I do know that cats love to find small spaces to squeeze themselves into. My friend Sarah has two beautiful kitties named Pearl and Bowie. For this month’s installment of the 2024 Pet Crochet Series I got to hang out with these gorgeous cuties for a bit. 😍
You’ll notice that Pearl (left) is much larger than Bowie (right)… I do think that Pearl could fit in the cave if she approached it on her own and curled up inside but it is definitely more comfortable for Bowie. Here’s Bowie inside with room to spare:
Speaking of size… This boho-chic cat cave is 12″ across, or about 38″ in circumference. We use the largest of the wooden “bag bottoms” we can find online. To help keep the shape of the cave we are using the same size steel ring up top and a sheet of plastic canvas to keep the sides from collapsing. See specifics on materials in the pattern below.
This is the 5th installment of the 2024 Pet Crochet Series of patterns. Originally I intended for all of the 12 designs published throughout the year to be geared toward dogs only. But the truth is, now that we’re a few months in I’ll be able to incorporate more cat items than I thought!
See all of the 2024 Pet Crochet Series patterns here.
How adorable is this?! I need one in human size for a reading nook. 😂
I added beaded “curtains” to the sides and I love how they add just the perfect amount of chic & boho vibe. Bowie loved playing with the beads too!
Enough with the cuteness… let’s get to making one!
Grab the ad-free, printable version of this pattern on Ravelry, Etsy, or right here in the Heart Hook Home Blog Shop. Thank you!
Materials:
100% Cotton Worsted Weight Yarn
-approx one Dishie Cone (760 yds)
Crochet hook in size 3.5mm
(1) 12” Wooden Bag Bottom with holes
*I ordered this multi-pack. I figured I’d use the smaller ones for other projects, maybe using homemade t-shirt yarn!
(1) 12” Steel Ring
*I bought a single ring from Hobby Lobby in-store for speed and ease, but there are multi-packs available online
(1) 22” x 13” Plastic Canvas Sheet cut to 22” x 10”
*again, I bought a single sheet from Hobby Lobby in-store for speed and ease, but there are multi-packs available online
Wooden beads for curtains (optional)
Gauge: not super important
Pattern Notes:
Pattern written using US terms.
Note that yardage is difficult to determine and varies due to fringe, no fringe, height of cave etc. Buy extra yarn or make a scrap cave from cotton remnants to ensure you have enough.
Dtr = Double Treble = YO 3x, insert hook and pull up a loop (5 loops on hook), [YO, pull through 2 loops]4x
Dtr2tog = Double Treble two together = Complete all but the last YO pull through 2 loops of TWO Dtr stitches (3 loops remaining on hook), YO pull through 3 loops to finish the decrease.
Magic Circle alternative = ch-4, join to first ch to form a circle.
If you need help reading a crochet pattern, make sure you head over here and check out this detailed post.
Cat Cave Top:
Round 1: Magic Circle, ch-5 (counts as Dtr), 19 Dtr in circle. Join to top of first st. (20)
Round 2: Ch-8 (counts as Dtr + ch sp), (Dtr, ch-3) in each st around. (20 ch sps)
Round 3: Sl st to next ch-sp, ch-5, Dtr in same ch-sp (counts as Dtr2tog), ch-6, * Dtr2tog around next ch-sp, ch-6 * repeat between * * around. Join to top of first st.
Round 4: Sl st up to the center of next ch-sp, ch-1, sc around same ch-sp, * ch-8, sc around next ch-sp * repeat between * * until one sp remains, ch-4, Dtr in first st.
Round 5: Ch-1, sc around st/ch-sp just made, ch-9, sc in next ch-sp, ch-9 * repeat between * * around. Join to first st.
Attaching to Steel Ring:
Ch-1, * 10sc around ring, sc encompassing the ring and next ch-sp * repeat between * * around. Join to top of first st. Fasten off and weave in all ends. (200) Set aside.
Cat Bed Bottom:
Prepare the wooden cave bottom by attaching in any hole with sl st. Ch-1, 3sc in each opening around, 2sc in last opening. Join to top of first st. (200) *the floor of the cave as pictured has 67 holes around…
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Weave in all ends and set aside.
Cat Cave Sides:
Row 1: Ch-142, dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each to end. (140)
Rows 2 – 20: Ch-2, turn, dc in each st to end. (140)
Do not fasten off.
Attaching Sides to Plastic Canvas…
Cut the plastic canvas to size. Leave the full length of 22″ (or so) but trim the height to 10″. Discard the scraps. Count the number of squares along the long edge of the plastic canvas (mine had 112 squares) and center that with the 140 sts of the “cat cave sides”.
For mine I needed 14 sts to the left, 112 sts for the plastic canvas, and 14 sts for the right = 140 stitches total. You may find it easiest to pin that corner of the plastic canvas to the corresponding crochet stitch.
To attach: Ch-1, turn, sc in each crochet st to plastic canvas start, sc in each st AND square across (see photo below), sc in remaining sts to end.
Line up with the sts on the “cat cave top” and, looking down, sc through both thicknesses around. Fasten off using Invisible Join and weave in all ends.
Attach yarn at opposite corner (where the “bottom” will attach) and repeat for the other long edge. Do not fasten off.
Line up the sts on the bottom with the sides of the cave and, looking down, sc through both thicknesses around as you did the top. Do not fasten off. Continue to “cave opening”.
Cave Opening:
Where still attached, crochet FOUR rounds of Half Double Crochet around the opening of the cave by evenly placing hdcs up the row ends to the top (I used 34 per side), across the top, down the other side’s row ends, and across the bottom to where you started. In each corner of each round use decreases (hdc5tog) straddling the corner sts to make the opening smaller and smaller.
If the opening starts to ripple or gets wavy, add more decreases throughout. Continue adding rounds if you would like the opening to be smaller. When finished, fasten off and weave in all ends.
Curtain Fringe:
Cut strands of yarn about 2 yds (72” or 183 cm) long. Fold in half and join to any open st across the top of the cave. From this you’ll make two strands of fringe like so:
Make the chains in varying lengths. Some I did 30 chains, some 32, 34, 36, 38, or even 40 chains.
Add a wooden bead to the end using a smaller crochet hook if necessary. See this post on How to Crochet With Beads (including video) for more detailed instructions. Ch-2 and pull tight to secure. Clip yarn. Tie back the “curtains” and you are done!
I hope your kitties love their new caves, and that you’ll share a photo of them enjoying it with me! Please tag @HeartHookHome across all social media, or share in the Heart Hook Home Crochet Community on Facebook so we can all see the cuteness!
Come back the second Friday of each month for the NEW pattern in the 2024 Dog (PET) Crochet Series. This has been so much fun so far!
More free pet crochet patterns:
Giant Dog Sweater Free Crochet Pattern
18 Awesome Free Crochet Patterns for Pets
Tiny Berry Dog Sweater: Free Crochet Pattern for TINY Dogs
