Raised bed with a difference

Why a raised bed with a difference?

Because this raised bed is not for growing vegetables.

Oh no!!  But, with that said, this has just as important a purpose, but is for indoors.

You see, I have noticed that the latest addition to our family loves - just loves - climbing on anything and  everything in order to take a nap.  By anything I mean things like on top of the patio table, a pile of mulch, patio chairs - anything.

Now, we made her a comfy bed oh the floor for nighttime snoozes, but, as I mentioned in an earlier posting, the bed isn't good enough.  Our couches are the preferred beds...

I have nothing against animals - especially dogs - but I do object to doggy smell on my furniture.  And I object especially after said dog has had a roll in a pile of alpaca poo...

'Nuff said.

So, we covered the couches in shower curtains.

Nope - that didn't deter her either.  Stellar merely plonked herself on top of the shower curtain.

That is when the "raised bed" connection finally sank into my brain.

Stellar on her blankets on the floor, with her old pair
 of jeans bolsterer to snuggle up to

It didn't matter how comfy we made her bed on the floor, Stellar wanted to sleep with a view.

So I googled raised dog beds.

And found these:

https://www.takealot.com/coolaroo-elevated-dog-bed-extra-large/PLID40940288?gclid=CjwKEAjwvMnJBRCO2NSu-Puc6AUSJAAf-OSUTqku3PZBNehqW5y_nw_lNYukaJs5CXqXord9_EcMchoCJkDw_wcB @ R1 055.00

https://www.takealot.com/s-cape-elevated-dog-bed-with-vents-dog-bed-extra-large-blue/PLID42535441?gclid=CjwKEAjwvMnJBRCO2NSu-Puc6AUSJAAf-OSU-C4qWFQu00evDm7kRxsyB03QiFqLiuJ2MI0q2QIURxoCDMHw_wcB @ R899.00

Gulp.

R900 - R1100.00  ($70 - 86 or €62 - 76 or £54 - 66.00)  That's bloody insane!!

But I really would like to give her some protection from the cold floor and the floor level draughts - if, and when, winter finally hits...  😕  I don't feel bad in summer - the cool floor is just what is needed for those hot, summer nights.  But, winter - that's something totally different.

Especially if she's unwell.

Last Monday we noticed that she was not her usual bouncy self - just lethargically lying round, and not eating much.  She didn't even try to pinch the stray black cat's food - the stray (whom we've called Blackie - original I know) has adopted us, and, even though we have de-wormed it, and given it flea and tick prevention, we are trying to keep it outside, as opposed to Squeak who is an inside cat.

A trip to the vet revealed that Stellar had early stages of tick bite fever - biliary.  How is this possible - she was still protected by her Bravecto tablet, and at the end of the previous week we had fitted her with a Seretso collar...???

Thankfully, catching it early meant that the injection worked fairly quickly and by this last Friday morning she was back to her mischievous, energetic, bouncy self.

So, w.r.t the raised bed it was thinking cap time.

And I came up with this... 

An upside down view of the raised bed that RMan and I threw
 together.  We joined the Coolaroo clips with ski rope so that
 if we have to re-tension them in future it'll be a breeze.
 Also, criss-crossing the ski rope  below the shadecloth creates
 an additional support too.

Using left over shadecloth and Coolaroo butterfly clips from our patio awning, some ski rope from the garage...

The sum total spent on purchasing components
 to make Stellar's raised bed

... and the parts we purchased from the Co-Op, all it ended up costing us was the enormous sum of R270.88  ($21.16 or €18.75 or £16.41)  What a win  😁

Can Stellar get much comfier...?

This will also get her off the cold floor and away from draughts.

Best of all...?

There is space for her to grow into as well... 😊

Stellar l-o-v-e-s it 😂  And has made absolutely no attempt to get on the couches since receiving her raised bed 😂