When it comes to taking care of their furballs, there is literally nothing cat parents wouldn’t do to make them happy and make their life easier.
Be it installing cat shelves, building cat trees, or getting scratch posts. Let’s not even get into all those toys, advanced litter boxes, cat beds, or fancy water fountains. Proud cat owners will go above and beyond for their furry friends.
I can tell you from my own experience. Each time I see some cat-related thing online or in the pet shop, I simply HAVE to buy it for my three fluffballs.
It doesn’t matter that I have a very similar thing back home and that they literally do not need another stuffed mouse toy. If I like it, and if it makes me think of them, they’re getting it!
I would, without a single ounce of doubt, go to extreme lengths to make my fluffs happy.
That said, I’m definitely not as extreme and nearly not as crafty as Liam Thompson, a YouTuber from Auckland, New Zealand, who showed the greatest act of kindness and consideration for his senior cat Frodo.
As his YouTube bio says, Liam is someone who “does stupid stuff on camera.” Well, I would never agree that the thing he did for Frodo is stupid. In fact, it is super considerate and admirable. And it undoubtedly deserved all the global attention it got.
For his 20-year-old cat, Liam has built an outdoor elevator with which he can be safely transported up and down the outside stairs.
We all know that senior cats usually have certain problems with stairs and climbing in general. Their legs don’t work as well as when they were younger, and they often need a little help from their beloved owners to do pretty much basic things.
Liam came up with this idea one day, quite by accident. He watched his senior cat, Frodo, lying outside and sunbathing by the pool in the backyard, and thought how that must be his favorite pastime activity.
And then it all clicked for him. This activity. Frodo’s years. The inaccessibility of his favorite place. The challenging flight of stairs. Everything!
This encouraged him to put all his knowledge and skills to use and build his dear Frodo his very own elevator.
Liam is generally quite the crafty guy. His YouTube channel is, among other things, based on his interesting DIY projects – he’s built a rollercoaster in his yard, a robot butler, a 150-ft. waterslide on a sand dune, and much more.
He also has a Labradoodle dog, Max, whom he recorded teaching many things, like how to write his name, get his own food, and play Minecraft and piano. Yes, yes, you read that right. All of these things he successfully taught his dog how to do.
So, for an expert like him, building a cat-friendly elevator was a walk in the park.
He started off by gathering all of his supplies – several pieces of plywood, sliding door rails, and an electric hoist – and he built the elevator on the principles of his backyard rollercoaster. Of course, the speed of the elevator was significantly slower!
He tested his elevator a couple of times with a stuffed animal, and when he was sure it was safe, he brought Frodo to try it out himself.
He asked Frodo if he was ready to “go downstairs without moving a muscle,” adding that he hoped he was because it took him four days to make it.
And of course, as many of you have probably guessed it – Frodo loved his elevator!
His senior kitty, whose years meant he stepped into, as Liam jokingly said, “Dumbledore/Gandalf territory” was having the time of his life as he didn’t have to worry about stairs anymore. What a relief!
This video Liam made has over 4 million views now, and his channel has over 2 million subscribers. It is pretty evident by these numbers that Frodo’s elevator took the world by storm.
In the description of the video, Liam wrote, “I LIKE SPOILING MY CAT SUE ME.” Oh, we won’t, Liam, don’t you worry. We love to see every feline in this world being spoiled, and we truly believe that is how the world should be.
Unfortunately, we do have some sad news. Frodo did not get to enjoy his elevator for too long. He sadly passed away on February 26, 2022, leaving a hole in Liam’s heart, and the hearts of many devoted fans and subscribers.
However, thanks to his amazing owner and cat dad Liam, Frodo got a chance to live an amazing feline life filled with lots of cuddles, treats, fascinating toys and innovations, and most importantly – love.
For Frodo, this journey on earth was one heck of a ride – and I mean overall, not just in his fancy custom elevator.
We do encourage you to go and check Liam’s other videos featuring both Frodo and Max. He is truly an incredible content creator who deserves all the support he can get. Who knows, maybe you’ll find an idea or two and be inspired to make something for your pet, too.
We also encourage you to spoil your kitties every once in a while. This life is flimsy and short, and you never know when the last time you’re seeing someone will be.
It is better to live not regretting any missed chances to do something for our loved ones – both human and feline – than it is to forever be sorry about not caring for our fluffs just a little bit more.