Inventive YouTuber Builds An Elevator For His Elderly Cat

Nov 19, 2021

For most of us, having a pet can be life-changing. It can feel like having a best friend that lives with you and talks to you every single day, even if it’s not really possible to understand each other’s language. Most pet owners would do anything to make sure that their pet is happy, healthy and safe at all costs. This beautiful sentiment has sparked a few creative ideas from people all over the world, including YouTuber Liam Thompson.

Thompson is from New Zealand and typically uploads videos of himself building new inventions and trying out a variety of different ideas. Someone who is incredibly important to Thompson is his elderly cat by the name of Frodo. The adorable cat is close to 20 years old, but that doesn’t stop him from making his way down the steps toward the backyard pool to lay in his favorite spot in the sun.

This inspired Thompson to go above and beyond to make Frodo’s journey throughout the backyard as easy as possible. In an effort to help the elderly cat not have to move as much or strain his body, the YouTuber decided to build an elevator for him, making sure that he wouldn’t have to use the stairs any longer.

Using plenty of his creativity as well as several construction pieces, Thompson went to work creating the perfect elevator that would be safe and functional for his elderly cat. On Nov. 4, 2021, he uploaded the results of his inventive project, sharing his hand-crafted elevator with the world.

On YouTube, Thompson is known for creating plenty of self-made inventions, including a robot butler and a cardboard submarine. According to his bio, he describes his fun job as doing “stupid stuff on camera.” While Thompson thoroughly seems to enjoy what he does, it’s evident that people from all over the world have grown to love the man’s wacky videos and his genius inventions, including one from November 2021 when Thompson built an elevator for his aging cat.

Thompson’s cat named Frodo is almost 20 years old, making him a senior in cat years. Despite his age, Frodo loves to walk down the stairs to Thompson’s backyard and sit in his favorite spot by the swimming pool. Realizing just how determined his cat has continued to be to rest in the spot in the sun, Thompson decided to do something to help his aging body not have to move so much.

In a video uploaded on Nov. 4, 2021, Thompson showed viewers exactly how he hand-crafted an elevator for his cat that was going to be installed on the same set of stairs that Frodo walks down every day in order to get to his spot in the sun.

Thompson began his project by designing the track that would hold the riding elevator. He used a few thin pieces of wood and attached them to sliding door rails, successfully putting the track together. Next, Thompson constructed the cart that would hold Frodo. Lastly, the YouTuber put the pieces together and assembled an electric hoist to help the elevator move up and down. 

For the test run, Thompson put a stuffed animal on the makeshift elevator system and tested his creation, with the stuffed animal instantly flying off. After tweaking the speed and adding some support on the cart, he managed to create something safe and stable for his cat.

Thompson added some final touches, making sure everything was working properly and was aesthetically pleasing. Finally, it was time for Frodo to try out his new elevator. The elevator was a huge success, despite Frodo looking incredibly sleepy. After taking the elevator down, the happy cat quickly went over to sit in his favorite spot. When he was done lounging, Frodo took his new elevator back up to Thompson’s house, with Thompson supervising him the entire time.

The video has since gone on to be viewed more than 2.2 million times as people have continued to marvel at the creative and innovative way Thompson helped out his furry friend. It’s clear that Frodo wasn’t the only fan of the elevator as several people left positive reactions in the YouTube video’s comment section.

One person commented, “The funniest thing about this is that this 20-something-year-old cat actually understands how it works! He just lies there until he reaches where he wants to go.” Another person said, “Frodo is one lucky cat. He literally had the most attentive servant who anticipates his every whim.” A third person wrote, “I almost cried seeing this, you’re a wonderful pet owner for even considering this, let alone implementing it. I hope he has many easy days of happy life with you!” 

What do you think about this YouTuber’s self-made elevator for his cat? Were you surprised by how it turned out? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to any pet owner you know!