OEM & ODM Wooden Pet Furniture Production
Send drawings, CAD files, a reference photograph or a physical sample. You get back manufacturability feedback and a costed quotation within 24 hours (48-72 h if a new drawing review is needed), then a sample in 15-20 days for a new design or 7-10 days for a modified existing one. Production starts at 100 pcs per design, and wooden parts carry no mould cost.
That last point is the structural advantage of wood over plastic for a small brand: a new original design can be tried at 100 pieces without amortising a five-figure tool.
Which one do you need?
All three carry the same MOQ, and because wood needs no mould the development cost is the sample either way. So the tree above is not about budget — it is about who owns the result and how fast you reach a container.
If your design is finished and you own it, that is OEM. If you want to reach a container quickly and are willing to start from a design we already tooled, that is ODM — it is roughly two weeks faster to sample and carries no development risk. Most first orders should be ODM; move to OEM once the category is proven and you want something the market cannot buy elsewhere.
| OEM | ODM | |
|---|---|---|
| You supply | Your drawings, CAD files or a physical reference sample | Selection from existing in-house designs, then modified |
| We supply | Engineering review, DFM feedback, tooling, production, QC and packaging | Existing tooling and patterns, dimension / finish / fabric changes, your branding |
| Design ownership | Buyer owns the design | Factory owns the base design; modifications can be made exclusive to the buyer on request |
| MOQ | 100 pcs per design | 100 pcs per design |
| Sample lead time | 15-20 days | 7-10 days |
| Development risk | Yours — an untested design may need a second sample round | Low — the structure is already in production |
| Time to first container | ~10-14 weeks | ~8-11 weeks |
| Best for | Brands with an in-house design team and a fixed product spec | Buyers who need a catalogue quickly without paying for development |
Private label is a third option — our design, your brand, no engineering at all. See all three compared, or private label production.
What to send with your enquiry
None of this is mandatory to start a conversation, but each item you include removes a round trip.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 2D drawing or CAD file | STEP, DWG, DXF or a dimensioned PDF. Anything that fixes the dimensions is enough to start. |
| Reference photograph | A photo with one known dimension lets us reverse-engineer a working drawing. Very common starting point. |
| Physical sample | Fastest route to an accurate copy. Shipped to the factory and returned with your sample if you want it back. |
| Target quantity | Per design, not total. It sets the pricing tier and tells us which processes are economic. |
| Target market | Determines which test reports and labelling you need — a US and an EU spec are not the same product. |
| Target FOB price | If you have one, say it. We will tell you what specification reaches it rather than quoting something you cannot use. |
The development sequence
The dashed bar is yours. Everything else is ours, and we can commit to it — but the approx. 30-45 days production clock does not start until the golden sample and colour drawdown come back signed. Slow approval is the single most common cause of a missed ship date, and it is the one stage we cannot compress for you.
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Enquiry and DFM review 24-72 h
Drawings, reference photos or an existing design are reviewed for machinability, material cost and shipping volume. Quotation returned with a BOM breakdown.
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Sampling 7-20 days
CNC cutting, assembly, finishing, then a photo and video set before dispatch. The sample charge is refunded against bulk.
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Sample approval Buyer-controlled
A signed golden sample and a signed colour drawdown are retained at the factory as the production reference.
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Mass production 30-45 days
Timber selection, kiln-dry check, CNC, sanding, assembly, 4-coat finishing, 48-72 h cure, sewing and packing.
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Inspection 2-3 days
100% final inspection plus AQL 2.5 / 4.0 pre-shipment sampling. Third-party inspection is booked at this stage if required.
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Shipping Per Incoterm
Loading photos, packing list, commercial invoice, B/L and certificate of origin are issued. FOB Guangzhou or Shenzhen as standard.
Stage 3 is the one buyers underestimate. The clock on approx. 30-45 days of production does not start until the golden sample and the colour drawdown come back signed.
What can be changed
| Element | Scope |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | Any size within the machining envelope below |
| Wood species | Any species listed in the material table |
| Finish colour | Pantone matched, gloss level 10-80 |
| Fabric and filling | Buyer-nominated fabric accepted once it passes a rub and shrink test |
| Hardware | Finish, type and buyer-nominated brands |
| Logo and branding | Engraving, printing, labels and nameplates |
| Packaging | Carton design, artwork, inserts and barcodes |
| Assembly manual | Buyer artwork or factory-drawn, in any language |
And what cannot — the machining envelope
Stating the limits is more useful than claiming there are none. These are the hard constraints of the equipment and the material:
- Maximum single wooden panel: 2,400 x 1,200 mm.
- Maximum assembled height for a free-standing unit: 2,100 mm. Above this the unit ships with a wall-anchor kit and an anti-tip warning label.
- Minimum solid-wood section for a load-bearing leg: 30 x 30 mm.
- Curved and carved parts add 5-8 days to sample lead time.
- Pantone matching on open-grain oak and ash is approximate - the grain shows through, so a drawdown must be signed off.
- Buyer-nominated fabric must arrive at the factory at least 15 days before the production start date.
OEM and ODM — direct answers
What is the difference between OEM and ODM here?
OEM means you supply the design — your drawings, cad files or a physical reference sample — and own it. ODM means you start from a design we have already tooled and modify it. OEM sampling takes 15-20 days because patterns are made from scratch; ODM sampling takes 7-10 days because they exist. Both carry the same 100 pcs per design MOQ.
Do I own the design if you manufacture it?
On OEM, yes — you supply it and you own it. On ODM the base design remains factory-owned, but modifications made for you can be held exclusive to you on request; that exclusivity should be written into the order rather than assumed. We do not offer a design you paid to develop to another buyer.
What file formats do you accept?
STEP, IGES, DWG, DXF, SKP, 3DM, or a dimensioned PDF. If you only have a photograph with one known dimension, that is workable too — a drawing is produced and sent back for your approval before any cutting starts.
Will you tell me if my design is a problem to manufacture?
Yes, before quoting. The engineering review flags unbuildable joints, sections too thin to hold a screw, panel sizes that waste board, curves that need hand-finishing, and anything that inflates shipping volume. You get the feedback with alternatives and their cost effect, not just a rejection.
Is there a development or tooling fee?
No mould cost - solid wood and panel parts are CNC-cut directly from drawings. CNC setup is $0-200 per new design (waived on orders above 300 pcs). The only real development cost is the sample itself, at $80-350, and sample charges are refunded against the first bulk order of the same design.
How many sample rounds are included?
The first sample is charged; one revision round is free where the change comes from our error. Changes you initiate after approval are charged at the sample rate, because the whole pattern and finishing setup has to be repeated.
Can you reverse-engineer a competitor's product?
We can manufacture to your specification, and we will tell you what a reference product appears to be made from. We will not copy a design that carries a registered design right or a visible trademark. If you are unsure of the IP position on a reference, say so early — it is cheaper to redesign at drawing stage than after tooling.
What are the limits on what you can build?
Maximum single wooden panel: 2,400 x 1,200 mm. Maximum assembled height for a free-standing unit: 2,100 mm. Above this the unit ships with a wall-anchor kit and an anti-tip warning label. Minimum solid-wood section for a load-bearing leg: 30 x 30 mm.
Where to go next
CatFurnitureHome production team — Tira Chan, Export Sales Manager, with the workshop supervisors in Lecong Town, Shunde District, Foshan. Last reviewed 2026-09-03. Figures on this page are indicative for standard specifications; confirmed values are issued with your quotation.
Send a drawing, get an engineering answer
Attach a CAD file, a dimensioned sketch or a reference photo with one known dimension. You get manufacturability feedback and a costed quotation — not a brochure — within 24 hours on existing designs, 48-72 hours on new ones.