How to Build a Cat Tree
No matter what kind of cat tree you want to build, you need to take into consideration the following three things – cost, size, and your construction experience. Don’t let any one of these things stop you from building your own cat tree, but do plan according for what you can manage.
Let’s start with experience. If this is your first time doing a project like this, you might want to look around and check out what others have done. This will give you ideas for your own project. However, if you have done this before, then you most likely have a good idea of what you want.
Beginners should start with a simple cat tree. This will – most likely – keep the costs down and the size of your project small. However, your cat will never know the difference, and will enjoy your hard work immensely – no matter what the size.
And, if you’re concerned about your budget, don’t worry – costs can be kept to a minimum, unless you’re building an extravagant cat tree or you just want to use really high quality materials. For instance, you can find scrap pieces of plywood from a construction site or carpet squares at a discount from a building store. Maybe a friend or relative just got done with a renovation project and there’s left-over scrap materials you can use on your project.
You can also go to your local lumber yard and ask them for scraps or partial pieces of plywood that only cost a couple of dollars, if anything. If you go to a carpet store, you’ll be able to find empty tubes or scraps of carpet for anywhere from a couple of dollars to free. By now, you should be getting the idea that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to build something nice for your cat.
As far as size goes, you can go as simple as a 14″ x 14″ platform mounted to 12″ long center post sitting on a 2′ x 2′ base, all wrapped in carpet or fake fur. On the other hand, you might decide to go with a more expensive multi-story “cat condo” extravaganza – it’s all up to you and what your pocketbook can handle. Also, take into consideration on how much time you want to put into this project. After all, you can always start small and add to it as time progresses.
To build a simple cat tree, all you really need is a square piece of plywood, a wooden post of appropriate width, carpet, wood glue, and nails. Use the glue to attach the carpet to the base and the post, and use nails to attach the two pieces together. You can then use a spring or heavy rope to attach a fun cat toy to the top of the post so that your cat has something to play with.
Whatever method you use – and however much you spend – you can be sure that your cat will love her new home-built cat tree. As long as you build it with love and care – being sure that there are no dangerous corners, edges, or loose parts – your cat will enjoy its tree for years to come.