How to Make a Cat Climbing Condo
Cats have a natural inclination to climb and scratch. In nature, trees provide the perfect environment for this inherited behavior. Cats that are kept inside a house still have this desire to climb. Unfortunately, indoor cats will often climb and scratch furniture, curtains and cabinets, if nothing else is available. Making a cat climbing condo can eliminate much of the damage made by cats. Most cats enjoy their own piece of cat furniture. You can make a simple cat climbing condo out of heavy cardboard crates.
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Things You'll Need
- Cardboard crates
- Outdoor carpet
- Measuring tape
- Utility scissors or carpet cutter
- Carpet adhesive
- Staple gun with staples
Instructions
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Purchase, or recycle, four cardboard crates. Check your local office supply store for packaging boxes or boxes used for shipping reams of copy paper. Select only thick, heavy boxes. Choose sizes that will allow adequate room for your cat to spread out inside the boxes. Choose larger boxes if you have more than one cat in your home. Provide enough room for your cats to curl up together.
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Line the inside of the cardboard boxes with outdoor carpeting. Measure and cut the carpet to fit the interior sides of the boxes. Apply a quality carpet adhesive to the backside of the carpet and press in place. Allow the carpet adhesive to dry before continuing.
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Practice placement of your cardboard cartons in a cat climbing condo. Place two boxes on the floor with their bottoms together. This will make the openings opposite each other. Use a staple gun to connect these two boxes. Place four to five staples along the adjoining edges of the two boxes. Bend edges of staples all the way in, using a pair of pliers. Place another box on top of these, with its narrow side centered over the stapled edges of the joined, bottom boxes. Staple this box in place. Balance the fourth box on either of its large sides, placing it on the top of the last box. Turn the opening in the direction opposite the box below. Firmly attach this box in the same manner with your staple gun. Check that all staples press down against the cardboard, so no sharp edges are sticking up. Cover the outside areas with sections of the carpet to provide a climbing surface. Apply this in the same manner as the interior carpet, using carpet adhesive. Remember to apply the carpet to the very top of the structure.
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Place your new piece of cat furniture in your cat's favorite lounging spot. Try to find a warm, sunny location for it. Turn it so the opening in the top box faces a window. Allow your cat to lie on the very top in direct sun, if possible. Lay some toys in one or two of the boxes to entice your cat to enter the cat climbing condo.
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