How to Design Cat Trees
Cats love to play. Watching one glide around your living room, you know it is pretending to be a vicious jungle predator. Encouraging your cat to play will not only help keep her healthy, it will save you lots of wear and tear on your furniture. One of the toys cats love best is a cat tree. Finding pre-made cat trees can be a challenge, not just in matching your home's décor, but in cost. Designing cat trees might seem daunting, but it's not that hard. All you need to design a cat tree is a little time, some inspiration -- and a cat.
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Instructions
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1
Watch your cat at play for a few days and note her preferences. She may love to climb, or prefer to hide in small spaces. When she plays, take note of whether she likes to chase things, or prefers to bat at a toy dangled in front of her.
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Decide where you are going to put the cat tree. Measure the height, width and depth of the space, so you know how much room you have to work with.
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Look at pictures of cat trees in catalogs, in pet stores and online. Note which ones have the features that will most likely appeal to your cat.
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Put your design together keeping different textures and functions in mind. There should be sturdy carpeting or wrapped jute for scratching, but also soft places to sleep. Platforms set at different heights encourage jumping.
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Sketch your designs out with pencil and paper. Graph paper is helpful in keeping things to scale.
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Tips & Warnings
Start simply. You can always build on your experience later.
Weigh your cat, or cats. A platform you are sure will hold one cat might collapse under two.
Dangling toys should be detachable, so your cat can't get it tangled around her neck.
Be realistic about your carpentry skills. If you are not sure which tool is a hammer and which is a wrench, trying to build a five-tiered cat tree with hidden compartments will not end well.
