How to Build a Cat Tower Playhouse to Climb & Hide

Indoor cats need furniture such as towers to stay entertained and happy.

Cats need a place to play, climb and hide. Cats also need a place to stretch as a release of energy, a place to mark territory and a place to keep their claws trim and in shape. Providing your indoor cats with appropriate cat furniture is an important step in providing them with a happy, healthy indoor environment. Cat furniture can be purchased in pet stores, but it may come with a hefty price tag. The good news is that you can provide your feline friend with a well-built cat tower playhouse simply and inexpensively by building your own.

Things You'll Need

• 4-foot folding step ladder
• Tape measure
• two-by-four foot wood stud
• Hammer and nails
• 12-inch cardboard cylinder mold
• Sisal rope

Instructions

1. Open the step ladder and set it up as if you were about to climb it. This will be the base for your cat tower playhouse.

2. Measure the length between the front legs and the back legs of the ladder. Make a note of this measurement and cut your wood stud into two pieces equal to that measurement.

3. Attach one piece of wood stud to the right-hand front leg and the right-hand back leg of the ladder using a hammer and nails. Repeat on the left-hand side. This creates a brace that keeps the ladder open at all times.

4. Use the cardboard cylinder mold as a tunnel for your cat tower. Cut the cardboard concrete mold to the length you prefer. Place the mold between the legs of the ladder, allowing it to rest on the wood stud braces. Secure it to the braces from inside the tunnel with a hammer and nails.

5. Wrap every exposed area on the structure with sisal rope, including the steps, legs, tunnel and braces. Attach the end of the rope to the structure with a nail. Wrap the rope snugly to avoid having your cats tear it off when they begin to play.

6. Test the structure for safety, making sure that the braces and tunnel are securely attached and that the rope is tightly wrapped. Once you are certain the structure is safe, you can allow your cats to play on it.

Tips & Warnings

• Add some dangling toys by attaching the toys to a length of sisal rope and tacking the end of the rope to the structure with nail. You can also sprinkle the structure with catnip for added feline interest.

• You can add an extra tunnel to the structure by cutting another piece of cardboard concrete mold and attaching it to the first tunnel using nails. You can even use a jigsaw or knife to cut out a window between the tunnels so your cats can climb from one tunnel to the next from the inside.

References

• The Cat Ladder