What Is the Easiest Way to Build a Cat Tree?

Cats love to climb, so a cat tree is often a favorite plaything.

Cats love to scratch, climb, hide, explore and be higher off the ground than everyone else around them. That's why cat trees have become such a popular piece of equipment for the cat lover. Cat trees can be easily purchased, but it is also fairly easy to build your own to save money and allow you flexibility in choice of covering for the tree.

Things You'll Need

• 8-foot long, 14-inch diameter cardboard tubing
• Large ¼-inch thick Masonite chalkboard
• Carpet
• Box cutter
• Pop rivets
• Electric saber saw

Instructions

1. Visit your local concrete fabrication supply company to obtain the cardboard tubing for the tree. The tubes are used as forms for pouring concrete. Sonoco.com markets this product as Sonotube.

2. Cut four cat-sized rectangular holes with rounded corners in the tube using an electric saber saw. Place holes at various heights and locations in a helical pattern up the tree. The tube will later need to be secured to a wall, so leave one side of the tube hole-free.

3. Cut four 24-inch diameter semi-circles from the Masonite chalkboard. These Masonite circles will be wedged into slits in the tree to serve as cat perches.

4. Saw horizontal slits a few inches beneath each of the rectangular holes in the tube. The Masonite shelves will slide into the slits. The platforms should slide snugly into the slits, as only friction will be holding them in. Enlarge the first slit until the desired amounts of the platform are inside and outside of the tube. Slits should be wide enough so that about 5 inches of the semi-circle remains on the outside of the tree.

5. Roll the tube in the carpet of your choice. Overlap the circumference of the tube by several inches. Use a box cutter to cut holes every few inches up the tree and place pop rivets in each hole to secure the carpet to the tube. Cut carpet a few inches longer on each end of the tube. Fold the excess carpet into the inside of the tube and secure with pop rivets.

6. Use the box cutter to cut the carpet where perch slits are located. Wedge Masonite perches into the slits.

7. Place a square of carpet under the tube. Secure the solid side of the tree to a wall or stairwell. Place a pillow on the inside at the bottom of the tree to soften any accidental falls.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't substitute plywood for Masonite as perch materials because it will splinter and be dangerous to cats. If you wish to use something other than chalkboard for shelves, be sure it is a material that won't splinter.

References

• Maine Coons: Cat Tree