Build your own cat tree thingy?

[Calvincrowe]

Our various kittehs love to be on or in things. One in particular loves to be high up. I’ve priced commercial ones and zoiks! they are too much $$! So, I think I’ve convinced Mr. CC that he needs a project this winter and he needs to make the boys a hangout.

We found a cardboard concrete framing tube at Home Depot 10" in diameter (and 6 feet long) for the curved seats, and we’ve got a wood fence post perfect for the upright (not treated wood). We have left over carpet from our living room in pristine condition.

So…any ideas or helpful advice? Anyone done this and can point me in the best direction for plans? Or do we just wing it?

How do you attach the post to a base–with metal brackets?

[Arbitrary]

I inherited a home-made cat tree for my cats. I’ll have to look at how the vertical upright is connected to the base. It’s 5’ tall and solid. It’s built like a capital “I”.

The top seat has a hole in it, so the cats can climb the vertical upright to get to the top. The thing is covered in Berber carpeting in its entirety. They use it as a scratching post and also the Berber does a great job of helping them shed when they are lolling about.

Not sure if I described it well, but hope it helps.

[Justmyluck]

This guy on youtube.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=coeoyC4VsOk

[Arbitrary]

This is sort of close to what mine looks like, though this one is substantially shorter, the base and top seat are much smaller, and it lacks the climbing hole that mine has.
http://www.mycatsheaven.com/24_short_cat_tree

Mine is held together by bolts at the base and top. Pretty sturdy for 2 active cats.

[mvp]

OMG. Might I recommend, too, that you guys study up on some good ol’ Dr. Seuss books for architectural inspiration?

No point in building a plane jane cat tree.

[cnvh]

Here’s ours.

We used all spare parts we had lying around, except the sisal which we used to wrap a couple of the posts. So our “design” was dictated by the size of the materials we had on-hand.

The base is 3/4" plywood; the main center post is a 4x4, about 4 1/2’ tall. There are two perches on the way up (also plywood), and a top perch on the center. The base and perches are all covered in carpet. Despite using brackets on the lower two perches, our psycho cats had them bent akimbo in no time, so we had to add a supplemental 2x4 “leg” to support thosse two shelves.

It really wasn’t that hard to build… We countersunk carriage bolts on the bottom to affix the main post. All carpet got stapled on with a staple gun and (I think) 5/8" staples. Wrapping the sisal was the biggest P.I.T.A., but we stapled it fast every couple wraps around so it would be less likely to unravel.

We have two teenage boy kitties who abuse the ever-lovin’ hell out of the tree, and it’s going strong for over 2 years now.

Sure beat spending $$$$ for a similarly-sized one at a pet store!!

[Calvincrowe]

Yay! I love pictures so I can get inspiration. If the god-damned wind ever stops blowing here, Mr. CC will venture out to the barn/shop and get to work.