How to Build a Cat Tree From a Ladder

A cat tree is a vital piece of furniture for your pet, allowing your cat to climb, stretch and scratch its claws without damaging other furniture in your home. Not only does a cat tree provide your cat with an outlet for physical activity to keep it in shape, but when your cat scratches its claws on the tree, they stay "manicured" to a manageable length. Cat trees often come with a hefty price tag in pet stores, but you can build your own, inexpensively, out of simple things you may already have around the house, like a wooden step ladder.

Things You'll Need

  • 4-foot wooden step ladder
  • Tape measure
  • 2-by-4 wood stud, cut to length
  • Hammer and nails/drywall screws and screw gun
  • 12-inch diameter cardboard concrete mold, cut to length
  • Sisal Rope
  • Heavy duty staple gun with staples
  • *Optional: saw, cat toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Unfold and stand up the step ladder as if you were about to climb it.

    • 2

      Use a tape measure to measure the distance from the back left-hand leg of the ladder to the front left-hand leg. Make a note of this measurement. Repeat this procedure with the right-hand legs of the ladder.

    • 3

      Cut or have a 2-by-4 wood stud cut to the lengths you measured for each side of the ladder.

    • 4

      Attach one end of a cut stud to the back, left-hand leg at the bottom, using a hammer and nails or drywall screws and a screw gun. Attach the other end of the cut stud to the front, left-hand leg. Repeat this process with the right-hand side of the ladder. Once you have finished, the ladder may look as if it were on skis. The studs create braces to keep the ladder open while your cats play.

    • 5

      Cut a cardboard concrete mold so that it is long enough to sit in the space between the ladder's legs, resting on the braces. Once it is in place, secure it to the structure using nails or screws.

    • 6

      Wrap sisal rope tightly around each leg, step and brace of the ladder. Wrap the tunnel tightly in sisal rope also. Cover as many exposed surfaces on the ladder as you can with sisal rope. This provides places for your cat to scratch and makes climbing easier for your cat. Attach the ends of the rope to the structure with staples as you wrap.

    • 7

      Ensure that all nails, screws and staples are tucked safely into rope and inserted all the way into the ladder so that no sharp edges protrude. Check to be sure that the rope is securely attached, that the braces keep the ladder open at all times and that the tunnel is secured to the structure. Once you are certain the structure is safe, allow your cats to play on their new ladder.