Homemade Cat Furniture

Cats love to climb, explore and scratch. Without options, cats may only exercise these behaviors on your furniture. High prices are usually the main drawback of cat furniture found at pet or department stores. You can save your money and create your own cat furniture with a little creativity, some tools and a few extra odds and ends.

  1. Scratching Posts

    • Cats not only love to scratch, they need to scratch! According to an article in Cats Magazine, cats scratch to mark their territory, to sharpen and condition their claws, and to communicate (See Reference 1). Satisfy your cat's need to scratch with an easily constructed hanging scratching board.

      Start with a board approximately 15 inches long and 10 inches wide. Purchase a dark colored scrap piece of carpet from a carpet store or use a dark colored rug. Wrap the carpet or rug around the board so that it is completely covered. Use a hammer and nails to fasten the two ends of the carpet to the back of the board. Use a hammer or professional stapling gun to secure two ends of a rope, one end to each side of the top of the back of the board. The rope will create a sling for hanging. Use enough rope so that the board is easy for the cat to reach while stretching on its hind legs. Hang the board on a door knob with the back of the board towards the door in your cat's favorite hang-out zone. Make two or three boards to keep your cat occupied in every part of the house.

    Cat House

    • Make your cat a house to feel comfortable in, using an old milk crate. Cover the inside of the crate with a soft fabric, such as felt or flannel. Use glue to secure the fabric in place. Cover the outside of the crate with carpet. Apply glue to one side of the crate and press the carpet to the glue. Allow the glue to dry. Continue applying carpet to all sides except one. When the house is dry, fit a small pillow or cat bed into the inside of the crate. Give your cat a sense of privacy by draping flannel fabric over the opening. Your cat now has a place of its own, to exercise any scratching needs when the urge hits.

    Cat Gym

    • Indulge your cat's need to jump and climb with a homemade cat gym. Take a forging field trip to a wooded area to find a large tree branch. The branch should be tall enough to create a lot of climbing space and thick enough to support the cat climbing up and down. It should have at least three or four branches extending from the main branch spread over the top two thirds of the limb.

      Fasten the bottom of the branch securely to a wide, square wooded base using several bolts. Stand upright and test the stability of the unit. If it is unstable use a larger base. Cut several pieces of 6-inch wide wood into varying lengths. One length should extend from the bottom branch to the base at a slant angle. Cover each piece with scrap carpet. Nail one end of the longest piece to the tree below the bottom branch. Nail or bolt the other end to the base. The slant angle serves as a walking platform and helps stabilize the unit. Nail the other carpet covered boards in the 'V' areas where branches split from the main trunk. Use enough resting platforms to make it easy for your cat to get from one to another.