How to Build Cat Furniture

Cats love the chance to look down on us. Having cat furniture or a cat tree, with multiple levels and places for your kitty to perch, is a sure way of making your feline happy. Proper cat furniture also gives your cat a safe place to scratch at without destroying your furniture. Cat furniture is also very expensive when bought in the store; sometimes you even have to put it together yourself. You can save a lot of money by doing the entire project on your own.

Things You'll Need

  • Pieces of fence post or logs about 4" in diameter
  • Plywood base
  • Particleboard platforms
  • Carpet pieces
  • Sissal rope
  • Power drill
  • Heavy duty screws
  • Glue
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Instructions

    • 1

      Plan out how you want your cat furniture to look. Each shelf will sit on top of a post. These posts should be evenly distributed around the base so that the finished product will be less likely to tip over. None of the shelves should stick out further than the base does, and the highest shelf should be no more than one and a half times as high as the base is wide.

    • 2

      Cut the plywood base, particle board shelves and fence post or log supporting columns into the proper shape and size. If you need help or tools ask a friend or someone at the hardware store for assistance.

    • 3

      Use the power drill to securely screw each post into place on the base. Sink multiple screws into each post, and double check to make sure the posts are evenly distributed around the base.

    • 4

      Center each shelf over its supporting post and screw it into place. Use multiple screws in each post and test the platforms to make sure they won't wobble under a cat's weight. Then test the entire structure to make sure it's stable.

    • 5

      Cover each cat shelf with a piece of carpet. The carpet should wrap around the edges of the platform, with the edges of the carpet attached underneath. Let the glue dry, then test to make sure the carpet is firmly attached and ready to withstand cat abuse. Cut carpet to fit around the posts attached in the base, too, and make sure the edges of this piece wrap underneath the edges of the plywood base platform.

    • 6

      Wrap sissal rope tightly around each post, gluing it in place as you go. Each coil of sissal should rest against the previous coil so that there are no gaps.

    • 7

      Allow plenty of time for glue fumes to evaporate before you introduce your cat to its new furniture.