How to Build a Cat Tree With a Circle Landing

Cat trees provide a safe area for your cat to play and rest away from other pets or children. A cat tree also promotes exercise and play time for indoor cats while providing an appropriate scratching area for cats that still have their front claws. This design creates a simple cat tree with two sisal scratching posts and two circle landings. The landings are big enough for a standard-sized cat to sleep on, but the design can be easily modified to fit any cat.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 pieces of plywood, 16 inches by 16 inches
  • Measuring tape
  • Straight edge
  • 20-inch piece of string
  • Thumb tack
  • Pencil
  • Jig saw
  • 4-inch by 4-inch post, 3 feet tall
  • 4-inch by 4-inch post, 5 feet tall
  • Plywood base, 2 feet by 3 feet
  • 8 wood screws
  • Drill
  • Hot glue gun
  • Hot glue
  • Carpet or fleece fabric
  • Sisal rope
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find the exact middle of the 16-inch by 16-inch pieces of plywood by measuring the width of the board and using the straight edge to draw a straight line down the center of the board. Turn the board so the line is horizontal and do it again. You should have a cross on your board in pencil. Where the lines intersect is the middle.

    • 2

      Push the thumb tack in to the middle of the board and tie the very end of the 20-inch string to it. Tie the pencil to the string so it is 8 inches from the tack.

    • 3

      Use the string and pencil to draw a circle on the plywood. Use the jig saw to cut along the pencil line.

    • 4

      Attach the two 4-inch by 4-inch posts to the plywood base with at least 2 screws each. You don't want the posts to be able to spin. Place the posts so they are 12 inches from the edges of the base and 12 inches from each other.

    • 5

      Attach one plywood circle to the top of each 4-inch by 4-inch post with at least two screws each so the landings will not be able to spin.

    • 6

      Use ample amounts of hot glue to cover the base and landing with either carpet or fleece fabric.

    • 7

      Cover the posts with sisal rope by hot gluing the start of the rope to the post right at the base. Wrap the rope tightly around the post three or four times and glue it again. Try to glue the rope on all different sides of the posts. Continue wrapping and gluing the rope until you reach the top of each post.