DIY Kitty Tree House

Cats have long been domesticated companions in the households of humans, with stories of feline importance dating back to before ancient Cyprus history thousands of years ago. This love for cats has led owners to make their pets as comfortable as possible while in the home, including the addition of climbing and roosting elements, like cat scratch posts and multi-level cat "tree houses" consisting of comfortable places to climb and rest. While a store-bought tree house can get expensive, you can make your own for less with simply wood, carpet remnants and some PVC pipe.

Things You'll Need

  • 6 feet of 1-inch PVC pipe
  • PVC pipe-cutting tool
  • 100-grit sandpaper
  • 1 square piece of plywood, 3-by-3 feet
  • 3 square pieces of plywood, 1-by-1 foot
  • Pencil
  • Quick-set epoxy glue
  • Carpet remnants
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut your PVC pipe into three different pieces using the PVC cutter. Cut one section to 3 feet, one to 2 feet, and leave the last one at 1 foot. Sand each cut piece so that the bottom is flat and free of burrs.

    • 2

      Set your PVC pipe sections so that they stand upright on the 3-by-3 plywood in the shape of a triangle. Place the longest piece of pipe in any corner you choose. Place the second longest piece in an adjacent corner, so that their corners share an edge, and place the smallest piece of pipe centered between the corners on the opposite edge.

    • 3

      Use a pencil to trace each of the PVC pipes on the plywood. Mark each circle to indicate the length of each piece of pipe that goes there.

    • 4

      Remove the pipes and place a line of epoxy glue both on the end of the largest PVC pipe, and just inside the drawn line of its circle. Place the glued end of the PVC pipe back onto the circle and hold until it sets. Repeat the same process with the other two pipes.

    • 5

      Cut your carpet remnants into six 1-foot-wide strips.

    • 6

      Place a liberal amount of glue across the surface of one pipe at a time, and wrap the pieces of carpet tightly around each pipe. Trim the length as needed to create a tight fit. Hold in place until the glue fully sets. Use two or three strips for the longer pipes.

    • 7

      Place a liberal amount of glue on the top of each pipe. Carefully press one of the smaller pieces of plywood centered onto each pipe.

    • 8

      Cut 1-by-1-foot squares of carpet, and glue them to the top of each piece of plywood to create comfortable perches for your cat.