Do It Yourself Cat Condo

Giving your cat a condo is can both amuse your pet and give him a safe place to play. You can buy a cat condo in a pet shops or order one online, but by doing it yourself, you may not only save money but can customize it so it's perfect for your own cat's needs. It doesn't take many tools or much carpentry skill to make a cat condo that your cat will enjoy for years.
  1. Tools and Materials

    • You can build cat condos from a empty boxes and paper bags, but for building a more sturdy construction, you will need a flat wood for bases, hot glue, carpeting, hammer, nails, wood posts or PVC pipe, thick rope and screws or bracket screws. Your cat can have places to scratch, hide, perch, or jump from, and some cat condos have places to attach hanging toys.

    Planning

    • Plan your condo based on what you want your cate to be able to do. Building a scratching post is the easiest, but a cat condo will keep your cat better entertained. Whichever style you choose, the surfaces should all be covered in something your cat can claw without injury.

      Cat condos can be simple affairs or sport more elaborate designs. Some are merely one scratching post and a place to hide, while others range from "cat trees" of several levels of posts to virtual mini-cities of posts, levels, houses, and perches. There are also the "sleeper cubes," which are rectangular in shape and feature two or more levels with no perches or posts.

      The amount and size of wood you'll buy depends on how large you want your condo to be. Make sure the base pieces are wide enough to support the structure. Covering your cat condo in pieces of carpet or in thick rope will give your cat places to sharpen his claws. Using hot glue to attach the carpeting or rope is easier and safer than nailing it.

    Considerations

    • Have an ample and uncluttered area to work in.
      Work on your project away from your cat.
      Let the glue dry completely before continuing on to the next step.
      Do not leave tools in reach of children.
      Be careful when handling hot glue.