How to Build Cat Towers

Cats love to run, jump, climb, explore and pounce. Indoor cats need to exercise these skills, but they often lack a place to do so. A cat tower provides an artificial tree, sleeping platforms, and dark recesses from which to hide and pounce. Cat towers should at least chair rail height or taller. Platforms should be large enough for three cats to lay side by side in comfort, and should have one or more padded, carpeted sleeping chambers.

Things You'll Need

  • 3 4-by-8-foot-by-1/2-inch-thick sheets of plywood
  • 1 4-by-4-inch-by-8-foot-long pole
  • 4-by-4-foot-by-1-inch-thick sheet of plywood for the floor mount
  • 6 2-by-1-inch-by-1-foot-long pieces of stock lumber for supports
  • 8 masonry bolts
  • Miter box and back saw
  • Saber saw
  • Jig saw
  • 1 box of 1 1/2-inch wood screws
  • Power drill, 1/8-inch-diameter bit, 1/2-inch-diameter bit
  • Countersink bit
  • 128 square feet of carpeting in 2-by-2-foot sections
  • 12 square feet of carpeting in a 20-inch-by-8-foot section
  • Upholstery glue or rubber cement
  • Staple gun
  • Tack hammer
  • Preformed concrete post support
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Cut the plywood sheets into 2-by-2-foot sections using a saber saw or other power saw of your choice. Make two plywood cubes by screwing five of the 2-by-2-foot plywood sheets together. Leave the sixth side off each cube until after they are mounted onto the pole.

    • 2

      Scribe a 12-inch-diameter circle on the top of both cubes and a second circle on the bottom of one cube only. Use the 1/2-inch-diameter drill bit to make a hole in the circle in the top of the first cube. Make a hole in the circles in the top and bottom of the second cube. Insert a jig saw into one of the holes you just drilled. Cut out the circles and sand the edges of the holes until they are smooth.

    • 3

      Attach a 4-by-4-foot sheet of plywood to the bottom of the preformed concrete support using masonry bolts. Mount the post into the preformed concrete support, and secure it with more masonry bolts. This makes the base of the cat tower.

    • 4

      Miter the stock lumber supports to a 45-degree angle at each end. Mount the first cube onto the pole, about 12 inches off the ground. Use the 2-by-1-inch-by-1-foot-long pieces of stock lumber for supports. Make sure the circular hole is on the top of the cube when it is mounted. Make sure the open side of the cube is facing away from the pole.

    • 5

      Drill pilot holes through the supports and into the cube, using the 1/8-inch-diameter bit. Repeat for the ends of the supports that will rest against the pole. Experiment a little with the placement of the supports until you find the positions that work best. Adjust the mitered angles at the ends of the supports if necessary.

    • 6

      Mount the second cube on top of the pole. Screw the 2-by-1-inch-by-1-foot-long pieces of stock lumber supports into place as in Step 4. Attach additional platforms as desired, for a minimum of four, including the top and bottom cubes. Cut 12-inch-diameter holes in each platform, so that the cats can pass easily from platform to platform.

    • 7

      Apply rubber cement to all horizontal surfaces. Cover all horizontal surfaces with carpet squares, and wrap the pole with carpet as well. Staple the carpet into place. Use a tack hammer to make sure the staples go all the way through the carpet and into the wood. Attach the remaining side of each cube using wood screws. Place catnip toys in each cube, and hang dangling toys from the platforms to encourage your cat to play.