How to Build a Cat Gym

Building a cat gym may not make your cat love you more, but it might keep him from tearing up your other furnishings. One of the things cats love to do most, especially acrobatic felines, is to get a good view of their territory (or, as we like to refer to it, our home). Cats love dizzying heights! If your super feline likes to leap tall buildings in a single bound, a cat gym just might replace the balcony railing in his heart. This article will teach you to build the most basic cat gym, one you can can adjust as your cat gets bored. Gather your tools and your wits: Cats always know better, so we’ll have to build something that will surprise and excite them. With any luck, you may earn an occasional purr of approval.

Things You'll Need

  • Cardboard boxes
  • Mailing tubes
  • Carpet samples (optional)
  • Tape
  • Screws (optional, for carpet)
  • Cloth for doorways/privacy
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find the right area in which to build your cat gym. If you cat loves a tall bookshelf or a spot near the window, you’ll want to build near that area without completely intruding on her chosen space. (Remember that cats do what they want, and you cannot force them to abandon old habits too easily.) Take some rough measurements of the area and dedicate a set amount of square footage to your feline’s pleasure. Before moving to Step 2, you should have a rough sketch of the area and the dimensions of the gym you want to build. Include some space in which to build a tower.

    • 2

      Lay down a large box. From some spare cardboard, cut out a piece just large enough to use as a ramp inside of the box. Lay one corner of the spare cardboard sheet on the inside top corner of the box, then tape that corner so that you have a flap. Fold it over the edge of the box for the time being. Take some pillowing or folded towels (do not use newspaper) and place them in the corner, so that when you fold the cardboard sheet/ flap back over, the pillowing/towels will be under and behind the flap. The arrangement will resemble a ramp coming out of the box. Cut an opening in the front of the box to create a door for your cat to enter the box that contains the ramp. Then place this box near the middle of your arrangement of boxes. Use as many boxes as you like.

    • 3

      Lay down the cardboard boxes you have chosen to be the foundation for your gym. Cut openings in the front of each box, to act as entrances and exits for your feline master. Align the boxes so that the openings you made are facing each other and actually touching. Make sure that you place the box containing the ramp in the middle of the arrangement. Apply tape over the boxes to hold them together. Make sure the tape is on the outside of the boxes, or your cat may chew it off from inside. Tape both the tops and bottoms of the boxes, except for the ramp box. The ramp box will have an open top, while the other boxes will have only the openings you cut to allow your cat to enter and exit.

    • 4

      Take a new box and cut one large hole in the bottom and another smaller hole in the side. Tape the top of the box closed. Place this box on top of the opening of the ramp box, so that the large hole in the bottom of the new box is accessible to the ramp box. The side hole will lead out on top of the other boxes. Now your cat has two levels of fun! If you invest in some carpet samples, you can lay these over the top of the second level for the cat to dig his claws into. Lay some cloth over the exits if you wish to create a draped doorway.

    • 5

      If you cat loves heights, you can use a very large mailing tube for a tower. For best results, hot-glue some carpet samples to the outside of the mailing tube. To secure the carpeting, drive some short screws through the carpeting and the mailing tube. Cut some hard cardboard or wood into a large disc. Cut one hole in the center of this disc to match the diameter of the mailing tube. Drive four or more screws into the sides of the mailing tube. Remove the screws. Place one bolt inside the tubing and the other on the outside, then drive the screws through the holes. Leave enough of the screw protruding from the tube to act as a support for the cardboard disc/wood disc that you will mount. Slip the disc over the tubing and let it rest on the protruding screws. Test the balance by standing it up.

    • 6

      Cut a hole in one of the boxes to match the diameter of the mailing-tube tower. Allowing some carpeting from the tube to enter the hole may help support the tower and make it easier for the cat to climb up. Insert the tower into the hole in the box. Your cat may now climb up to her private loft and survey her territory with confidence.