How to Create an Obstacle Course for Cats

Keeping your cat active is just one method for improving its health and engaging its mind. Active cats are happy cats, and a cat with something constructive to do is less likely to tear up curtains or race around the house to burn off excess energy. If your cat follows a toy around, you can use this to put it through a simple obstacle course. Building an obstacle course depends entirely on how much room you have and how much time and money you are willing to spend.

Things You'll Need

  • Plywood
  • PVC pipe
  • PVC pipe joints
  • Playground tunnels
  • Old tire or hula hoop
  • Tables
  • Rope
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a soft playground tunnel on the ground to serve as the entrance to the course. Cats must navigate through the tunnel and may need to jump over it later on.

    • 2

      Build a simple frame out of PVC pipes and hang an old tire or hula-hoop from it with some rope. Jumping through the hoop and landing on the other side is a challenging obstacle for your cat.

    • 3

      Construct a table-like platform with plywood for stops. One of the hardest things to teach a cat is to stop moving and be attentive. The table operates as a platform for showing off this skill.

    • 4

      Create a few simple jumping obstacles by building a PVC frame with one pipe laid across. Your cat should be able to jump a low, medium and high bar.

    • 5

      Place two tables across from each other. The goal is to challenge your cat to leap from one to the other, gradually increasing the distance.

    • 6

      Use your furniture as obstacles if you are working indoors. Chairs, tables, couches and desks can all function as makeshift parts of the course.

    • 7

      Lay out the course in a way that allows the cat to flow from one obstacle to another without too much redirection. Speed is one of the factors in agility training, but the course must follow some sort of logic.