3/13/08 Project: Cat Tree

As promised, here's the step-by-step for the world's easiest cat tree!

My cat Mason loves to climb on EVERYTHING! He likes to be as high as possible, especially out on the screened-in porch, where height gives him a definite bird stalking watching advantage. Since he and his brother Dixon are turning 5 this month, I thought that a cat tree would make a perfect gift. If you've ever looked at the cat trees available in the store however, you'll quickly discover that a) they're really really expensive, 2) they aren't that attractive, and 3) the taller they get, the bigger the base has to be, thus more floor space gets consumed. I take issue with this because 1) I'm cheap economical, 2) who wants a shag carpet-covered mound in their house?, and 3) I have limited floor space on the porch. So what's a cat mommy to do? Just make my own, of course!

What you'll need:
1/2" thick Plywood for base*
pvc pipe or metal pole- 3" interior diameter
pvc end cap
shelf brackets
1/2" thick plywood for shelves and top platform
fabric of your choice
Velcro strips
1" hole drill bit
drill
carpet scraps
rope
screws
non-slip shelf foam (optional)
3-Styrofoam disks
shower curtain tension rod
wood glue

*I started with this existing scratching post base that the boys ate the top off of (they have a real thing for feathers), thus leaving a perfectly good scratching post behind. If you don't have a scratching post already laying around, don't worry. Just attach a plywood base to your pole. For reference, the base on this one is 9" x 12", so it gets bonus points for having a small footprint.

The first thing I did was to measure the height from floor to ceiling where the cat tree would go. Since I didn't want a large base, the tension pole needed to be able to reach the ceiling in order to stabilize the tree. They sell tension shower rods at wal-mart in various sizes. Hint: If the largest size doesn't reach the ceiling, you can raise the "ground" level by putting a wood block inside your pvc pipe for the bottom of the rod to rest on.

This next part keeps the tension rod centered inside the pvc pipe. I cut the Styrofoam disks (3 for a dollar at the dollar store!) to fit the inside pvc pipe snugly. Next, I drilled a hole in the center of each disk using the 1" drill bit. (Mmmm! Styrofoam doughnuts!) Then I removed the cap from the end of the tension rod and slid the foam disks down the pole to be positioned at the bottom third, middle, and top third of the tension rod. Replace the rod cap.

Next I slid the pvc pipe over the tension rod/Styrofoam doughnuts. (I recommend that the pvc pipe be no higher than you can reach...This is for easy assembly and so that you can get your cat off the top shelf in case he's *surprise surprise* not listening to you when you want him to come down). I wrapped the pole with carpet scraps (left over from when I redid the carpet out on the screened-in porch) and plenty of rope for scratching. I secured both to the pvc pipe with glue. Then I attached the pvc pipe to the existing scratching post (or a base board if you don't have a have one) with more glue and let dry.

After that it was power tool time! I cut up some scrap plywood to make into 5 shelves that are 9"x12" each. I attached a shelf bracket to each shelf with screws. Next I cut more plywood into a 12"x12" board for the top platform. Since the tension rod goes through the middle of the platform, I drilled a 1" hole in the middle of the top platform and the middle of the pvc end cap. I lined up the holes and secured them together with screws.

To soften the wood shelves and make the tree a little more decorative, I took this lovely striped fabric ($1 per yard in the Wal-mart clearance bin!) and covered the shelves and platform. (In addition to matching the porch decor perfectly, I think green and blue stripes says classy but playful at the same time. Don't you agree?) And because the tree would be a) outside, and b) instantly covered with 500 tons of cat hair, I also wanted them to be removable so that I could take them off and wash them occasionally. Note: My sewing skills basically peaked in 7th grade Home Economics, when we sewed pillows. Therefore, all my sewing projects are some variation of the pillow case. No exception here. These material covers are basically little pillow cases that Velcro closed on either side of the shelf bracket. Same deal with the platform, only don't forget to cut a little hole in the middle of the cover for the rod to go through.
I was a little worried that the material might slide a little bit on the board if say, a certain kitty cat was to launch himself off of it while going 95mph in the heat of a cat fit, so I took some of that no-slip foam shelf paper stuff ($1 at the Dollar Store) and stapled it to the shelves and platform before putting their pillow cases on. It cushions it a little bit, and it keeps it from sliding.

The last step was just to attach my shelves to the pvc pipe. I started at the top under the platform and screwed the shelf brackets into the pvc, dropping 11" below the one above it and staggering them around the pole (side, middle, side) in a stair step pattern. My cat tree is in the corner, so my shelves just go back and forth on the front of the tree, but if you have yours in the middle of the room, you could conceivably have the shelves wind all the way around like a spiral staircase. (Photo note: Don't worry, the cat tree isn't really leaning...it's just my lousy photography).

And that's it! Tighten the tension rod until it is secure against the ceiling and let kitty go crazy! Your cat tree should be nice and study without having to take up valuable floor space, and without having to look like the cat has taken over your decorating scheme. And then won't you be the cat's meow!

Mason tries out the new cat tree. He thinks it is purrr-fect!