Designing Cat Trees!

[JojoCatMama]

Hi everyone! So it appears my hubby is slowly but surely getting used to the idea of our future cat (he's more of a dog person...for now).

After searching for cat trees online, which are all expensive and mostly ugly, he came up with the idea that we just make our own.

So this is what I came up with ⬇️ and he claims he could realistically make them all! (As a woodworker I trust him to come up with the physics).

What do you think? Has anyone made their own cat trees successfully?

 

[Maddie]

As long as the base is heavy enough it should be fine! looks great

 

[sphynxmoms]

I actually thought about making my own. As I looked into the cost of the materials, I found purchasing one was actually cheaper. I found one I liked and waited for it to go on sale. It was 60% off the original price and would have cost me the original price to build it myself. Then figuring in the time...it was worth the purchase price.
But good luck...I'd love to see your design when it's done!

 

[nudieluvr]

Cool ideas. I wish I was creative. Cat shelves are about as creative as I get in thatI department. Ive seen tons of cool designs out there so I'm sure you can find plenty of inspiration. I agree with @Maddie about the base. My biggest issues with a lot of tower designs is that they simply aren't sturdy enough.

 

[Jynxified]

We have made several mostly for outside so we got away with tree trimmings and such. My daughter now19 has a play house / dollhouse that is about 1.5-2 feet and 3.5 feet high made of plywood and pine. We are going to make the cats a new cat tree using the playhouse as the cats are often on or in it anyway. It is going to be a bit yet, but when we get around to it I will be sure to post pictures. You can make cat trees for less if you are thrifty as you can get carpet ends and such. warped wood, construction site scraps. ect. plus a home made one can be refitted usually a lot easier than the store bought ones. it is miserable trying to get the old carpet and staples out to install new carpet. Your trees look awesome.

 

[Mal]

My spouse and I.....haha who am I kidding... My spouse built one last summer, WAY cheaper than buying one (it also helps that my spouse has unlimited supply to free lumber

We got a few rolls of twine or whatever for the two spots, and a few feet of rope from Home Depot and then two different carpets
and such, I think all in all it was maybe $100 spent and its very tall and sturdy
Its just carpeting the tower after that takes sooooooo long!!

Here is a few different pics of it so you can get the full effect:

(this pic is from Petes first birthday so dont mind him and the decorations hehe)

 

[JojoCatMama]

I actually thought about making my own. As I looked into the cost of the materials, I found purchasing one was actually cheaper. I found one I liked and waited for it to go on sale. It was 60% off the original price and would have cost me the original price to build it myself. Then figuring in the time...it was worth the purchase price.
But good luck...I'd love to see your design when it's done!

Woah it was cheaper? That's a great find! Maybe I'll need 2

 

[JojoCatMama]

@Maddie yeah I'll be sure to ask hubby how he plans to weight the bases. Another idea I had was somehow attach it to the wall so it couldn't tip over.

 

[JojoCatMama]

My spouse and I.....haha who am I kidding... My spouse built one last summer, WAY cheaper than buying one (it also helps that my spouse has unlimited supply to free lumber

We got a few rolls of twine or whatever for the two spots, and a few feet of rope from Home Depot and then two different carpets
and such, I think all in all it was maybe $100 spent and its very tall and sturdy
Its just carpeting the tower after that takes sooooooo long!!

Here is a few different pics of it so you can get the full effect:
View attachment 77953

View attachment 77954

View attachment 77955
(this pic is from Petes first birthday so dont mind him and the decorations hehe)

Wow that looks so nice! I love the idea of customizing it. Also it looks like your cats love it.
I still have a few months to go till kitty comes home, so carpeting might be a good time-killer.

 

[JojoCatMama]

We have made several mostly for outside so we got away with tree trimmings and such. My daughter now19 has a play house / dollhouse that is about 1.5-2 feet and 3.5 feet high made of plywood and pine. We are going to make the cats a new cat tree using the playhouse as the cats are often on or in it anyway. It is going to be a bit yet, but when we get around to it I will be sure to post pictures. You can make cat trees for less if you are thrifty as you can get carpet ends and such. warped wood, construction site scraps. ect. plus a home made one can be refitted usually a lot easier than the store bought ones. it is miserable trying to get the old carpet and staples out to install new carpet. Your trees look awesome.

Wow so cool! I love the idea of getting carpet scraps. For now we are planning on PVC pipes (which I didn't know come in different widths) and plywood. And something heavy for the base.

 

[Toa and Ross]

The cattower you're about to make looks awesome. I have a cattree that was "handmade" (not by me but by the breeder I got my boys from). It's very solid and my crew loves it. And it was cheaper then a cattree from a shop. But I live in the Netherlands so guess this is not helping you much. Sorry!

 

[JojoCatMama]

@Toa and Ross woah I really like the look of yours! Maybe the breeder of our future cat will have recommendations.

 

[Roki]

We were looking for cat tree materials as well and came across some old speaker boxes. We were going to reconstruct them or wrap them with carpet, but we found out that the cats really like that short fuzzy material that's already wrapped and glued to it. They claw the crap out of it & no mess! Also, Velcro sticks very well to it. So we now have three and they seem to really like them.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Maddie]

@Roki thats awesome!

 

[sphynxmoms]

Woah it was cheaper? That's a great find! Maybe I'll need 2

Yea The price I was looking at for building my own was about $140...unlike lucky @Mal I don't have access to any free lumber so I would have had to purchase everything. I bought one for under $75.

It's very sturdy and Buck LOVES it! Especially the little round hammock that juts off to the side.

 

[Hairless Blessing]

Yea The price I was looking at for building my own was about $140...unlike lucky @Mal I don't have access to any free lumber so I would have had to purchase everything. I bought one for under $75.
View attachment 77958
It's very sturdy and Buck LOVES it! Especially the little round hammock that juts off to the side.

That is a great deal. Looks good to.

 

[Toa and Ross]

@Roki how awesome!

 

[Xandria]

Your designs are great. The only thing I'll mention is that Sphynx LOVE to be up high, so make sure one of the trees almost reaches the ceiling. My Max will sit on the topmost perch of ours and then stand up and stretch his front paws just so they touch the ceiling. LOL

Min, using a tree perch to lean up on a window.

Max, holding up the ceiling on the tree by our kitchen (they like to watch me cook ha ha).

This setup is at my living room sliding window. It's two cat trees position together. They love tearing up and down them.

A bit of a better view.

When we first got these.

Please post pics of yours when complete!!!

 

[JojoCatMama]

Your designs are great. The only thing I'll mention is that Sphynx LOVE to be up high, so make sure one of the trees almost reaches the ceiling. My Max will sit on the topmost perch of ours and then stand up and stretch his front paws just so they touch the ceiling. LOL

Min, using a tree perch to lean up on a window.
View attachment 78034

Max, holding up the ceiling on the tree by our kitchen (they like to watch me cook ha ha).
View attachment 78035

This setup is at my living room sliding window. It's two cat trees position together. They love tearing up and down them.
View attachment 78036

A bit of a better view.
View attachment 78037

When we first got these.
View attachment 78038

Please post pics of yours when complete!!!

I like the idea of getting two and putting them next to each other! Genius! Max is too cute

 

[JojoCatMama]

Update: my sister just got a new cat tree for her cat and I helped assemble it. It's the 62" from Petco, "You & Me" brand.

It was fairly easy to assemble (took about an hour total) and it seems pretty sturdy! It wobbles a bit but nothing crazy and it's making me think buying might be the way to go... 6-month-old Luna LOVES it!

 

[sphynxmoms]

Update: my sister just got a new cat tree for her cat and I helped assemble it. It's the 62" from Petco, "You & Me" brand.

It was fairly easy to assemble (took about an hour total) and it seems pretty sturdy! It wobbles a bit but nothing crazy and it's making me think buying might be the way to go... 6-month-old Luna LOVES it!

Try Chewy.com and wayfair.com the prices are far more reasonable.

 

[Jynxified]

Try Chewy.com and wayfair.com the prices are far more reasonable.

oooooo i just checked these sites out. wow the prices are much better than Amazon. sweet new places to shop and spoil my cats. thanks you are such an awesome enabler lol.

 

[sphynxmoms]

oooooo i just checked these sites out. wow the prices are much better than Amazon. sweet new places to shop and spoil my cats. thanks you are such an awesome enabler lol.

Well we spoil them anyway...at least now we are SAVING $$ (y)

 

[Xandria]

@JojoCatMama great pics. That tree looks awesome. Nice and tall. Keep us updated

 

[JojoCatMama]

Try Chewy.com and wayfair.com the prices are far more reasonable.

I also just checked out Chewy.com... agh!!!!! A 72" tree for >$100?! What have you done haha