Build cat furniture on your own – a good or bad idea?
Many cat owners have decided to buy cat furniture for their pet but couldn’t afford it because of the high prices. So, some of them choose to make cat condos, cat trees and cat towers alone. This could be a good idea if you are a good carpenter or if you are experienced in building construction on your own. However, if you don’t have the skills and knowledge required for this, you better not start making cat furniture at all because this could turn to be a bad idea.
So, if you undertake a project for do-it-yourself cat furniture, you should first make a plan of the cat tree, condo or tower you want to make. Some pet stores offer books with construction plans. You can also find such instructions in the internet.
Then, you should consider what you will need. Here is a list of the most important things:
excess wooden material
carpet leftovers
rope
angle brackets
nails, screws, etc.
The easiest way to build cat furniture is to make a center pole and place numerous side platforms on that pile. Keep in mind that the pole should be strong and stable, and its height depends on the place where you will locate the piece of furniture. The next important thing is the base of the furniture. You need a wide base that will prevent the construction from tipping over. The wider the base, the more stable the construction will be.
Here are some tips that may be useful if you want to make your cat’s furniture on your own:
1. The center pole should be attached to the base with a long bolt and angle brackets on all four sides. This will provide stability. It may be a good idea to cover the base with carper before you attach it to the pole.
2. When you attach the platforms to the pole, keep in mind that there should be at least a foot between them. You can create a stair step effect if you put them first on the north side, then on the east side and then on the south side. You should also place a platform or an enclosure on the top of the construction because cats enjoy perching on high places.
3. It will be much easier if you cover the platforms with carper before you attach them to the central pole.
4. After you attach the platforms, wrap the pole with sisal rope. The rope should be thick in order to last longer. Don’t use tacks to secure the rope, instead do that with nails.
5. The best thing about do-it-yourself cat furniture is that you are free to do whatever you want to make the furniture you need. You can put as many platforms as you need, you can make is as high as you want, you can include sleeping enclosures if you want. You don’t have to accept the constructions developed and made by other people. You can customize the furniture according to you own needs and wishes.
6. After you build the furniture, you may need to lure your cat to their new condo. To do that, you can rub catnip in the rope and the carpet, and your cat will start investigating and using the furniture in no time.
We may conclude do-it-yourself cat furniture can be fun and can have great results, but only if you know what are you doing and how to do it. Otherwise, starting such project can be really bad idea, and it may cause more troubles than advantages.
