Tag: tower

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DIY: Cat Towers From Ikea’s Stolmen

One of the things I’m not crazy about with most cat stands is how big & clunky they are–they can take up a lot of space.  That’s why I’m liking these Ikea hacks you can make yourself with 2 Stolmen poles and shelves.  And if you want something sleeker, you can buy nifty shelves specifically for making a cat tower using just one Stolmen pole.  Not only do these cat towers look less massive than traditional cat stands, they have a very small footprint, and even cooler—you can change them around to keep your kitties intrigued.

This first DIY project is pretty straightforward and uses just Stolmen parts. See how the shelves are stair-stepped so the cats will have an easy time climbing up.

 

 

 

 

The second DIY project is a little more involved–but super easy– and includes a great scratching post. The original plans are in Finnish, but here’s a translation of the plans to give you some more information on how they made their tower.

 

 

 

 

The Hollywood Franklin Tower from designer Peter Sehorsch is a more streamlined version that uses only one Ikea Stolmen pole.  They make 2 different sized shelves, come in different color stains, and are covered in carpet from Flor.  Their site is Flash intensive and irksome, but their design is worth looking at.  If the Flash bugs you, check out the pdf to see the niftiness.

 

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DIY: Cat Tower That Wraps A Corner

This Mighty Cat Tower is unusual in that it wraps around a corner with an unusual footprint to make it less obtrusive.  What a great idea!  You probably should anchor it to the wall, but if the base is heavy enough maybe it wouldn’t need it.

The post is short on instructions, but has a good list of materials.  And there’s a video to teach your kitties how to make the most of their cat tower.  Check out previous posts on building:

Important Note: the author of on of the Cat Tree tutorial recommends using 3/8″ Brazilian sisal rope because it’s stronger, but more importantly because it’s less heavily oiled than other sisal rope.

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DIY: Monster Cat Tree

Check out these great instructions for a beefy cat scratching post/cat tree. It’s a no-frills, utilitarian design, but it looks easy to build and that it will last forever. You can make it fancier by painting the shelf supports and by the color carpet you use to cover the shelves. And if you don’t cover the center post in sisal, you could paint it too.

You will need a drill, a saw, and a good staple gun (I recommend an electric one to make sure you get the staples sunk deep.) And be sure to stagger the shelves and make them large enough that your cat can actually climb the tree.

Don’t miss these previous posts on a DIY cat tree and a DIY scratching post.

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DIY: Make A Sisal Rope Cat Scratching Post

scratchingpost1copy.jpgI don’t know if it’s because Fall is here, but I’m in a Do-It-Yourself mood. Here’s an excellent tutorial on how to build your own sisal scratching post for your feline friends. There are lots of really useful tips and clear instructions. (Update: The creator of this tutorial suggested googling for 3/8 Brazilian sisal rope to find good sisal for your post.)

You can also apply much of the advice, such as recommended base size for a post, to making a cat tree—check out these other posts on how to build your own full cat tree and how to build this monster cat tree. Your kitties will love you and you’ll love how much money you can save!

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DIY: Build Your Own Cat Tree

diycattree-copy.jpgStumped by the cost of upscale cat trees? Judy DePasse of DePurrs Persians has some great instructions on building your own. It includes tools and supplies needed, dimensions, and instructions.

It took her less than a day to build using mostly materials you can find at Home Depot or the like. Be sure you use sisal that doesn’t reek of oil, kerosene, etc. You probably won’t find that in most hardware stores. The stuff I’ve seen at Home Depot was too heavily oiled.

Don’t miss these other posts on a DIY cat tree and a DIY scratching post.

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