From: stnd@bohr.physics.purdue.edu (Scott N. Dickson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Cat trees (repost from long ago)
Date: 1 Oct 92 00:46:03 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Physics Department

In light of the recent threads about building your own cat tree,
as opposed to getting gouged at the pet store, I though I'd post
this.  I'd written this long ago in response to someone's query,
so it sorta reads like a letter.

_______________________________________________________________

I finally have some time to type this in.  This describes the cat
tree I built for my mother's two cats.  It took about an hour to
build.  Some modifications were added later, included here,
because the little monsters destroyed it in the beginning.

You will need a hammer, assorted nails, carpet tacks, saw, 2 6
ft. long 2x4's, assorted 3/4" thick flat wall panelling or
plywood, carpet remnants (color keyed to the rest of your decor),
and a 6' high wooden stepladder.  The thing is moveable, so don't
worry about building it in the room it will eventually reside in.

Take great pains to insure that there are no exposed carpet edges
or sharp objects that can cut the cats.  Be especially careful
with the lengths of nails.

First build a six-foot high scratching and climbing pole.  Cut a
6' long piece of carpet wide enough so that it will wrap 1.5-1.75
times around the 2x4's when held together.  Using carpet tacks (I
used short, big-headed nails), nail the carpet lengthwise to one
of the 2x4's, about halfway across and with the "upside" up. 
Make sure the nails you use are short enough so that they do not
protrude out the other side of the wood.  This next part is hard
to describe.  Lay the board with the carpet nailed to it in front
of you.  Fold the carpet under the board.  You should now have
the underside of the carpet visible except for the part that is
nailed.  Lay the other 2x4 next to the first, on the carpet.  If
you cut the width of the carpet right you should be able to nail
the other edge of the carpet to the second 2x4 with a little
space (1" or so) between the boards.  Now simply fold the two
pieces of wood together such that both edges of the carpet meet. 
Nail the boards together using nails (with big heads) that almost
go through both boards, but not quite.  These should be fairly
long nails.  If you have followed what I meant to be clear
instructions (a drawing would be helpful, I know), you should now
have a 6' high carpeted pole such that the edges of the carpet
are *between* the boards and can't be chewed, etc.  The carpet
should be fairly tight, also.

      
Next build a base for the pole.  Get a piece of sturdy plywood
about 2'x2' square.  Cut a squareish hole in a piece of carpet
such that it fits over the carpeted pole.  Cover the base with
this piece such that the hole is in the middle.  Again, nail the
base carpet to the base on the underside using short, wide-headed
nails that do not come through on the top.  With a helper to hold
the pole, nail the base onto the pole with the longest, sturdiest
nails you can find.  Be careful to hit the right spot with the
nails.  You now have a 6' high self-standing scratching post.  Of
course I've built smaller posts in an identical manner.

Now the fun part.  Get a, say, 1x6 board.  Cut it to a length
such that it completely covers the top step of the stepladder,
yet will reach to the scratching post when placed beside the
ladder.  The length of this board is really up to you, as this
will be the "perch".  I used one approx. 3' long.  Cover this
board with carpet, nails and edges on the underside.  Nail the
board to the top of the scratching post.  The amount of overhang
is up to you.  Drill 4 holes through the perch and the top of the
stepladder, one at each corner of the latter.  Drill right
through the carpet on the perch.  Bolt the scratching post/perch
assembly to the stepladder, using 1/4" head bolts and matching
nuts.  Choose the length of the bolts so that they barely come
through the perch+top of ladder.

You are done, unless you want to do more.  By this point the cats
were climbing all over the thing and I decided enough was enough. 
You could carpet the rungs of the ladder.  Also, platforms can be
built from the rungs of the ladder to the braces of the ladder. 
Don't build them too high because of the bolts on underside of
the top step.

I built this thing over 5 years ago and it has taken 2 14 lb.
cats hurling themselves at it from across the room just fine.  It
will not tip over because of the wide base on the scratching pole
and the ladder's feet.  To move it through doorways, simply
unbolt the pole from the ladder.

Let me know if you have any questions, as somethings may not be
clear.  You should have some idea of the cost involved from
reading this.  It's much cheaper than a pet store tree, and it
was actually quite easy to build.  Let me know what you think of
this (I may post it to r.p.c.) and how it goes.


Scott Dickson
stnd@physics.purdue.edu