DIY Cat Tree With Hammock

Since we have a cat since a couple of weeks we needed to have a cat tree. Because I didn't like what you can buy or it was to expensive I desided to build one myself. I wan't to show you how I did it.

First I wanted to build it very mutable, to be able to take it apart in case of mooving and put it together again easily. Therefore I wanted to use thread inserts and carriage bolts. Thats why on some drawings you can see a complicated hole schematic. But it didn't work out the way I planed it so ein just put it together with wood screws.

Tools used:

buzz saw, cordless screwdriver, drills, screw clamp, tape rule, glue, bit box, carpet cutter, wood glue

Here's a list of the material I used:

- floor board : 900x500mm

- small platform: 300x400mm

- pole:Ø 100x500mm

- big platform: 400x500mm

- pole: Ø 100x1500mm

- house pole: Ø 100x300mm

- house bottom: 370x400mm

- house front: 270x400mm

- house back: 220x364mm

- house side: 220x270mm

- house front: 220x364mm

- crossbeam: Ø 80x900mm

- hammock beam Ø 45x450mm

- wood screws: 4x50/ 6x60/ 8x240

- carpet for the platforms, floor board and the top of the house. Aswell the step infornt of the house and inside.

- some cloth to wrap the house

- sisal rope (100m Ø10mm)

Step 1: Planning

I made some drawings on the computer and bought all the wood, screws and other stuff I would need and set everything up in the driveway to begin.

The I started to mark all the cuts and holes I needed to make according to the drawings.

Step 2: Making the Parts

I started by cutting the big boards first, then the smaler ones.

I used a board which I had at home to clamped it to the board I wanted to cut. Then i used a buzz saw to get a nice straigt cut. I marked where the screws should be, so I could put them neatly in later.

Then I cut all the poles to the corect length, drilled all the holes in them and made some grooves in which the sisal rope fits on the ends of the poles and near cross holes. I did this with a cordless screwdriver by drilling holes in a line close togther. (pics in next step)

Step 3: Carpet on the Floor Board

I cut out the sice of the floor board and glued carpet ont it. On the other side I put some felt pads to avoid scratches on the floor.

Step 4: Wrapping the Poles With Sisal Rope

I wraped some ductape around the beginning of the sisal rope so it wouldn't fray. I put some glew in the groove and used a wood screw and a wascher to fix the rope to the pole. Then I stared to wrap the rope around the pole with some more wood glue. At the end I fixed the rope in the the groove.

On some of the poles I had cross holes which I skipped by putting the rope through the groove. I used glue and a screw in the same way as on the ends. This groove would be on the back side when the cat tree is put together.

Step 5: Putting Together the House and the Small Platform

I wrapped the the bottom of the house in cloth and then screwed the pole to it. I pre-drilled the holes before screwing them together so the wood wouldn't split.

Then I put the rest of the house together separately from the bottom with screws and then wrapped it in cloth and cut out the opening in the front. I also pre-drilled the holes here. Before I screwed the pole of the small platform on top of the house I glued a piece of carpet on it.

Then I put the house together, screwd the pole to the floor board by using the large wood screws (8x240). I cut a pieace of carpet to fit into the house. I didn't use glue so it can be taken out to clean it. Then I glued a piece of carpet on the step infront of the opening.

Finally I scred the board of the small platform on its pole and glued some carpet on it.

Step 6: Large Platfrom and Hammock

I screwd the board to the pole and put carpet on it. Then I screwed it to the floor board, also using one of the long screws.

I put in the poles of both platforms the two hammock beams and put the crossbeam on them. The crossbeam stabilises the poles and also is a step or a place to lie on for the cat.
since I didn't have enough cloth I put the rest of the sisal rope as a hammock. I will update this when I have some more cloth.

Comments

[firstbk50]

Very nice cat tree! Maybe you should add another step up closer to the bottom to make it easier for her to gain the upper parts of the tree. Also some shag carpet or fluffy shag material instead of the carpet you used. You can just put it right over what you used. Please don't take me wrong. Your design is wonderful. A three legged kitten has to learn those baby steps first! We too took a kitten from the outdoors and gave her a home. God bless you for your kind and loving heart.

[spacefed]

thank you for your comment. she really loves her cat tree. I will keep my eyes open for some fluffy material, thanks for the remark.

At the moment the cat tree is standing right next to the couch you can see in the background of the pictures. So she skips the climbing and just jumps up from the couch. I will keep it in mind in case we ever move it or buy a new couch. Despite her having only three legs she is a good climber, so maybe we won't have to change it, we will see :-) There is a Cherrytree in the backjard which she sometimes climbs, not so elegant as with four legs, but who cares for the points for performance, right? :-)

[MsSweetSatisfaction]

Nice cat tree, I bet you'll have some very happy kitties! Thanks for sharing!

[spacefed]

glad you like it. we only have one kitten. But since we found her having only three legs I thought it would be nice for her to have a really awesome cat tree. So far, the couch is more fun though ;-)

[michelinok]

Sisal rope is very expensive..... Where did you buy it?

[spacefed]

i bought it from amazon

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0069UPKY6/ref=oh_...

thougth it was ok for the price.