Creating your own cat tree is an awesome way to get into quickly. Creating a tree is also a great way to exercise your cats and hands-on skills. It also can be fun for them!
To make a DIY cat tree, you will need five major components:
1. A high platform to stand your cat on
2. Some branches for your cat to climb on
3. A home for your cat
4.
Contents:
Buy a couple of wooden poles
Once your cat is comfortable in its environment, try making your own tree! Creating a tree with two parallel poles gives your cat more room to explore.
Each pole can be placed a different height, making it easy to create a variety of trees. If one were to hang from it, the next would be able to do the same.
By creating multiple poles, each one with its own individual comfort level, you are helping maintain mental and physical health. This is why you should start with two little birds– one for you and one for your pet.
Once you have made your first tree, take it outside to let it weather a few storms. Having it outside will also help prevent damage to the wood- outdoor elements are what break it down, not the weather or structure of the tree.
Buy some carpeting for the cat tree
Once your cat tree is built, you will need to add some carpeting onto the floor. Carpeting is a very versatile material, so it can be used as a mat for your cat to climb on, or it can be piled on top of to create a more natural (and spacious) environment.
The way you provide the carpeting onto the floor depends on what kind of animal you have. If your cat is a mouse, she might want a easy-to-maintain-and-replace mouse hole in the carpet. If her next house may be an animal shelter, then perhaps some soft polyester wool would be ideal.
If your pet loves water and likes to get wet, then looking into possibly having water lilies planted in the ground might be worth considering.
Buy some hanging toys for the cat tree
Once your cat is comfortable in your home, it is time to get the cat tree underway. You can start with just a few toys or just a few inches of space, but you will have to create enough space for them to climb.
The hanging toys should be sized right for your kitty. Some cats like to sulk and prefer not to be climbed at the same time, which is okay!
Make sure to buy enough toys so your cat can have some fun with them. If you run out of fun, you can use the toys as litter boxes or places for accidents.Putting them away each day is also helpful for getting through the day with no climbing involved.
Place the carpeting on the cat tree
Once you have decided on a pattern for your tree, it is time to pick the carpeting. There are many ways to make the carpeting. You can buy a quality carpeted floor and just cut and paste it in place. Or you can find a quick way to do it.
The fastest way is to use bedding. The mattress or pillow case can be cut into several layers and then glued on top of one another. This works very well if you have good strength glue available!
Either way, these must be used-up materials must be kept away from your cat, or they will mess up his or her experience with the room. The other parts of the tree that they may climb onto must also be avoided because they may get stuck in them.
Place the poles into the square frame
Now that the interior of your tree is furnished, it is time to add the nodes! Each node can be a favorite menu, or whatever you want them to be.
If you are building your tree on your own, this is when the fun begins. You will need to measure and cut lengths of wood and Styrofoam to make your tree. You can also add some fancy decorations if you have some good material left from another project.
On the next day, you will take your trees out of their packaging and string them together. Try not to put any stress on the trees before adding any decorations as they may break under the pressure.
Hang the toys from the cat tree
When your cat gets older, you can start placing some of the toys away from them. This is a good idea because they may easily get bored of the simple hang-the-toy system.
When your cat gets engaged in playing, it makes more sense to put the toys away rather than up. This is because with more advanced games played, your cat will need to be able to grab and use the toys for an amount of time.
The more games your cat plays, the more space you need to make for them. By having a large enough area for play, they will have enough space to enjoy their hobbies.
To keep your cat calm while building their confidence with hang-the-toys, use high jump ropes or other fun activities.
Add your own personal touch to your cat tree
Adding some height to your cat tree is a great way to add some personal touch and value to your space. You can make an extra-long model or a short one if you need to make room!
Most models are limited in how high they can be. The top must be able to be removed and added easily, and the material must not harm your cats feet or ankles.
Some models allow you to remove the bottom so that you can replace it with a new one. These are very popular as they allow you to let out some air while building your cats confidence.
If you build one that allows easy removal and replacement, any store should sell one as soon as it is built! These models are perfect for those who do not want very complicated products that may break quickly.
Pet your kitty and watch her enjoy her new toy!
If your cat enjoys playing with the same toys over and over, then this wood or plastic tree is for you!
Making your own toy trees is a fun way to spend some time. If you are more proficient at creating toys than cutting and assembling, you can start there.
The first step in building a tree is to figure out how high your cat can sit. Once this is mastered, then it is time to experiment with different heights.
There are many ways to build a tree. You can use solid colors, patterns, mixes, and combinations. All of these apply between having your kitty climb the trees or them being forced onto one side or back.
Any of thesearticlescan be done by someone with only basic skills but are not suggested if the cat becomes nervous.