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Home Improvement > Other Projects > How to Build a Cat Tree Complete with Scratching Post and Tower

The perfect house for kitty to play, sleep and scratch.

Some cat trees purchased in stores are unstable, so we elect to build ours with a large heavy base using two layers of 3/4-inch plywood bonded with glue and screwed together for additional strength. A central tower will offer cozy spaces where the cats can crawl in and out with plenty of entrances and exits. Carpet will cover the wooden structure, and the final component will be a rope-covered set of climbing poles to add a gymnastic component to the cat tree.

Step by Step Instructions with Video

Step
1

Design the Cat Tree

Design the cat tree and purchase 3/4-inch plywood, carpeting, PVC piping, and sisal rope to accommodate the dimensions of your project. Our measurements below may vary from yours, so adjust your plan accordingly.

Step
2

Glue the Plywood Surface

Roll carpenter's glue onto the surface of one 3-foot-by-3-foot layer of plywood after cutting two base sections of those approximate proportions. Brush off any debris from the surfaces of both sections, and use a small paint roller and paint pan to facilitate applying the glue to such a large surface. Set the second plywood base on top of the first with the edges flush.

Step
3

Drive in Screws

Drill countersunk shank holes about 8-inches off each corner and drive in screws to hold the two layers together more securely.

Step
4

Add a Lip Around Base Perimeter

Add a lip around the perimeter of the base by screwing 3- to 4-inch wide lengths of plywood to the edges. Set these narrow strips on edge, butted against the raw edges of the base, and attach them flush with the bottom of the base. Overlap the corners rather than mitering them.

Step
5

Draw a Circle

Set up a compass and pencil to span 3-inches in preparation for making the tower. A circle drawn with this compass setting (and the resulting hole cut) will be 6-inches in diameter. That is a good size for small to medium cats.

Step
6

Cut Plywood

Cut the pieces of the tower from 3/4-inch plywood according to the plans. You will need four side panels that are about 3-feet by 18-inches. You will also need three panels that are about 17 1/4-inches square - two to form the ends of the tower and one for a center divider.

Step
7

Mark Position for Center Divider

Draw a line across the middle of each side panel, to mark the position for the center divider and delineate an18-inch square on each end of the side panel. In each of those squares, draw diagonal lines from corner to corner so they cross at the exact center of each square.

Step
8

Outline a 6-inch Circle

Place the compass point on the center/cross marks of each square and outline a 6-inch circle. You will have two circles marked on each panel, for a total of eight on the sides of the tower. Use the same method to mark a hold on the topmost end panel only.

Step
9

Drill Starter holes

Drill a starter hole with a power drill just inside each circle drawn.

Step
10

Cut out Nine Circles

Insert the jigsaw blade into the starter hole and then cut out each of the nine circles.

Step
11

Glue Pieces Together

Glue together the sides, top, bottom, and center divider for the tower. Each side panel will overlap its neighboring panel on one edge and butt up against the flat surface of the opposite neighbor.

Step
12

Secure all Glue Joints

Use a pneumatic nail gun to secure all the glue joints for greater strength.

Step
13

Staple Carpet

Drop a piece of carpet into the base (cut to fit) and staple it in place. Cut carpet to fit the side panels and the top panel exactly and staple the pieces in place.

Step
14

Cut Carpet

Use a utility knife to cut from the center of the holes (now covered in carpet), back to the edges of the plywood circle. Make about six neat cuts, starting each time from the center of the hole so that you have pie-shaped pieces that are loose at the point and two sides, but still attached at the edge of the circle.

Step
15

Apply Glue to Carpet

Apply glue to the underside of the carpet wedges.

Step
16

Bend and Staple Carpet Points

Bend the carpet points to the interior of the tower and staple them to the plywood.

Step
17

Obtain PVC Piping

Obtain four equal lengths of PVC piping about 5 1/2 to 6-feet long to serve as the superstructure for the gymnastic element of the cat tree. These will fit in the four corners of the base and meet above the center of the tower.

Step
18

Glue Interior Surface of Pipes

Mix up some quick-setting epoxy glue and spread it on the interior surface of both ends of each of the four pipes after cutting eight 2-inch inserts of dowel rods that are the exact diameter of the interior of the pipe.

Step
19

Slide Dowel into Wet Glue

Slide one dowel into the wet glue in each end of the four pipes so that the end of the dowel is flush with the end of the pipe like a plug.

Step
20

Attach Sisal Roper to Exterior of Pipe

Attach a piece of sisal rope to the exterior of one end of the pipes only, screwing through the rope and pipe and into the wooden dowel. To stop the ends of the rope from fraying, neatly glue the fibers at the ends of the rope together, wrap the end with clear tape, and let them all dry before attaching the rope to the pipe.

Step
21

Wind the Rope Tightly

Use your power drill to help wind the sisal rope tightly around the entire length of the pipe. First make a hole a little larger than the diameter of the PVC pipe in a block of wood and clamp the block so that it stands upright. The hole will be facing you and temporarily hold up the opposite end of the pipe. Drill into the wooden dowel plug at the end of the pipe with the sisal attached and leave the drill bit in the dowel. Now, use the drill to spin the pole while a second person guides the rope into place.

Step
22

Knot the Rope

Knot the sisal rope at the other end of the pipe to hold the tightly wound spiral of rope covering in place.

Step
23

Lean Knotted Rope Ends Inward

Put the end of the pipes with the screwed sisal in the four corners of the base and lean the knotted sisal ends inward until they meet like teepee poles above the tower.

Step
24

Secure the Tops

Secure the tops by drilling laterally from one pipe into the next where they meet above the tower. Be sure to leave enough room to screw the next pipe in without bumping into the previous screw. Suspend a cat toy from the apex of the pipes.