cattree 04.doc

cat tree condo house

Cat tree provides plenty of benefits for kittens, it provides a great place to hang out, sleep and play. cat tower provides needed exercise and stimulation: a surface to scratch on to relieve stress and boredom, and a high perch to escape to. Unfortunately, even smaller cat trees can be very expensive. A good alternative way is to build a cat tree for your cat by yourself.


Building a cat tree will save a lot of money as well as giving you complete control over the cat tower's appearance and function. You can make a cat tree by yourself only using a few readily available tools and materials.
Want to know how to build a cat tree ? You may need this DIY tutorial guide about making cat tower tree.

·         Tools:

Try to save money ,Power tools proposed to being borrowed , or have the lumber cut-to-length when purchased.
Below is the tool list , you can borrow it ,or buy it from local store or Amazon:

1. Screw driver to cut round pieces of wood to fit in tubes to nail or screw into,screwdriver electric is better ;
2. Small wrench;
3. staple gun to staple fabric and rope and door mat;
4. circular saw to cut tubes and plywood or particle board;
5. Electric drill/ driver;
6. Hand saw(if you have table saw, pass this);
7. Carpet Knife;
8. Measuring tape;
9. Pencil;

·         Material:  Plywood, Solid wood or MDF

The thickness of home-made cat climbing tower is not recommended to use more than 2CM thick , the base plate could be used a much thick wood to increase stability . The thick of top perch using 1CM is enough.

1. MDF

Advantages: the MDF is very strong, not deformed. The price is very cheap . Even thin models is also very strong.
Disadvantages: afraid of the water , if wet, the MDF will swell and deformation . Too heavy , handling effortless. And cutting MDF will have a particularly large amount of sawdust dust .
    2. Plywood
Advantages: some kinds of plywood are not afraid of water, resistant to moisture, high temperature, and can even be a long-term outdoor use . Price affordable .
Disadvantages: formaldehyde . if cut it with hand saw, it will edge .Most models too thick and too heavy .
   3.  Solid wood
Advantages: environmentally friendly , durable , protozoa , no deformation , can be used to do the the Wrapped bare wood type cat climbing tree ;
Disadvantages: Expensive , The moisture content of cheap inferior product can not pass the  standards , easy to deform.
 

·         Material:  The fur or Carpet

Which one to cover the cat tree, provide more Comfortably for your kitten.
1. Plush Fabric: long plush and short plush
The plush fabric is beautiful and  Comfort best . But the price is not cheap .
Click here buy from Amazon: Plush fabric for cat tree
2. Faux Fur
Advantages: beautiful , affordable , not easily deformed wrinkle .
Disadvantages: sticky cat hair , prominent , frequent cleaning is required .
Click here to buy form Amazon: Faux Fur for cat tower

·         Material:  Miscellaneous

1. Sisal Rope

Sisal rope , also known as white coir , make of sisal long fiber ,has a tensile strength , acid and alkali resistance, cold, etc. , can be used for mining , bundle Pradesh, lifting , and handicraft production .
Recommended natural sisal with 8mm diameter , thin sisal easy to be caught off and fluff , then you cat tree will be very ugly .
Click here to buy from Amazon: Sisal rope for cat tree from Amazon
   2.  PVC pipe or Sono tube
Used  to be the posts of cat tower, if you want to add one cat tube, select the largest diameter.check the CONCRETE FORMWORK SECTION in a hardware or building supply store
   3.  8mm long nails
   4.  PVC flange
Used to connect the base with posts.

·         Design your cat tree:

Just before getting materials or starting to create, you require a design and style program, which you can sketch out onto paper to establish your substance buying record. There are two classic type of cat tree you can follow the design.
1. Type 1 cat tree
All board parallel to the ground , there is no other technical components . Expansion unit cat spoon , hammocks , cat drill tube . Such home-made climbing frame can be decomposed completely removed . ( As shown below)

2. Type 2 cat tree
This cat climbing tree has stairs, the construction of the house like a cat spoon , hammock , drill tube , this cat tree production need high technology requirements , such climbing frames, stairs and the house is generally not disassemble . Because there is no better developed , disassemble the assembly method of connecting such parts are generally directly fixed with nails directly . (As shown below)

There are several items to contemplate when designing your cat tree:
Initial, consider your place and aesthetic concerns. Establish the place your cat tree will be placed, and how extensive and higher it should be to fit effectively into that space.
You ought to also consider your cat's desired use of the cat tree. If your cat likes to climb, contemplate constructing a tall cat tree with a number of perches. If your cat would like a non-public spot to snooze, take into account building in a coated sleeping nook.
Last but not least, you must hold your personal handiness in mind. If you are comparatively inexperienced with constructing and utilizing hand instruments, hold your design basic so that you aren't overcome.

·         Cut all materials to size:

Making use of your prepare as a guide, cut all the plywood and lumber sections to measurement. A straightforward back again noticed is excellent for cutting dimension lumber, even though a handheld circular noticed is superb for reducing sheets of plywood. Sand rough edges if desired.
1. cutting and Holes
Straight cutting with a circular saw, you can also use wire sawing machines. If you want to do the non-party climbing cat tree, you must buy wire saw machine (saw). Small parts on the cutting saw blade handsaw, no saws Panel saw for cutting large sheets of the party, saw a handsaw on not cut too deep. Need to be attached to the post, you must drill holes, drill 1cm drill bit, 8mm can, but screws on trouble. Drill holes require precise measurements, marked with a square, tape measure, art pencils you want drilling locations. Caution when drilling, hole distances must be greater than PVC pipe and plate edge radius. (If a board above and below a Board is completely coincidence, can be stack drilled. ) (As shown below)
 

2. Fabric cut and wrapped
It is best to have two pairs of scissors, a clean cloth cutting excess after you cut the wrapped plates (because cloth adhesive on the glue)

Before wrapped the fabric, cutting cloth with square alignment, don't cut it crooked, you can draw a line with a pencil.

Cut out the fabric from the upper package slightly larger than the Board, after edge volume the lower manual nail gun fixed. Bao Bu on the Board before the upper first contact adhesive. If the lower fabric (and more beautiful), just cut a piece of Board and cloth, and then glue and stick in the lower. Such a unit is completed.

Start gluing

After the front of the tape over, put glue on the back.

Nail edges with a nail gun.

Then a layer of adhesive

As large as the Board cut out before adhering to it, so that the bottom of the Board is completed.

And then at the edges with a nail gun fixed, smaller spacing to avoid being Cat-Scratch open

Then puncture holes with scissors

Do another piece of the same do bottom, attention climbing frame floor below, package material and time. Screw in four four screws from the bottom. Tighten.
3.  Cutting PVC pipe


Section must be perfectly horizontal, measured length with a tape measure or tailor's tape and pencil draw a cutting line. (Never assume direct saw blades, generally do not saw alignment)

Use saw blade handsaw, carefully line cut, be smooth surface.

Use sandpaper, be smooth sections.
4. Cat tree connecter (column-connected units)
You can check this type of PVC flange at local store or Amazon, or use PVC toilet flange instead. It should looks like this:

Cutting PVC pipe is completed, plug into a tube, flat out

With 3 self-tapping screws attach the plug firmly to the inside of the PVC, 3 screws in the locations of the sections into equilateral triangles.
  If you want to pass through the upper Board, then connect the other pillars, need to reverse into a 8mm screw at the top post.


Now, you got your posts with connector of your cat tree.
5. Wrap the Posts with Sisal Rope
Start at the base of the post, and use heavy wire brads and a hammer. Fasten the rope to the bottom of the post, and begin wrapping. Every 6 or 8 winds, tamp the rope down with a hammer. Fasten the rope in the back of the 2x4's only, so the fasteners don't show.
Rope winding, important: starting from one end of the pole and wrap, note glue slightly more than of rope, stick tight, rope burn.
First brush at the top contact adhesive

Slightly dry glue, rope, by tight rope-end for a moment.

After confirming that the rope end, started pulling down wrapped around. While wrapped around while brushing. Don't be completely quickly brushed rubber, to save the hand place.

Continue to wrap.


Cut off extra hemp rope.

Rope end with glue dealt with again, completing a basic connection unit 1

6. Assemble the posts and base
The Board, post has been completed, now assembled.
Starting screw post


When four-pole screw, the upper plate on the cover, extending from the connection unit 2 screws into.

Unit 2, another connection, screw in from top to bottom, with the following pillars of integrated fixed.


If posts below you don't have to go OH, screw screw in fixing. (Want to upgrade in the future, as long as the 2 screw off the screw connections on units on the line. ）

Been such a shape.

Short side into the cat scoops (homemade is not recommended, you could find it at amazon), you do not need cats scoop available instead of the Board.

Screw in the screws to secure the top plate.

Now.you got your DIY cat tree which building by yourself: