Homemade Cat Jungle

jenng

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I would really love to attempt one... even a little one to start. I guess we'll see how brave I get.
Thanks for all the information!
 
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jmvito

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Thanks Amy. That's nice of you to say. I told Larry we may have found ourselves a new sideline. He owns a cement construction business and doesn't work during the winter months. He has plenty of time then to make these things. He could knock out several in a day!

And Jenn, don't be afraid to try your hand at one. Just use some common sense, and most of all make it safe and sturdy. I was worried too that we would make a mess of it. The materials are quite forgiving so they end up looking pretty good.
 

jenng

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It's good to know the materials are forgiving.
I may have to try it, it can't hurt, right?
 
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jmvito

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Absolutely! Nothing ventured nothing gained.
 
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jmvito

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Well, the cat jungle is nearly complete. We have some work to do in bracing the perches. We brought it in tonight to guage the reaction. As you can tell in the picture, the jungle is a huge success. NOT! I even sprinkled some cat nip on it. The most they use it for is to jump onto the back of the loveseat. So what gives? I swear, I have the 4 most boring cats in the world. I sure hope they take to this thing, we've got a lot of work into it. I'm glad I didn't spend several hundred dollars buying one.

I need to embellish it more, I suppose they find it a tad boring. Any suggestions?

 

mom of 10 cats

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WOW!!!

You made that?!?! That looks awesome!

Chances are they're ignoring it just because they know how excited you are about it.
They will wait til you're asleep or out of the house to check it out.

Any cat would love something like that. Give them time!
 

mzjazz2u

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That is AWESOME!!! I love it! Hope the cats do too, eventually!


Maybe they're just unsure of it and will check it out for awhile.
 

sicycat

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OH MY GOD THAT IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!!!

I am so jealous.. I would never be able to even build a scratching post
 

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My husband and I made a very tall cat tree about 10 years ago. They love it's current placement, but we had to move it around from place to place until we figured out the place they liked it best. We ended putting it in a large doorway (double door size) between 2 rooms. They sit up high and have a good vantage point to watch what goes on in both rooms plus the long hallway and dining room.

After 10 years, it's been loved to the point of needing recarpeting. The only problem that we've had with is that with some of the carpet being pulled off over time, the sharp staples come with it. I have to pull them out when the carpet pulls away. Something to keep an eye for on yours.

Yours rocks....ours is much simpler than that!
 

hissy

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It looks great, but does it wobble? If it wobbles and you brace it they will get on it readily enough. You did a great job!
 
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jmvito

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It does wobble a bit. That's what the extra 2x4's are for. I have to wrap them in carpet before they're permanently attached.

Duffy is enjoying it. He likes to climb that tall post and work his way to the perch. I attached a bell on a string and hung it from the bottom perch. I fell asleep to that ringing bell last night and almost regretted putting it there. If only Duffy enjoys it, it was well worth the effort.

It's not bad for the first try. I only have $47.00 into it. As the cash comes along, I'll do things to make it more interesting, like adding tubes. We learned a number of things along the way. I should have built up more and out less. I have 10' ceilings, so height space is abundant. Floor space is a different story. I think the area I plan to put it will be sufficient. It's going on the wall in the great room. With the layout of the house, they can see the living room, dining room, kitchen, foyer, and down the hallway to the master bedroom.

Thanks for the staple tip. We used 1/2" staples and I needed a screwdriver tip to pry them out. I thought that length staple would be difficult for them to pull loose, but perhaps not.
 

catsplay.com

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Hi Jmvito,

That was going to be my comment -- we find that cats prefer tall units as they love to sit above everything and overlook their surroundings.
 

kimward34

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Your cat tree really inspires me... I would like to build a cat tree for my outdoor cat enclosure...what kind of materials do you think I should use? Something that would endure Florida weather -- rain, humidity, wind, etc....?

 
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jmvito

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Hi Kim. A quick rundown on materials we used.

The base is 3/4" plywood.

The uprights are 2x4 pine

The perches are 1x12 pine

The cube house is 1/2" plywood.

The uprights, base, and cube are covered by contractor grade carpeting.

The perches are carpeted in berber.

The sisal is 3/8".
The cube roof is supported by 1"x2" pine

We used a number of angle brackets, wood screws, 1/2" staples, brads, and a small amount of tacky glue.

I made sure to avoide any wood that was treated in any way. They say that arsenic is no longer used in treating lumber, but I just didn't feel comfortable using it.

The sisal wrap is about 18" on each upright, and used about 45' (Yes, that's in feet). The sisal rope doesn't go very far, but it's cheap. I found 50 foot rolls at Home Depot for $3.47 each.

We bought the berber at a local carpet store. It was a left over from a job they had and I paid $1.87 a sq ft for it. There were less expensive carpet left overs avaiable, but I wanted the berber because of its durability, and also wanted it to complement the house decor!
 
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jmvito

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Kim, I just noticed you said "outdoor" tree. I suppose you would want material used for outdoor construction. Be wary of using "treated" lumber. That stuff scares me. They used to use arsenic to treat lumber. Though I'm told arsenic is no longer used and that treated lumber is safe, I choose to avoid it. You can tell treated lumber when you see it as it has a green hue to its color.
 
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jmvito

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Amy, yes, up is better than out. I'm sure we'll be making another jungle soon. I'll make the next one taller and more narrow and incorporate better strength. I'm sure if I put this big one in the drive way, I'll sell it in no time. Though, I could put it in the basement for their enjoyment!
 
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