Recovering a cat tree

I was wondering if anyone has ever attempted to re-cover a cat tree? My female seems to have allergies and she loves to nap on her tree. However, because it is covered in carpet, I'm afraid it's exacerbating her problems. I cannot find an eco-friendly cat tree that I like, or that I think she would like. I did try one in the past and none of the cats in the house would go near it.

So, I was thinking of trying to re-cover the current trees in something hypo-allergenic. However, even I find material, then I need to find a non-toxic glue. I'm a little apprehensive  about attempting this but I don't want to make her sick. Has anyone ever done this?

I wonder if an upholsterer could do something like that. However, I can't spend a fortune on it either.

I don't think it would be that hard to do. Instead of glue, I would use a staple gun; it would be more secure. You can buy one at Walmart for $10-$15. You could also see if a friend or neighbor would loan you one or you can even rent them at some tool places. 

Just find the right material and some thick, hypoallergenic batting or foam padding.You could re-cover it with carpet, but any carpet you would buy is going to emit some chemicals which could effect your cat. There is a carpet product out there made by DuPont called Sorona Smartstrand that is made from corn and is similar to a polyester fiber but, it is not certified hypoallergenic. And there are some carpets that are called Green Label Plus. They are environmentally safe but, again, not classified as hypoallergenic. They are also fairly expensive.

As far as a hypoallergenic fabric, cotton is probably your best bet (I can't think of anything else that would work, as silk isn't an option), so I would recommend a heavy duck cloth (canvas). The downside to that is, if you want truly hypoallergenic, you would have to get a natural cotton duck that has never been treated or dyed and it would only come in one color, which is an off-white. It IS very durable and resistant to cat damage! 

It is also pretty inexpensive at about $7.00 a yard. There is a company in Georgia called Big Duck Canvas, if you would want to Google them. They have a toll-free phone number and they ship to all 50 U.S. states. 

Have you determined the type of allergy your cats has? If you are certain she isn't allergic to dyes, the duck cloth comes in a wide variety of colors. Is it possible that the tree is just in need of a good steam cleaning? 

At any rate, I hope this has helped you a bit.

It sounds like a fun project! 

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely look into all that.