DIY Cat Condo

5 Materials
$20
4 Hours
Medium

I tossed our old (and super ugly) cat post a couple of months ago and have been on the hunt for a more aesthetically pleasing one for a while. I found several online that I love but they came with a hefty price tag! So, I decided to design and build my own. 😊

After thinking about it for a while I decided to start with a bit of a simpler design since I've never built one before. In the future, I might go a little further and build a taller and more involved one.

For this project, like many others, I wanted to use as much scrap or materials I already had on hand, as possible. I started by drawing and cutting out my ovals for the bottom portion of the cat post. I cut them out on the bandsaw and then sanded them down the rest of the way.

The slats I used around the bottom portion are actually from an old crib!

I decided how tall I wanted the bottom bed portion to be and cut the slats to size on the radial arm saw.

I used a nail gun and some wood glue to attach the slats to one of the ovals.

I liked the spacing the same width of the slats so I used a scrap as my spacer.

I continued almost all of the way around and left an opening for the cats to get in.

Next, I cut a square piece of wood that I had from a big pallet to length for the scratching post portion.

I marked where I wanted it to go and drilled clearance holes in my oval. I inserted screws and pressed the wooden post against them to make indentations for pilot holes. After I drilled those, I attached it using 2 inch drywall screws. You could also use lag bolts if you want it to be super strong and secure but I think the screws worked pretty well.

After the post was secured, I nailed all of the slats to the other wooden oval piece. I couldn't easily get glue in between these so I used screws in a few of the slats for a little extra strength.

On another piece of scrap plywood I used a French curve to round out the corners. I then cut that on the bandsaw and sanded the edges smooth.

I pre-drilled and attached that piece to the post with drywall screws as well.

I decided to paint the bottom portion black and used my hvlp sprayer. It was a little tricky getting the inside of all the slats! Maybe I'll paint my pieces beforehand next time. 🤣

This rope was the only thing that I purchased specifically for the project. I stapled it secure at the bottom and tightly wrapped it around using wood glue as I went. This part took me a lot longer than I thought it would and was a bit tough on my hands but it turned out great!

I stapled it at the top as well when I was done wrapping it around.

For the top, I used a fuzzy pillow case that we weren't using anymore. I cut it to size and stapled it around the bottom pulling it snug as I went.

All done! I just need to find a cushion or soft blanket for the bottom portion. Fingers crossed that my cats actually like and use it! 😂

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  2 questions
  • Diane Diane on Aug 06, 2022

    It looks as though it’s going to fall over if they get on the top of it did you have anything that weighed it down on the bottom???

  • MommaofAnK24 MommaofAnK24 on Aug 19, 2022

    We prefer the catnip spray, less of a mess to clean up after and lasts longer, we find the bottles either at our local dollar store or Walmart! I only use the flakes of catnip now if I'm filling up a toy! Even then I totally understand our cat still loves to claw at our couch every day, sometimes I wonder if it's a comfort thing 😂 checking to see if it's still there?

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  • Shar Shar on Aug 22, 2022

    My cat will only scratch the rug portion of his cat tower, he does not like sisal at all!

  • Shelly Moore Shelly Moore on Aug 23, 2022

    If your cat prefers carpet or furniture fabric. Use a scrap piece/remnant to wrap pole, or wrap the sisal or rope with a scrap of heavier upholstery material. Just hot glue or staple it on. They might like the feel of it better. I like the length of the levels. They are long enough for a cat to scratch from a sitting position. Sometimes cat scratching places are just not long enough for a cat to stretch out the way they like to. Catnip spray is awesome!!! And No Mess!!!

    • That's a great idea! I think they prefer almost everything over the sisal lol! I love how it looks but I might need to rethink that part.

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