Easy Scrap Wood Wall Mounted Cat Playground

Mitch Couch
by Mitch Couch
7 Materials
$100
12 Hours
Medium

With the price of lumber so high I went through my scrap pile of wood so I could build our new cat his own getaway. I gathered a lot of ideas of what I wanted, measured the walls, and started building. At the end of this post is a video I made showing the whole process.

First off I made a bed for Bucky to sleep on. I hung it high enough that the dogs would not disturb him while he slept. We all know cats need their rest icon . Plotting the demise of their human owners can be exhausting. I made this from scrap plywood that was 3/4 inches thick. I covered it with some carpet remnants so that he would have something to grip to. I also used our Silhouette Cameo to cut and print his name...that way he knows it is his bed. The cut outs for this item is simple, just use your imagination on the design. The pieces are held together with wood glue and some brad nails. Very strong and sturdy.

Next item is the hexagon shelf. I cut the pieces eight inches wide by nine inches long. Now, each end of the nine inch length needs a 30 degree angle cut into it. That way the pieces will fit perfectly when forming the hexagon.

A few of the pieces I cut a circle for Bucky to be able to enter and move around the shelving. It takes six pieces to make one hexagon and I wanted at least three put together. So a total of 18 pieces were needed.

Here I glued all six sides together and used blue tape to hold them in place. The glue dries in a few hours but I let the joints sit overnight before I joined them together.

Here are all three pieces glued and nailed together. As you can see the holes are lined up so that Bucky can move around inside and enter.

The third item was a bridge to help him get from one side of the room to the other. Again, I used 3/4 inch scrap wood with twine glued onto the bottom. I used my table saw to cut some grooves into the bottom of the 1 1/2 inch wide pieces and hot glue to set them in place.

Here is the bridge turned over right side up. It is 36 inches wide so that it will reach across the hallway. I put small round wood pegs on it for a cool suspension bridge effect. The twine that holds the bridge is glued around the pegs, held firmly in place.

Next up was the climbing pole. You can't see it in the whole picture but there are three levels to this vertical pole. I used a 50 inch tall piece of 4 inch round pole and wrapped it in the twine (pictured later). The holes in the shelfs are for Bucky to climb through.

Here is the underside of one of the shelves. I cut small triangles so hold the board in place. Worked out very nice.

I also made a box to mount that Bucky would love to hide in. I knew this one would be mounted the highest and cats love to sit up high and observe. I cut out a design on the front of a cat head. Picture to come.

Here is a better picture of the cut out. The cat design faces forward.

I mounted the items to the wall using a cleat system. Basically, you cut out a strip of wood on a table saw at a 45 degree angle. One pieces mounts to the wall the other to the project. It's a great system and very strong and secure.

Now it was time to mount the fixtures. Here is the bridge above our hallway. This one I mounted directly to the wall.

Here is the bed and the hexagon shelves. You can see the holes in the units that will allow Bucky to move from one place to another.

last but not least, here is a little table I made to hold his food. This way it is up off the ground and Bucky can enjoy a nice meal without our dogs butting in.

Here is my YouTube video I put together of the build and how happy Bucky the Cat was in using it. Hope you all enjoy viewing this as much as I enjoyed building it.

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Kel7267455 Kel7267455 on May 30, 2021

    Great job! But how does your kitty jump so high straight up from the floor? Especially to the bridge?! I have several cats, and think they’d have a little trouble getting up there! (Maybe nothing is as high as they look?)

  • Kel7267455 Kel7267455 on May 30, 2021

    Oh my god!! I watched Bucky’s video!! Now I get it! He’s such a lucky little guy to have you as his Dad! Your love for your boy is touching. I hope you both have years of joy together. Yay Cat Dad!!

  • Caroline Langlois Caroline Langlois on May 30, 2021

    Incredible 🐈‍⬛🐈

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 56 comments
  • Linda Moore Linda Moore on May 28, 2023

    Very creative idea!!!!

  • Linda Moore Linda Moore on May 28, 2023

    I just have to post another comment. After watching the video. I laughed so hard when Bucky did the hind end move on the bed. For his first time on there. I love cats & I love to see cat playgrounds on the wall. This one here is truly unique. Thank You for sharing your build & your cats theatrics.😊

Next