It’s not often you buy a new carpet, and it can be an expensive business (though less so if you buy it at Fowles Carpet Auction). If you have made the outlay for wall-to-wall carpets, you certainly want your investment to look good many years down the line — not an easy feat if you have pets!
Cats especially like to scratch carpet; so give your kitty his own place to scratch and play by making your own feline furniture. With his own ‘cat-condo’, your carpet will remain pristine. Not only that; you get to use carpet remnants you thought you had no use for and at the same time, you up the style stakes with a piece of furniture that matches your room. More importantly, you will have enriched the life of your feline friend. Just follow our step-by-step guide to building a condo your cat will love…
1. Design – using wood and carpet
Before you purchase any material or start to build, you need a design plan.
- Think about your space. Determine where your cat-condo will be placed and how wide and tall it should be.
- You need to think about your cat and what makes him or her happy. Most cats like to climb and they also like to survey their territory, so build a tall cat condo with different places for your cat to perch. If your cat likes to sleep (and what cat doesn’t?), you could consider building a covered sleeping area.
- Also consider your own DIY skills. If you’re not that experienced, keep it simple; you could always build a second condo for another area of the house once you’ve honed your skills.
2. Buy the materials
Use the plan you’ve made to work out what materials you need. Plywood is suitable for platforms and perches; you can use PVC pipe or lumber for vertical supports, and of course, carpet is great for covering the base, platforms and perches. You will need:
- A drill
- An electric stapler (for the carpet)
- A table saw, circular saw or jigsaw
- Hammer and nails
3. Cut your materials to size
Using the plan you’ve made, start to cut all the materials to size. A hand saw might be adequate for simple designs, but you’re best off with a powered table saw, circular saw or jigsaw if you’re going to be doing a significant amount of cutting.
4. Build the base
The condo will need a secure and sturdy base. A good idea is to cut two squares of plywood to size and glue them together for extra weight and thickness. A 60 cm square is ideal for the base of a basic tree.
5. Carpet the base
Your cat tree will need a flat base, so staple the carpet securely at the sides of the base, not on the bottom. You’ll need to cut out an appropriately sized and shaped hole in the carpet for the vertical support using a box cutter or modelling knife.
6. Attach the vertical supports to the base
After firmly attaching the first vertical element to the base through the bottom using screws or nails and reinforcing with wood glue for added stability, you can add the rest of the horizontal elements. Plan to wrap the vertical in carpet or natural fibre rope after the rest of the structure is complete.
7. Add the horizontal perches and other elements
Add the perches by screwing and gluing them to the tops or sides of the vertical supports. Then, wrap everything in carpet and secure with staples. Voila!
See before you buy
This Wednesday and every Wednesday, we will have 250-300 rolls of top quality carpet going under the hammer. Usually, it goes for 50% and 90% off the original retail cost. Our auctions are at 10:00 am on Wednesdays, and viewing times are Monday to Friday, from 7:30am to 5:00pm. With our low prices, you’ll have enough money and carpet left over to create an architectural masterpiece for your cat(s).
