Actually, I can't remember if we put backs on the vanities and wet bars. If not, then it's not difficult to cut a hole where the plumbing pipes come out from the wall. That may have been what we did.

Here is a picture of the outdoor cat sleeping on the heated bed in the upper room of the cat house. The heater was on and it was getting dark out, so the grainy picture is because I was a ways away when I took it. I didn't want to wake him up. It was 29 degrees out at the time. He spent one entire night up there when it got down to 12 degrees. At the moment, he is in his box heated bed since it is above freezing. I try to give him a lot of options so he is comfortable.

Good work, and interesting tips from fellow members too!

We recently received two six-month old boys so I am following in your footsteps. I want them to have good play / climbing facilities but being a good DIY'er don't want to just buy something.

All I have done so far is wrap sisal rope tightly around a table leg and provide a floor toy with scratch material. I have fixed two old shelves, covered with carpet staggered up the wall above the sofa to get them started. Gus has already launched himself from the high shelf down to the sofa cushion - over 5' drop for a six month old "kitten" but fortunately a squashy cushion landing. Wow.

My inspiration comes from this chap on Instructables (http://www.instructables.com/member/Bengt+Englund). I will be wrapping a PVC drain pipe in 8mm sisal using base plates and captive bolts to clamp between floor and ceiling, therefore giving my boys a 8' high, 5" diameter floor to ceiling climbing pole / scratch post. This will be positioned say 1' away from the corner shelf (which I've yet to fix but will be the highest platform)

We like the simplicity of a full-height post for our reasonably large kitchen with modern smooth cabinets. This type of design means I can re-position it too. Adjacent to this we can have some stylish shelves / baskets / ledges for them to enjoy. Google images has provided vast inspiration (for example there are suppliers of radius curved plywood - I think I can turn a gently curved piece of ply into a cool looking cat shelf for a fraction of the price of those designer ones I've seen)

I hope to have a work-in-progress version with a couple of weeks then gradually enhance it as my boys start to use it (and I find the time!) can't wait to get started

Questions:
1. Will the plastic drain pipe be rigid enough for Bengal full-on action or will it wobble?
2. Obviously wood pole would be better, but heavier to work with and install / more expensive
3. Should I install the full height post / top shelf combination yet (are my boys still too young and foolish to fall and hurt themselves?
4. How important are lips / kerbs to the high shelves to prevent slipping off (Max tends to twist and stretch on his back and falls off a chair doing this already!)

Thanks, Rob

I will probably bow to Matt who started this thread. He's done a great job creating trees for his Miko. I would definitely put lips around the shelves -- at least 3/4 of the way around. And they should be large enough for the cat. You can usually view dimensions if you check out other cat trees.

If you secure your PVC post to the floor and ceiling, it should be okay. Unless your ceiling is like 20 feet tall. Hopefully, Matt will come on and comment on what you are trying to do.

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The little monsters 3

Brian, your setup is so perfect! Wish I was allowed to do some wall shelves/perches like that, the last one is really cool! Did you make all of them yourself?

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Matt

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The little monsters 3

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Matt

Thanks Brian,

The youtube video reflects almost exactly what we are aiming for, maybe with shelves and corner perch / bed (the hammocks look a bit flexible / bendy and not so good for back legs to push-off)

Reading Hot Rocket's comments below the youtube video, they used the same drain pipe method I am going to copy from Instructables which relies on friction & compression. I have already bought some bolts for the base plate - think of it as the nut is fixed to the end of tube - so when the bolts are turned anti-clockwise they start to stick-out to press on the base plate, therefore expanding it between floor and ceiling - no screwing to the floor required! They have screwed the top plate to the ceiling in this video though which I would rather not. In my case there are roof timbers above the kitchen, not heavy floor joists so I may have to screw the top to stop it moving? The compression force could be enough to bow the ceiling!!!

Type 'curved cat shelf' into google images, there are examples I intend to copy (my wife's preference is to not 'catify' the room too much) but that's future enhancements, my boys haven't grown up yet.

I will try to find out whether an underground drain pipe is more rigid than an internal soil and vent drain pipe, I suspect it is.

If it wobbles too much the possible solution is to build a little bracket / bridge to the corner for stiffening, but I gather the advantage of a simple post is to slacken it slightly to allow it to be rotated to hide the more worn / snagged area. I think I'll proceed with the plastic pipe.

I will take photos and share any useful ideas of course.

I am not an expert, but they make metal "hubs" into which the pipe fits. Now how big they make them, I don't know. They would have four holes for screwing the hub onto the ceiling or floor. For the ceiling, if you have an attic, you can nail 2"x4"x up across the roof trusses (joists) to secure the hub onto. The floor may be a little harder depending on the type of floor and whether or not you want to leave holes. Personally, a cat tree does just fine. While I know bengals love to climb up as high as they can -- if they can only hit 78 inches, that's fine, too. You all are getting too technical for me! LOL

Fen, keep us updated on your scratching post. Want to see pics when its done :)

Heres a quick pic of a 4' scratch post I finished up after work today. Ran out of the dark grey carpet so theres a funky design to this one. Miko can already climb to the top of this one

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Matt

Matt, you are like the energizer bunny. You keep going and going and going and going. LOL. Great scratching post.

Your stuff always looks very good.

Miko is lucky to have you on hand to build the best environment a kitten could hope for.


Actually, one little disadvantage of not buying in cat trees - no free boxes to make into play forts. :-)

If you do have any boxes, a couple stuck one on top of another, with some random access and peep holes really make for good toys.

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Finally installed the climbing pole to link with corner perch and shelves.

Just exhausted them using a laser pointer tempting them up the pole then down the shelves a few times, proved very amusing.

Sofa may be replaced with a relaxing chair one day which would give them the full-length to climb up, but it's staying for the time being as they have a bed behind it in a cosy dark corner should they need it.

The shelves were spare stuff in the garage I knocked up with carpet stapled on - I expect to upgrade them for something wider and cantilevered to avoid ugly brackets

Another couple of photos now I've perfected reducing file sizes for uploading:

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Awesome job, Fen!!! We have some creative members here.