Ok everyone, lets start with an item list. These are the things you will need to build your kitty gym.
Keep in mind that the pictures we will be showing are just an example of what you could do-depending on your budget and what kind of tools you have. For example, with this list, you can improvise a lot with the materials. You can make the 2x4's longer (making the kitty gym taller). If your cat is a serious climber and scaler of things, you can definately substitute the 2x4's for 2x6's, giving kitty a wider beam to run up vertically. You can add as many platforms and shelves as you wish, you can experiment with different types of lumber, you can add sisal rope and cat toys. ( For those of you adding sisal rope, a hot glue gun works wonders, just remember to glue it to bare wood and not carpet).This is just a very basic design, and should be used to give you a very general idea of what to do. Get creative! This should be sufficient enough to give you the knowledge of how to build a basic kitty gym, and you can go from there.
1. 2x4's, any length, lets say under 3 feet (scraps) You will need 1 or 2 (or 3 or 4) of them, depending on what kind of gym you plan on making. You can get these at home depot, ect. just ask them if they have any 2x4 scraps. Remember that Home depot and a lot of other stores have a cutting center where they will cut the wood for you if you do not have the tools to do it yourself.
2. Plywood squares. These will be for the platforms and such, so make sure you get them the size that you want at the store if you don't have the saw to cut them down with at home. *Home depot carries pieces (scraps). Just ask them for it, or any other lumber supply store (3/4 inch thick minimum if you are using 3/4 inch staples)
*Or you can use thinner plywood if you are going to glue it with contact cement. (carpet to wood only)
3. 3/4 inch plywood base if your using 3/4 inch staples. Keep in mind that it can be any thickness if you are using contact cement ( this can be any size, but big enough so that your kitty gym won't fall over. (2 foot square minimum)
The bigger your kitty gym, the bigger the base.
4. Any type of carpet that you would like to coat it with ( A lot of carpet stores will have appropriate lengths and scraps in their junk bin) Just remember to ask first
Oh, and I would suggest getting more carpet than you think you'll need, because if you cut something wrong, well...it's nice to have extra carpet if you need it
.
5. A heavy duty stapler and staples (lets say about 3/4 inch staples) If you don't own one, make sure you inform the store clerk what you need it for
(carpet) before purchasing it. You want to make sure the staples go in deep enough so that kitty won't catch his claws on them (ouch)
6. A screwdriver (or screwgun), and 2 inch screws. I would suggest also picking up some longer screws, as well, just in case you need more support in some parts.
7. Most of this can be bypassed by using contact cement. It's messier and stinker, but you can use it to attatch the carpet to the wood with the same results, especially if you do not have the tools for the job. The downside of contact cement is that you have to wait for it to dry. Just follow the general instructions and you should be okay.
*Note * Do not use contact cement to put the wood platforms and 2x4's together, you will definately need the screws for that
In the pictures, we will be using an air stapler, so for those of you using contact cement, just try to follow along as best you can.
8. You will need a sharp knife (I would recomend an exacto knife or something similar) to cut the carpet pieces with.
Okay, get these items ready and you can start on the next phase of your kitty gym-putting the darned thing together.
My hubby will be taking pictures of the kitty gym as he builds it in a step by step (as you can only post one pic per post
) walkthrough later this afternoon. We know that some of you will have more knowhow than others, so if you feel confident enough in your abilities, you can definately improvise along the way, this is just an example. If you have any questions feel free to ask away, as we are well aware that some of you are not tool savvy or mechanically inclined and will need extra help along the way.
* Note * We will be showing you how to build a kitty gym with one main support beam (2x4), but by seeing how we built that it won't be difficult for you to use two (or 3 or 4, depending how big you want it to be) main support beams instead of one if you wish. We will also be showing you a picture of a finished two-beamed support kitty gym. (That would be the first kitty gym we made for Meeko.) Good luck!