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So my cat, Timothy, enjoys being quite lazy, taking long naps in the afternoon and all the other shit-disturbing antics one can expect from a house-cat. He lives a safe and comfortable life indoors, aside from the occasional sojourn onto the front porch to stretch out and scratch his back on the cool concrete. He is very timid, and I expect would not fare too well if allowed to venture too long in 'nature' (I live in the city).
Recently, the two of us have had a dilemma. I've been so focused on stacking sats, I have failed to notice his cat tree is becoming worn-out and a bit wobbly. He has pretty good balance when when using it to scale onto the adjacent windowsill, and although it sways a little to the left as he propels himself thence, that's no bother to him.
He will, on occasion, fall asleep on the upmost tier of this wobbly cat tree. Amidst such cat-naps, while snoring away as the afternoon sun leans in through the window, dreaming about Temptations and back-rubs, he sometimes finds himself jolted awake, barreling headlong toward the floor, with just enough time to wrestle his body to an upright position and land on his four feet.
I imagine this is not a comfortable feeling, to fall from your throne while just trying to catch so z's. And I've thought about replacing his cat-tree to prevent these cruel awakenings. Cat trees, however, are quite pricey, like minimum 80 000 sats for a decent one.
I'm wondering: what would the stackers on SN do in my position?
77 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 30 Nov
Is it not possible to repair it? Cat trees would seem to be pretty easy to fix.
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I could, but it would require a bit more work than just tightening the screws. The cheap particle board would need reinforcement.
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His naps are in danger! I’d say it’s time to swap a bit of your sats for his comfort. A solid cat tree = fewer falls, more peaceful naps
Also, as @siggy47 said is it possible to repair it?
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Certainly possible, but would require a bit of effort.
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Fair Point.In that case, a small affordable upgrade like a sturdier perch or mat could be a quick fix without too much effort. Timothy gets a bit more stability without a full
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Picture of Timothy
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73 sats \ 6 replies \ @k00b 30 Nov
Are you handy? You can make your own pretty easily. We made one with scrap wood and scrap carpet a while ago. You assemble the scrap wood pretty randomly and staple carpet to it.
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I made two scratching posts out of 4 X 4s and sisal rope by winding the rope around the posts after putting the posts on a plywood foot. I have had them for about 10 years now. They have been rewound only once. The cats have nice sharp claws and a good place to get a good stretch.
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I did once from scraped cardboards boxes, reinforced with some plastic. But they get bored quite rapidly of having them around. So I throw them out. Cats are very intelligent but get bored quickly of their toys or places to sleep.
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Hm, I'll probably give it a try. Would definitely outlast the Chinese crap they sell in stores.
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53 sats \ 2 replies \ @k00b 30 Nov
I couldn't find a better photo but we bought the little cubby for cheap or got it used and stuck it on the end of this 4x4. Our plan was to add more perches up the length of the 4x4 but never did. The cat didn't mind going all the way to the top.
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It looks high. Does s/he scale the side or jump?
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It was 8-9 ft tall. She scaled it no problem. She was indoor/outdoor and a very capable climber. Outdoor cats usually climb trees to escape dogs/predators.
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i prefer to not clutter my living space with something like a cat tree structure. u cud install a cat walk under the ceiling using some boards and long metallic under-holders drilled into studs, and the resting area wud be a square or right triangle platform in the corner under the ceiling. cats love observing from a top. then add ladders for the cat to get under the ceiling.
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wow this is beautiful! I need to do that for my cats.
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I'm curious if your cats have Star Wars-themed names, Darth.
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how did you know? Yes, I have 4 cats, but only one is named Leia. Luke died, unfortunately, 1 week after he born.
Leia is the black/white one.
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how did you know?
Oh, just a hunch really
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We just use furniture that goes up different levels. For instance, an upright piano has the keyboard cover, the top cover and the bench for the player and braces from the legs to the piano body proper, then there is the floor, underneath those things. There are bay windows, TV on on a table (both to walk on). We also put boxes around for them to either sleep in or play in. They also go on, around and under the couch and end tables. Thunder paws are a regular occurrence here.
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Impressive solution. I certainly wouldn't mind tossing the tree and freeing up some floor space.
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Tree 30 Nov
From one tree to another..I'm tired boss, put me to rest and plant a new one. 80k sats for many seasons of cat naps and comfort for your feline friend is worth it.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today. Timothy thanks you.
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I'm not sure you really need a scratching post. Tara, our cat, has one and basically never uses it. Everything is cooler than the tree. The saying is true, she even loves the cardboard box more than the tree.
Here are some proof-of-pictures
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Here is a tutorial to make a homemade cat tree
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This is great! But how cost/time effective is it really? I'd have to crunch some numbers
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Have you tried growing another one?(tree not a cat)
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I spoil my cat. So I'd probably just buy a new one.
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Tim's pretty spoiled I think: regular meals, someone to clean up his shit and a warm house to himself 4 days a week.
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