How to Make a Cat Tree More Stable

If your cat’s tree is wobbly and unstable, your pet might not use it anymore after its first try. Cats are quite finicky that they will not try it again or even go near it if they have a terrible experience with it. Make sure that the cat tree you have is more stable.

If your cat tree is unstable, you can follow the steps below to make it more stable and safer for your cat.

How to Make a Cat Tree Stable

Your cat’s safety is always your priority, so you need to make sure that your cat’s tree is stable enough to carry its weight and movements. If you want to have peace of mind, follow our step-by-step guide on stabilizing and strengthening the cat tree.

What You Need:

• Cat-safe glue
• Dowel
• Electric drill with a driver bit or a screwdriver
• Fleece or thick plastic fabric
• Hemp rope
• Measuring tape
• Metal brackets and screws
• Saw
• Sheets of plywood

Step #1 Prepare the Needed Materials

Before you start working on stabilizing your cat’s treehouse, you must prepare all the materials and tools required. Some of the tools might not be available at home, so you need to purchase them first. It is not good to buy a new cat tree every time it becomes loose or wobbly. Cat’s tree is a bit pricey. Fixing it and keeping it more stable can help you save some money.

Step #2 Determine the Weight of Your Cat and The Weight of the Cat Tree

If you have more than one cat, you need to measure the weight of each cat. Then check the total weight of all your cats. You need to know also, the cat’s tree maximum weight limit.

The cat tree should be able to handle your cat’s weight. It must be several times heavier than your cat’s total weight. If the cat tree you have were bought when your cats were still a kitten, you have to buy a bigger one as it cannot handle their weights anymore.

Step #3 Measure the Base Width of the Cat Tree

Keep in mind that a stable cat tree should have a bigger triangular structure on the bottom and thinner on the top. If you want, you can add extra weight on the bottom to adjust the structure’s center of gravity. But it is always best to create a broader base.

In case the base is very thin, that can shake the tree easily, lengthen the base part by adding wider plywood sheets. Make sure it is wider than the original base. See the next step.

Step #4 Adjust Wobbly Base

If you need to add more weight and stabilize the cat trees, you need to look for good material for your platform. One of the materials we would like to suggest is sheets of plywood.

This material is quite durable, and it is easy to handle. You will not have any difficulty cutting it to your desired shape using any tool like a handsaw or electric jigsaw.

If your cat’s tree platform is too light for your pet, add some pieces of plywood into the base weight. Shape the plywood similar to its base, then attach them to the cat tree base. Use screws or wood glue to secure the added sheets. Measure the platform’s dimension accurately with a measuring tape or other measuring tools.

If there is no measuring tool available to measure the base, you can use the actual platform as your template to cut the plywood. Use the right length of screws and insert them from the top. Make sure no sharp parts are coming out of the platform.

Before you glue or screw everything together, ensure that the weight is equal to or exceed the weight you want to achieve.

Step #5 Secure Wobbly Cat Tree with Metal Brackets

Check the cat tree by wiggling it a bit and observe it if it wobbles. If you see, it moves unusually, and the level of wobbliness is not normal, use metal brackets for this kind of situation. Metal brackets are L-shaped metal with screw holes on both sides. It is a must to choose metal brackets that fit the thickness of the platform.

If you have a smaller cat tree, you can use a 40 x 40 mm metal bracket. But if you have a bigger cat tree with towering posts, look for a bigger metal bracket.

Use an electric driver/drill to fix the screws on the brackets. If you do not have one, you can borrow or purchase one for your household use. Some drivers are available with varying driver bits to screw different screw sizes.

You can use a regular screwdriver to complete the job, but it may take you a lot of time and effort to fix each screw.

You will need to install two to three brackets at the post’s top and bottom.  Work on the tower side first before securing the base screws.

Step #6 Conceal the Metal Brackets

Although this step has nothing to do with your cat tree’s stability, it is still a vital part of keeping the cat tree safe for your pets. It would be best if you kept the metal brackets covered so your curious cats will not mess with them.

It also serves as a cushioning to protect the cat from hurting itself if it falls on the metal parts. You can use an old kitty blanket to cover the metal brackets. Cut the blanket into suitable pieces. If you not like to make a cat tree then you should read the best cat trees for large cats guide.

Additional Tips

Color the added platform with the same color as that of your cat tree to blend it correctly and provide your cat a comfortable feeling when it is around the treehouse.

To ensure all the parts stay in place, you need glue. Make sure the glue is pet safe as the cats may tend to play with it.

Conclusion

There you have it, six easy steps on keeping the cat tree more stable. If you want to share some pointers or tips or find this post helpful, please comment below.

Helpful Resources:

https://hubpages.com/animals/cat-tree-cubbyhole

https://www.newcatcondos.com/articles-/why-is-stability-important-in-a-cat-tree/