J.N. Taylor and Co.: Make a Homemade Cat Condo Using LACK Tables By: bybrittanyg

Friday, June 5, 2015

Make a Homemade Cat Condo Using LACK Tables By: bybrittanyg

We have two very spoiled kitties named Henry and Blanche. Henry is almost 2 years old and Blanche just turned 1 a few months ago. They’re both rescues and are very active. They love to run around and chase each other, and they are not de-clawed, so we need to make sure they have plenty of entertainment and scratching posts. We have two cat trees with scratching posts and lounging spots, but both trees are pretty ugly and falling apart. Unfortunately cat trees can also be pretty expensive, so I’ve been researching ideas for an aesthetically pleasing DIY cat tree. This idea really sparked my interest, especially since I already had one of the tables I’d need, paint, and a staple gun.

After a trip to Ikea and Home Depot, I was ready to get started with the following supplies:

Ikea LACK coffee table
Ikea LACK side table
Sisal rope
Hand-held staple gun
Gorilla Glue
Faux fur fabric
Paint
Small hook eye
Various toys

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make a homemade cat condo:

Step #1:
Do not assemble the LACK tables. You’ll have eight legs, two tops (square and rectangle), and the coffee table’s bottom shelf.

First, cut a piece of fabric that is large enough to wrap round the entire coffee table. Lay the coffee table’s bottom shelf on it and staple the fabric to secure it to the shelf. Do the same thing for the top of the side table. Set both aside.

Step #2: Next is to create scratching posts. I bought two 50-foot rolls of 3/8-inch sisal and used it to wrap only two and a half of the side table’s legs. You can wrap as many as you’d like.

Step #3: Paint the other six table legs and the coffee table’s top.

Step #4: When the paint is dry, assemble the pieces. First assemble the coffee table by screwing all four legs on and setting the furry shelf in. Then, assemble the side table.

Step #5: Next you need to decide how you’d like the arrangement of the condo to be. I wanted the higher side of the piece to back into the corner of our living room wall, so I positioned the side table so that the scratching post legs were not against the wall.

When you’re happy with the arrangement, dab some glue onto the bottom of each of the four side table’s legs. Then carefully put the side table on top of the coffee table. Place a few heavy books on top of the side table to ensure the glue gets a firm bond. (Leave it for as long as your glue’s instruction’s say.)

Step #6: Add toys. I stuck a small hook eye into the bottom of the side table so that I could hang one of their toys from it. I also glued one of those door knob scratchers (that they never used) onto the top of the coffee table. Finally, while I was at Ikea, I picked up a little pot of fake grass that Henry loves to chew on. Spoiled.