r/catwalls • u/feltjeans • 13d ago

cat jungle gym

I really want to give my cats lots of shelves to run around on the walls, but i'm poor :P

how would you recommend a complete beginner (knows next to nothing) go about doing that on a budget? I'm at a loss of where to start, cause I really want to make sure the shelves are safe for my cats (they're both about 11 pounds).

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u/JustineDelarge 13d ago

Two things you should know from the start: always attach* them to studs, never just the wall, even with drywall anchors, and always have something soft beneath the cat walkways/shelves/etc. on the walls (i.e. don’t install them over a hard floor or a tv; instead, put them above a couch or soft chairs).

*Drill pilot holes into the studs and then screw the items to the wall using the pilot holes. Prevents cracking/splitting the wood.

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u/Breakingfree98 13d ago

Have you taken a look around r/catwalls ?

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u/feltjeans 13d ago

lmao I feel so silly, I got a notif on reddit recommending I post this on this subreddit instead of r/carpentry, and I accidentally clicked post before opening this subreddit and looking around :]

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u/GamerTex 13d ago

Cheapest shelves and brackets we found were at Ikea but raw wood is probably cheaper. Facebook Marketplace is a great place to look for free wood or cheap shelves.

We added sticky carpet to the smooth boards so the cats dont slide.

Only put cat walls into studs in the walls, dont trust drywall anchors.

Start with one shelf and add more they like it.

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u/LakeTaylor42 13d ago

Floor to ceiling cat trees with a tension rod or ceiling/wall anchors are a good (and affordable) way to get cats up onto shelves or tall furniture.

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u/Apple-Jackson 12d ago

I live near a college town and hit up apartment dumpsters around the end of the month when people are moving for free shelving materials, people throw away bookshelves and desks rather than move them all the time, don’t skimp out on the brackets,(I use the metal kind with a welded arm for extra support, my boys are chonky) get the kind that are meant to support a good amount of weight and invest in a stud finder (they are pretty cheap) to properly hang them on the wall so they don’t just rip out the drywall.