Provide your cat a healthy scratching opportunity with a cat tree.
When a cat owner is looking for a pre-made, affordable cat tree, the CatCraft Three Tier cat tree is a popular option. This cat tree ranges in price from $35.00 to $69.95 and is available at many retailers including WalMart and Amazon.com. It is a floor-to-ceiling model that accommodates ceilings up to nine feet high. One selling point of the product many consumers have mentioned is how easy the cat tree is to assemble.
Preparation
This kit should include four carpet-covered post pieces that fit into each other, two tension rods (spring loaded poles) that secure the tree to the ceiling, and four carpet-covered shelves. There is a carpeted base, and bolt hardware to secure the bottom post to the base, as well. Make sure all the necessary parts were included. Tools are not required for assembly, but you may want to have a crescent wrench on hand for tightening the base bolt.
Location
When choosing the location to assemble the CatCraft cat tree, there are several things to consider. Do your cat, or cats, enjoy looking out a window? How active are your cats? Which room in your home does your cat seem to enjoy playing in the most? Many people choose an area that does not have other furniture or valuables very close to the cat tree, for the safety of their cats and to protect their property.
Assembly
Assembly works best from the bottom up. You'll start by building the base first, then attach one pole piece to the base. A shelf piece is added next, then a pole piece and another shelf piece, until the tree is complete. Next attach the primary tension rods to the top post piece. If you have a nine-foot ceiling rather than an eight-foot ceiling, attach the second tension rod to the first.
The rubber-tipped end of the top rod will be fastened to your ceiling by the spring pressure. When the tree is complete, place the rubber tip on the ceiling at an angle, then slide the base into position along the floor until the pole is perpendicular to the floor. Once the cat tree is securely fitted between floor and ceiling, you can allow the cat or cats to play on it and make any necessary adjustments.
Modification and Repair
The carpet on the tree may wear out before the rest of the tree. CatCraft manufactures replacement parts for the tree in both carpet and sisal rope, and these are available through online stores and WalMart. Some users modified the cat tree themselves by removing worn sections of the carpet and re-covering them with sisal rope or new carpet with glue and a staple gun.
Tags: base bolt, four carpet-covered, pole piece, shelf piece, sisal rope, tension rods, tree CatCraft