My Cat Playground For My Bengal Kitten (check my vids for finished version)

I am getting a lovely wee Bengal kitten in 8 weeks time but Bengals are quite hyper so he will need something to play on and burn off some energy.

I looked at large cat trees, and they are absolutely ridiculous prices, for just one decent sized tree I was looking at £350+. I decided that my z shaped hallway would make a good playground so set about making it Bengal friendly.

The whole project has cost me about £150, less than half the price of a cat tree, and I think will be much more fun for the wee man. My two moggies are already playing about on it although not as manic as the Bengal will be I am sure.

It is still in a raw state at the moment, the shelving and timber all needs painting, but you will get the idea ;)

The cost breakdown was £25 for a carpet remnant to match the carpet in my flat, well it was £20 but I had just scrounged 4 heavy duty cardboard rolls to make the posts so I gave him an extra fiver for being kind :)

The spray glue I used to glue the carpet to the tubes was £4 a tin and I used loads, about 7 tins, so that gobbled up another £28.

The tubes are fixed to small pieces of timber to stand them off the wall a bit more, without the timber the cats struggled to turn round on them, and are fixed in place using 4" waste pipe brackets at £2 each - that was another £32.

The two curved shelves were made from an 8' x 4' sheet of thick ply, I forget the price but I think it was about £25.

The rest of the timber to fix the tubes and curved shelves to the wall etc was about £15 and the remainder of the outlay was for shelve brackets, screws & plugs and a sheet of hardboard for the houses.

I have a fair bit of stuff left over to make some more small perches here and there also.

All in all I think much better value for money than half a cat tree, and I am fairly sure will get more use also :)

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Bengal
• cat tree
• playground
• moggies
• DIY
• cat toy

[aubignespratling]

What a fabulous idea! We're moving soon, and can't actually nail anything into this place, but in a month or so, we'll be able to! I'm definitely going to take cues from yours! Thank you!

[LouiseTGUK]

@aubignespratling Google search for "bengal banter diy cat climbing system" and check out my next DIY climber, much easier on the eye for humans ;)

[lightning506]

How much did it cost to build/buy that? Thats would be great if you told me..i might buy one

[LouiseTGUK]

@lightning506 I built it myself.. Very cheap. The tubes are cardboard tubes begged from carpet shop, the shelving/ cubby holes were a sheet of 3/4 inch ply, the brackets for the tubes are just big pipe brackets from the diy store. Whole thing including carpet, screws, brackets, glue and everything else needed cost me about £100 I think.

[bobbypaul7896]

at 1:13 can the cat go down the tube?

[LouiseTGUK]

@bobbypaul7896 Yes and no..

If they are climbing up and stop half way they can back down again, but if they are on the shelf above it they cannot get down the vertical poles.

Cats can only go down a 30 degree slope, any steeper than that they will slip and be unable to grip with claws due to the claws pointing backwards as they stand.

An alternative to 30 degree slopes is several short horizontal shelves which they can jump down from one to the other like a staircase.

[ShaneSchomburg]

@bobbypaul7896 did you mean thru, like inside the tube? , coz no . to small

[kehyndman]

Good idea

[KoPuffable]

looks fun, too bad i'm not a cat though...

[aubignespratling]

@nigaplzitzron: Good question! Here in the US, depending upon the pedigree, distance from the F1 (Asian Leopard) -- essentially; how ferral they are -- there's a demand for them 'running' from $700 to $1K.

The Bengal I've got looks mostly pure with some Ocicat. Not a solid Cheetoh, but likely Bengal-Cheetoh. One parent being an F3 or so, and the other being a Cheetoh -- not sure what generation. Either way, I adore him. He's just ... the cat's meow. ;)

[nigaplzitzron]

@aubignespratling how much do they go for? what kind of breed are they?

[aubignespratling]

@nigaplzitzron: Oh, Bengals are crazy fast. You just LOOK at a Bengal in play-mode, and you'd better be ready to deal with the consequences! On the other hand, if they're in sweet, relaxed mode, they won't be playing. So it's best to let them alone while they're playing so wildly. They ALWAYS come back around -- and quite frequently. A cat playground for a Bengal is almost a must.

[ThatFellazZz]

I watched all your video's on your page. Very cool stuff & very cool cats...I'm a 24 year old DEWD..(lol) But have been with my fiance for 10 years, since I was 14 years old. I was a Dog guy (Cliche I know) But I fell in love with the cats we STILL have from when we were 15! lol...VERY cool really. Coolest animals I've ever come across, Very unique. I'm building a very large cat-tree & wall walk if that's what I can call it. Kind of the same idea you have, just 2x4's, Carpet, Rope, & shelving.

[MaxsVVO]

sounds like the music from the sims

[LouiseTGUK]

@nigaplzitzron ah.. well it's not a problem, they are in and out, up and down and round and round it all day so plenty of chances to pet them ;)

[nigaplzitzron]

@LouiseTGUK because they are so high up and u can't get to them :) lol

[LouiseTGUK]

@nigaplzitzron Why exactly is that?

[nigaplzitzron]

gonna suck when u wanna pet them

[andredarocha]

Amazing!!!

[LouiseTGUK]

@shaddayah There is a video of the finished thing in my videos, and I have just uploaded a new video of my bengal kitten playing on it (after it was changed a bit)

[shaddayah]

@LouiseTGUK

LOOL! I'd love to see that! Nice work!

[XxXBlackRainbowXxX]

You're such an awesome owner!

[LouiseTGUK]

@casagrandecats No they walk on top, and upside down underneath sometimes LOL

[casagrandecats]

is the cat going to go through the tubes or walk on top of the tube???