Stupid kitty condo question...

[dbhost]

How do I get the carpet to stay on?

I am just double checking my head here folks, let me know if I am being dumb or not...

Kitty Condo stands 49.5" tall, with tiers every 18". The top tier is wider than the other two so it is sort of like big leap stair, big leap stair, landing...

The top tier is supposed to get 1" thick closed cell foam (Gorilla glue in place?), then fake sheepskin cover for kitty to lounge on.

The fake sheepskin was going to be stapled underneath the tier directly to the ply....

The rest will be covered in carpet, stapled underneath...

Is this right or am I off base here?

[mycatisretarded]

don't feel bad, my kitty is stupid too.

[Mr__Bill]

My neighbor builds cat condos that the local Humain Society sells. That is pretty much how he does it. He also wraps some of the uprights with rope. He uses an air stapler. Try not to staple your hand to the thing.


bill, on the Sunny Oregon Coast

[thrytis]

I used staples. The carpet held on fine for about three years with multiple cats that i had it.

[jackellis]

Staples are fine. Try to put them in places that are hard for the cats to get at with their claws when scratching. Otherwise a claw could get caught and they you have a vet bill and an unhappy kitty.

FWIW, we have scratching posts and scratching boards littered all over the place. That way the cats scratch things we don't care about instead of wrecking upholstered furniture or our carpets and curtains.

[cabinetman]

Years ago I made a condo of sorts and the levels were smaller the higher they were. Right now we have some of these collapsible ones but aren't for scratching, but for hiding, and running in and out. From some I've seen in the pet stores the carpet was stapled at seams underneath the levels.

I would use air actuated staples in the 1/4" crown style, and have the pressure set to seat them tightly. The thin wire staples like for the Arrow T50, I think are too light weight, and don't seem to seat tightly. I'd bet our cats could yank those staples out. As an alternative to staples, you could use carpet cement used for glue downs, or contact cement, or even hot glue might work.
.

[dbhost]

Years ago I made a condo of sorts and the levels were smaller the higher they were. Right now we have some of these collapsible ones but aren't for scratching, but for hiding, and running in and out. From some I've seen in the pet stores the carpet was stapled at seams underneath the levels.

I would use air actuated staples in the 1/4" crown style, and have the pressure set to seat them tightly. The thin wire staples like for the Arrow T50, I think are too light weight, and don't seem to seat tightly. I'd bet our cats could yank those staples out. As an alternative to staples, you could use carpet cement used for glue downs, or contact cement, or even hot glue might work.
.

I kind of like the hot glue idea. The staples worry me because of claw issues...

I might just have to try that.

[herb fellows]

I just saw this inventors show where a guy had 'invented' a sandpaper covered scratching area. Trims kitty nails while they're having fun.

[eezlock]

stupid kitty condo questions

Instead of worrying with staples...why not use some spray on adhesive such as 3M brand? It works well with all type of holding jobs and adheres well!

[Mr__Bill]

If one goes the glue route I think the only thing that will really hold is construction mastic or the stuff they glue carpets down with. Hot melt and spray on just doesn't have the holding power. Carpet wraped around an edge really does want to pull away. Air staplers can seat the staple, where it's not much of an issue for the cat claws, up under the plywood.

bill