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If you're reading this article right now, chances are you're a cat lover. After all, if you're on the internet there are really only three reasons to be online: information, shopping or to look at cat pictures.
Most of us have or have had a cat (or three) at some point in our lives, and we know that when they're not eating, sleeping or eating they love to jump up on top of furniture, hone their claws on the carpets, climb things, sleep and eat.
It seems like all the simple cat furniture and scratch toys that you can get at the local pet shop are ridiculously priced, especially when you consider what they're made of: wood, rope and carpet.
One German cat owner decided to take matters into his own hands and create the ultimate cat jungle gym for his furry felines, giving them places to climb, explore, scratch their claws and even nap...
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German carpenters and furniture designers Stefan Hoffman and Achim Holwald began creating cat furniture like suspension bridges, scratch posts and nap baskets after noticing the behavior of one of their tenants' cats.
"As a skilled carpenter and object artist I had an uncommon idea: creating my own cat furniture," Hoffman
told Mail Online
.
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The duo's cat-furniture company, Goldtatze (translated: "Gold Paw"), creates and sells the furniture, which they claim is virtually indestructable and can hold up to maximum use. Their products are also non-toxic and best for smaller living spaces such as apartments.
Of course, high ceilings are a must!
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Alas, these too are pricey, ranging from $100 - $200 per piece, but those who are more adventurous and into DIYing should easily be able to replicate some or all of the designs.
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For example, the tall climbing structure can be made in a square shape with a 4x4 piece of wood instead of finding a round column. Wrap it in 3/8" rope (glue it on as you go wrapping it around the pole). To get the round shape head to the local carpet shop or home center and see if they have any cardboard spindles that the carpeting comes on hanging around. They're usually much thicker than regular cardboard tubes and will hold up well.
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The rest is simple: use nearly any type of wood you can get your hands on -- from the cheaper pines, which will hold up just fin indoors, to more expensive hardwoods. Old pieces of carpet are great for scratching and sleeping spots, baskets with old blankets in them will give kitty a great spot to catch some z's before that next trip to the food bowl.
Just don't forget to mount each piece into wall and ceiling studs or use screw anchors!
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The sky -- er, ceiling's the limit with what you can create on your own.