DIY toy guide
Wooden Cable-Reel Cat Tower
An upcycled wooden cable spool built up into a multi-level scratch-and-perch tower
A discarded wooden cable reel already has two sturdy round platforms and a central post — the perfect skeleton for a rustic cat tower you wrap in sisal and top with a cushioned lookout.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- £10–£20
🧺 You will need
- One clean wooden cable reel (electricians and builders often give them away)
- A reel of natural sisal rope
- Strong non-toxic wood or PVA glue
- A round cushion or offcut of carpet for the top platform
- Optional: a second, smaller reel or a sturdy box to add a mid-level step
- Sandpaper, scissors and a staple gun or upholstery tacks
🔧 How to make it
- Sand the reel smooth to remove splinters and any rough edges, and wipe it clean.
- Run a line of glue up the central post and wind sisal rope tightly around it from bottom to top, pressing each turn against the last, to create a full-height scratching column.
- Glue and staple a carpet offcut or cushion onto the top platform to make a comfortable lookout.
- If you want a second tier, stack and firmly fix a smaller reel or box against the post as a mid-level step.
- Weight or wall-anchor the base if your cat is large or boisterous, so the tower cannot tip.
- Let all the glue cure fully, then place it by a window and sprinkle a little catnip on the top to invite exploration.
💡 Tips
The sisal-wrapped post is the star — cats will scratch it hard, so wind the rope as tightly as you can and glue generously so it does not loosen. Placing the tower by a window turns the top platform into a bird-watching 'cat TV' perch.
📝 Notes
Cable reels are built to hold heavy cable, so they are far sturdier than most flat-pack cat furniture, and their ready-made round platforms save you the hardest part of the build. It is a genuinely upcycled project that keeps a bulky item out of landfill.