DIY toy guide

Repurposed Wooden Ladder Cat Shelf

An old wooden step-ladder turned into a tiered climbing and lookout perch

A sturdy old wooden step-ladder already has everything a climbing cat wants: several stable levels at different heights. Cleaned up, anchored and topped with a few offcuts of board or fabric, it becomes a characterful multi-level perch for a fraction of the price of a shop-bought cat tree.

Difficulty
Medium
Time
1–2 hours
Cost
£0–£20

🧺 You will need

  • A solid, undamaged wooden step-ladder (no wobble or splits)
  • A few offcuts of plywood or board to widen the steps, optional
  • Scraps of fleece, carpet or an old towel for soft platforms
  • Non-toxic wood glue and a handful of screws
  • Fine sandpaper
  • Furniture straps or an L-bracket to anchor it to the wall

🔧 How to make it

  1. Check the ladder is completely sound — no cracked rungs, loose joints or wobble — and sand any rough or splintered wood smooth.
  2. If the steps are narrow, screw or glue an offcut of board onto each one to give your cat a wider, more secure platform.
  3. Cover the platforms you want to make cosy with fleece, carpet or towel offcuts, glued or stapled neatly underneath so there are no loose edges.
  4. Stand the ladder in its final spot, ideally near a window so the top step becomes a lookout.
  5. Anchor it firmly to the wall with a furniture strap or L-bracket so it cannot tip when your cat leaps on or off.
  6. Encourage your cat up with a treat or a favourite toy on the lower steps first, then reward each level they reach.

💡 Tips

Placing the ladder beside a window turns the top step into 'cat TV', and staggering a soft blanket on one level and leaving another bare gives your cat a choice of textures. If you have more than one cat, a ladder's separate levels let them share the height without crowding each other.

Safety: The single most important step is anchoring the ladder to the wall — an unsecured ladder can topple and injure a leaping cat. Make sure the folding mechanism is locked or fixed so it cannot snap shut on a paw or tail, remove any metal spreader bars with pinch points, and check there are no protruding screws or staples. Retire the ladder if the wood ever cracks or works loose.

📝 Notes

It is a satisfying way to give a retired ladder a second life, and because the levels are already built in, it takes far less work than assembling a climbing frame from scratch. A vertical perch like this is especially valuable in a small home, giving an indoor cat somewhere to climb, survey its territory and rest up high where it feels safe.

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