Wondering how to re-carpet a cat tree in your home? This article covers everything you need to know.
A scratching post or a cat tree is an integral part of any cat household. Scratching is probably the most annoying part of owning a cat, and having a scratching post mitigates this problem significantly.
However, a scratching post can shell out $30 from one’s pocket, and a cat tree can cost as high as $120. An active cat can destroy the fabric on the cat tree in one year.
So, it is not possible to buy a cat tree every year and contribute to the already high maintenance cost of having a cat in the household.
We will explain every step with the utmost care and help one save a considerable amount of money.
It is easy to change the carpet of a cat tree, and anyone can do it using the simple steps explained in the article.
Things You Need To Replace Your Carpet On a Cat Tree:
Here, we will include all the tools and materials one needs to change the carpet on a cat tree.
These are all simple household equipment, and one can find them easily in any hardware store if one does not have it at home. Here is the list of materials one needs –
- Replacement Carpet
- Heavy-duty staples
Apart from these materials, one needs the following tools to replace the carpet –
- Utility knife
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Pliers
- Staple gun
- Vacuum cleaner
Once one has collected all these things, the new looking cat tree is a few steps ahead.
How to re-carpet your cat tree?
In this section, we will chalk out everything one needs to do to replace the old carpet on the cat tree.
However, the first thing one needs to do is check the condition of the material underneath the carpet.
Once one makes sure that the underlying material is still sturdy and usable, cat owners can consider changing the carpeting.
If the supporting structure is in bad condition, one should not waste re-carpeting the whole cat tree. In that case, one can buy a new cat tree instead of remodeling the old one.
We have provided a detailed step-by-step process to re-carpet a cat tree. Follow these simple steps-
1. Remove the old carpet:
The first step is to remove the old carpet pinned to the old cat tree. Removing the old carpet is the toughest part of the entire process, and one needs serious strength to tear it down.
The difficulty of removing the carpet entirely depends on the type of material used to cover the main structure and how firmly manufacturers attached it to the underlying structure.
While it is easy to remove the carpet from an old and loose cat tree, it can be a tough step if one has purchased the cat tree recently.
Most cat owners, who re-carpet the cat trees themselves, have mentioned that the easiest way to remove the old carpeting is by cutting the old carpet using a utility knife.
However, one should be very careful with the depth of cuts, as it can ruin the underlying structure.
When one has cut the old carpet at several places and made it loosened sufficiently, use a plier or any staple removal tool to take the nails out of the matting.
This step requires muscle, and it can be tedious if one is doing this for the first time. Repeating these two processes repeatedly, one can remove the old carpet entirely.
2. Choose new carpet material:
Choosing a new material for the cat tree can determine the period, after which one has to replace it again. So, we recommend exploring the options thoroughly before making a decision.
We have provided all the details one needs to know regarding the new carpet material. One can choose from the following options –
- Traditional carpet material is found in local stores. This cheap carpet material does not last long.
- Natural fibers can also be an effective alternative. This non-toxic, eco-friendly choice can be quite hard to find. This material is inexpensive, but it is also susceptible to weather damages.
- Sisal ropes are one of the most popular choices for covering the entire cat tree. This cheap material can be harsh for some cats, and it can unravel quickly.
- Faux Fur is another material that can be a cheaper alternative to regular carpet. This washable material is prone to damages.
One can easily find these products on Amazon, and one can use all of these to replace the cat tree’s carpeting.
When one has bought the type of material to replace the old carpet with, one can proceed onto the next step.
3. Cutting the new carpeting to size:
It is probably the most meticulous step of the whole process. One needs to be entirely accurate with all the measurements and cutting.
The difficulty of the procedure depends on the structure of the cat tree. If the cat tree has multiple sitting areas and pillars, the task can be quite hefty.
The rule of thumb is measure twice before cutting the material. Cutting the material into smaller pieces can leave one with unusable cuttings.
Always remember that the carpeting should fit perfectly on the cat tree structure. One should also check the size of the pieces before attaching it to the mainframe.
Making a mistake can cost one considerable amount of time in reattaching the pieces and wastage of valuable carpeting material.
4. Fixing the carpet pieces on the cat tree:
The penultimate step in re-carpeting the cat tree is fixing the precise parts on the cat tree frame. This process gets easy as one does it repeatedly.
There are two methods for attaching the carpet pieces. Firstly, one can use a high power staple gun at the corners.
Secondly, some cat owners also use a hammer and nails to fix the carpet pieces. However, we advise following the former as a staple gun makes the process swift.
One needs to make sure that the staples or nails are pushed deeper into the material to hurt cats when they are playing.
5. Testing the new cat tree:
The final step is to check the cat tree for any sharp edges and make sure that the cat owner has firmly attached the carpet pieces.
No cat owner would like to injure their beloved feline friends. So, it is better to be safe than sorry. If one has not stapled it properly, cats will reap it apart easily, and all the hard work will be in vain.
Videos that can be useful:
Here we are providing some video tutorials for your understanding. One can follow the steps shown in the videos to make their re-carpeting task easy.
1) “How I made my cat tree look new again”:
It is a self-explanatory video with all the steps shown accurately.
2) “Building a Custom Cat Tree”:
The cat owner makes the cat tree from scratch in this tutorial.
3) “My cat tree repair without tools or glue”:
It is a repair tutorial without using any tools or extra material.
Conclusion:
Now any cat owner should be completely comfortable with all the steps mentioned in the re-carpeting process.
If one is careful with cutting the material and attaching the pieces, this process is not arduous. With a little hard work, one can make the cat tree look completely new.
This time taking process can save one from spending a large sum on a new cat tree. No matter what, one should check the re-carpeted cat tree’s safety before allowing the cat on it. The cat’s safety should be the utmost priority in this.
Related :
References:
- https://animals.mom.me/how-to-replace-the-carpet-on-a-cat-scratching-post-12206664.html
Hi There, AJ Oren here. I am the founder of this amazing pet blog & a passionate writer who loves helping pet owners to learn more about their pets through my articles. I am also the content manager of this blog. I have experience in pet training and behavior, sheltering, and currently working for a veterinary clinic.