Cat tower falling

[adventuregirl]

Phoenix is at the stage of life where he is nearly full grown, but still very much a kitten. I honestly don't think he's aware of how big he has gotten ( my 12 year old nephew is going through a similar faze) . Well anyway last night we heard a crash from downstairs and found this....

I am trying to think of some way to keep it more sturdy. Maybe bricks at the bottom? Or tying it to the wall somehow? This tower is kinda like stair case that allows both the cats go to thier favorite spot, on top a cupboard that looks out their favorite window, so I can't really move it to a corner. Any ideas to help keep it more secure? It's funny, but he could have gotten seriously hurt.

 

[Caspers Human]

Get some 2-inch drywall screws and fasten the base down to the floor.
Use a screw gun to drive the screws through the base plate, into the floor boards underneath.

Six or eight screws around the perimeter of the base, one in each corner and one at the center of each edge, will make sure that your cat tree won't go anywhere.

If you can't do that, get a piece of half-inch thick plywood, double the size of the original base and attach it to the existing base plate using drywall screws. Make it so that the top of the cat tree can't sway outside the perimeter of the base and the cat tree will be a lot harder to tip over.

Fastening it down would be the most secure option but enlarging the base will work well enough if you live in an apartment where you aren't supposed to drill holes in the floor, etc.

 

[duncanmac]

Caspers Human doesn't have a half-bad idea. If you rent, the land lord will never know due to the carpet.

Also, check all the connections to make sure they are tight. Some of the top levels look loose/twisted.

 

[fionasmom]

I really do defer to Caspers Human since I am not very mechanical....and yes, we have all been there. If you are not able to do what is suggested, you might look into earthquake securing and bolting products to see if there is another way to safely attach the cat tree to something like a stud in the wall. Just about my whole house is bolted to something; lots of products out there.

 

[susanm9006]

Another alternative is to attach it to the bookcase near the top and midway. You can purchase flat “L” shaped metal bars that could be screwed onto the cat tree and then onto the bookcase. There is enough weight in the bookcase that it won’t topple with the weight of a cat jump.

 

[lucicat]

I would secure to the floor or a wall--some sort of brace that bolts. you could put sandbags at the base, although that wouldn't be the prettiest

 

[LTS3]

Another alternative is to attach it to the bookcase near the top and midway. You can purchase flat “L” shaped metal bars that could be screwed onto the cat tree and then onto the bookcase. There is enough weight in the bookcase that it won’t topple with the weight of a cat jump.

I wouldn't try that unless the bookshelf itself is attached to the wall with safety straps. The books aren't enough to keep the bookshelf up right with a rambunctious cat. Kind of like thinking a large old CRT type tv will stay on a piece of furniture and not get toppled over by a curious energetic kid trying to climb on it.

Could you move those milk crates of books somewhere else and put the tree in that spot and use safety wall straps to secure the tree to the wall studs? The strap would go around one of the vertical scratching posts of the tree.

 

[Caspers Human]

Also, check all the connections to make sure they are tight. Some of the top levels look loose/twisted.

I agree!

Since you are in repair mode, there's no reason why you shouldn't go through and make sure everything is secure the way they should be. You've already got the tools out. No better time than the present.

you could put sandbags at the base, although that wouldn't be the prettiest

That's a good alternative if you can't physically secure the cat tree to the floor... Weight that baby down!

I was a stagehand for fifteen years. We used to sandbag a lot of scenery to keep it safe during a performance.
We secured many pieces of scenery down to the wooden floor with screws but, if a piece of scenery needed to be moved, it would be weighted.

So, if you want to be able to move your cat tree, weights are a good idea.

Just remember that your sand bags need to weigh at least two times the weight of the item you are trying to secure.

If you have a 25 lb. cat tree plus two cats at 10 lb. each, you'll need at least 90 to 100 lb. of weight on the base to be safe.
More weight is better if you can manage it.

Don't forget to think about how much weight your floor can hold!

Another alternative is to attach it to the bookcase near the top and midway.

I wouldn't try that unless the bookshelf itself is attached to the wall with safety straps. The books aren't enough to keep the bookshelf up right with a rambunctious cat.

I would not attach the cat tree to the bookcase! It's not safe!

Looking at the picture, it seems like there is already a rope or a bungee cord going from the book case to one of the fallen items on the floor. So, even if it didn't pull the bookcase over, it still didn't work as planned.

Tying something down is only a good option if you can attach to something structural. Directly into a stud in the wall or ceiling. You'll need to use strong rope or, better, steel cable.

To be honest, I still recommend screwing down to the floor.

Not only is it the strongest and safest method, in my opinion, it's the easiest.

If you've got a battery operated screw gun it would be a five minute job.... ZIP! ZIP! ZIP! DONE!

It's cheapest, too. It should cost you no more than ten dollars at Home Depot.

 

[adventuregirl]

Thanks everyone for your help. I will have to think of something. This is the basement where the wall and floor are both concrete, so I've never tried to bolt anything down. Probably leaning towards a sandbag and making the base bigger. The rope you see is holding up a collapsible play tunnel. It kept collapsing when the cats played in it, so I used rope to hold it in the upright position. Unfortunately since this is the basement its also used as storage and is my crafting room and reading nook. I spend a lot of my free time down there. We have done our best to make the cats happy down there. It's "thier room". My husband has allergy induced asthma and as a result the cats aren't allowed in our bedroom or the living room. They are allowed in the kitchen and other areas that don't have a carpet, but the basement is thier main area they hang out and has the most room for them. Since this room is multipurpose, we try to work with what we got to make the cats happy. The crates with books lead up to another window they enjoy looking out and there are several other windows that they have access too. I have rearranged several times to try to make it work, I may have to work on it some more.

 

[basscat]

One screw through the base to the floor, on the back side should work. And easy to find and remove just one screw if need to move it.
Wire the top to a screw in the wall works as well (my Christmas tree is done this way every year). Make sure the wall screw hits a stud.
AND, if possible, place the screw in the wall in such a spot as a good place to hang a picture frame if you ever decide the move the cat tree somewhere else.
Sanbag is a good idea as well

 

[Caspers Human]

This is the basement where the wall and floor are both concrete, so I've never tried to bolt anything down. Probably leaning towards a sandbag and making the base bigger.

A concrete floor does make screwing the cat tree to the floor more difficult.
But not impossible.

They make a special screw, called a "Tapcon," that is specially designed for concrete.
You have to drill a hole into the concrete, first, but it is a fairly easy job for somebody who knows how to use a power drill and hand tools. You can buy Tapcons at Home Depot. They are more expensive than regular drywall screws but you can still get a small package of them for less than $10.00. You'll also need to get a special drill bit to drill the holes for the screws to go into. That's probably another $5.00.

Fastening the cat tree to the floor is the more secure option but making the base bigger and sandbagging it down would work well.

As it is, I'd probably go with sand bags.

 

[Jemima Lucca]

I’d be just as worried about that bookcase falling on him. Also maybe go around your house looking for anything else that he can knock over onto himself. And some cat towers actually come with a way to make it anti-tip. You could use an “L” bracket attaching one part to a wall and the other part to the tower. How about super stick Velcro or those sticky hooks that people use for hanging stuff for Christmas? Can’t think of the name but they attach to cement

 

[Lamont Cyrus]

good advice. need to be fixed. the cat jumps hard.