Refinishing cat tree

[sylorna]

This question is more about building and less about cats.
Coal peed in my 16 year old cat tree. Admittedly, I've never properly cleaned it before aside from spot cleaning. He's only done it once and was probably making a comment about something (recent vet visit? 3 other cats worth of smell? A forgotten litter pan while I was distracted with his FIV test results? Who knows?!)

I have tried soooo hard to get it out, and the more I clean the more the whole tree smells like soaps and animals. 16 years worth of carpet dirt is no joke! I have even run the mat under the shower (it is now disintegrating) and done the whole unit with just water after the soap because the smell was so offensive. Still stinks.

We have 2 options: buy or repair. I cant seem to find one that is sturdy and tall enough for my tastes to buy, so we are experimenting with reparing.
The thing I discovered tonight is that all of the very meticulously laid carpet is glued down. I managed to peel some carpet off by heating the glue with a hair dryer but the fumes were bad! I could however do it outside, but we will need a heat gun 100%. We were discussing the corners we could cut to make the process easier tonight, but im not sure it will be worth all the effort of stripping the thing, especially for the bed parts. I even considered just putting a layer of carpet over the carpet that's there, but that isn't going to solve my stink problems.

Does anyone have experience with these types of things that can share some wisdom? Am I being stupid? Should I just wait for something and purchase? It's just so sturdy and I hate throwing out things that could be fixed and reused. Maybe it's not worth it though! Here's some pics of the underside of one of the shelves where I peeled the carpet back. Glue everywhere!

 

[maggie101]

I recently bought this. It is 58inch+. Much smaller than my old 72inch. The carpet eventually wore out and my cat chewed off a lot of the carpet. I was worried about glue. Since this one is smaller it is much easier to clean. I use a window wiper to get off fur

 

[Norachan]

Could you post some pictures of the whole tree?

Glued down carpet is very hard to get off. If the vertical posts are still in good condition what I would do is dismantle the tree, measure the horizontal pieces and then just replace the horizontal parts. Most hardware stores will cut planks to size for you, so all you need to is cover the planks and reassemble.

Do you have any power tools? An electric drill, like an impact driver, is very useful. If you are going to attach carpet don't glue it down. Use screws, as they are much easier to remove if you need to replace the carpet.

 

[sylorna]

Could you post some pictures of the whole tree?

Glued down carpet is very hard to get off. If the vertical posts are still in good condition what I would do is dismantle the tree, measure the horizontal pieces and then just replace the horizontal parts. Most hardware stores will cut planks to size for you, so all you need to is cover the planks and reassemble.

Do you have any power tools? An electric drill, like an impact driver, is very useful. If you are going to attach carpet don't glue it down. Use screws, as they are much easier to remove if you need to replace the carpet.

I can post pictures, however your post got me thinking about a few things.
Given the way the tree is built I think it's almost impossible to dismantle. That combined with the cost of lumber right now ($100/ sheet for plywood?!?) Really makes building my own or dismantling and partly building it back pretty silly.
I've decided to try to clean it up the best I can for now, and maybe add some sisal to the main post where it's ripped and then wait for a good sale on a carpeted one.

Side note: why do people buy faux fur or plush and not carpet? My guy uses his nails to scale the back of the tower and wouldn't be able to with that, plus carpet is more spongy (when it's not 16 years old).

Thanks for making me think!

 

[vince]

If you need a tubular core, ask at a carpet dealer. Carpets are spooled up on heavy cardboard cores, about 3 inch diameter, which is fine for scratching posts. The dealers just throw the cores in the dumpster.

 

[Purr-fect]

Heres what I would do.

Use an oscillating tool to remove the carpet. You have already lifted some of the carpet. Simply slide the blade of the tool under the carpet and cut it away from the wood base. Dont use heat as the fumes are likely toxic. Dont sand the glue as the dust is likely toxic. The oscillating blade will do a quick clean job removing the carpet. The remaining surface doesnt have to be smooth as it will be covered by new carpet. Try to remove the old carpet in one piece and use it for a pattern on the new carpet.

Once the old carpet has been removed, wash the tree with hot water and trisodium phosphate (tsp). Repair tree, tighten screws ect.

Let it dry thoroughly. Now the wood has to be sealed. Washing it will not remove all, the odors and may even release more odor. Use zinsser shellac based primer. It will cover just about any stain and odor. Simply the best primer i have ever used, but expensive. But fumes are very strong, so you must use it in a very well ventillated area.......i am not kidding. Note the brush can be cleaned with hot water and tsp, you do not need denatured alcohol as instruction say. Once the primer has cured, it is odorless.

Give the tree, two thorough coats with a brush, work primer into the grain and joints. It will dry in 20 mins between coats.

Recover with your cat's favorite carpet. Glueing is preferable as cats may get injured if carpet is attached with staples or nails.

And post a pic when you are finished.

 

[Kflowers]

What Purr-fect said but do it outside, maybe with a fan blowing on you not across the cat tree.

 

[sylorna]

Thanks guys! Unfortunately I live in an apartment and I don't have tools, and my in laws just got rid of theirs with their downsizing.
Such great advice! Wish I could follow through.
For now I've thrown out the base of the cup where he peed and am going to try to do more carpet cleaning on it this weekend. Hopefully that will tied this over till I can find a tree I like and for a reasonable price.

 

[Kflowers]

Be very careful what cleaners you put on the carpet because the fumes from mixing chemicals with the glue can kill you. I was going to suggest the vinegar, but again fumes. If you have a balcony, put it on the balcony.

You can rub tons of baking soda into the carpet vacuum it out and repeat until the smell goes away.

Do not use bleach - cat has put ammonia on the tree, bleach combined with ammonia will kill you.

It's really safer to just get a new cat tree and add weights and more wood to the bottom to keep it from tipping over.

 

[sylorna]

Be very careful what cleaners you put on the carpet because the fumes from mixing chemicals with the glue can kill you. I was going to suggest the vinegar, but again fumes. If you have a balcony, put it on the balcony.

You can rub tons of baking soda into the carpet vacuum it out and repeat until the smell goes away.

Do not use bleach - cat has put ammonia on the tree, bleach combined with ammonia will kill you.

It's really safer to just get a new cat tree and add weights and more wood to the bottom to keep it from tipping over.

Was actually going to continue a few rounds of plain water in my carpet cleaner and maybe a round of vinegar water before that (or just spray some on and rinse it off with the carpet cleaner). Part of my problem is apparently I hate the smell of the carpet soap, so I thought maybe getting more of it out would help.
At least now I can sit next to it and not smell anything. I'll still need a new tree because this one is in bad shape but at least it can hold up for a bit.

Why is it so hard to find a tree with carpet?! So annoying.

 

[Purr-fect]

Why is it so hard to find a tree with carpet?! So annoying.

You can find some great deals on kijij or facebook marketplace.

 

[Krienze]

I use a window wiper to get off fur

Omg that is a great idea, gonna try that!!

 

[Kflowers]

It's a very GOOD idea to NOT use carpet soap. I've personally, in my tiny world, known several dogs who were so allergic to the 'new' carpet and just 'cleaned' carpet that they itched constantly for years until the new wore off. For one poor thing, a month after she stopped itching her parents decided to clean the carpets and the itching started again. They did get her medicine for the itching, but refused to consider my suggestion of doing as you, sylorna , plan to do and cleaning with water and vinegar water. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that that is your plan.

 

[sylorna]

It's a very GOOD idea to NOT use carpet soap. I've personally, in my tiny world, known several dogs who were so allergic to the 'new' carpet and just 'cleaned' carpet that they itched constantly for years until the new wore off. For one poor thing, a month after she stopped itching her parents decided to clean the carpets and the itching started again. They did get her medicine for the itching, but refused to consider my suggestion of doing as you, sylorna , plan to do and cleaning with water and vinegar water. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that that is your plan.

I generally use eco friendly soaps in my cleaning, and usually just my favouite combo of water, dish soap and vinegar for most things. We had a bird a long time ago and I ended up tossing everything that was scented. As a result I've gotten really sensitive to the high scents and chemical smells from more conventional cleaners. It's just not healthy!