Cat trees are amazing, aren’t they? The little fellas love them so much! In fact, they can love them too much, that there’s nothing left behind! What then? You’re left with a massive old cat tree. Do you want to know what to do with an old cat tree?
There are actually a couple of things that you can do so don’t toss it out just yet! Whether you’re going to replace it with another one or you just want to get rid of it, there are better ways you could do that!
What to do with your old cat tree depends on several things. Your solution is a couple of questions away!
What to Do with an Old Cat Tree?
Do you want to get rid of this tree because it’s old or do you not want a cat tree at all? Either way, we have answers for you!
How to Salvage Your Old Cat Tree
Good news! You don’t need to purchase a new cat tree just yet. You can recycle fake trees too! Yes, you can. You don’t need anyone to do it for you, it’s pretty doable on your own. Here’s how to find out if your cat tree is recyclable.
What’s the extent of the damage your tree has received? Is it just the scratch post that’s torn apart or is the carpeting done for as well?
How to Fix the Scratch Post
It’s just the scratch post then? That’s even better news! Fixing the scratch post is super easy!
- Gather the following tools:
- Glue gun
- Staple gun
- Sisal Rope
- Pliers
- Scissors
- Non-toxic cleaners
- Vacuum cleaner
- Gloves
- Thoroughly vacuum the tree to remove all of the hair and dust that are on it.
- Using the non-toxic cleaners, spray and clean the carpets. Give it a good scrub!
- To remove the old sisal rope, you might have to unscrew the tree to separate your post.
- Use the pliers to get out the screws or staple pins.
- Once they’re out, simply pull off the rope.
- To install the new rope, you’re going to have to secure the rope to the bottom of the post using the staple gun.
- Hammer the staple pins to make sure they’re not protruding, or else they could be a hazard to your little furball.
- Put on your gloves to avoid getting a burn from the glue gun.
- Start wrapping it around the post using generous amounts of glue gun as you go.
- Wrap it as tightly as possible so that it doesn’t get loose once your cat gets a hold of it!
- Cut the extra piece of the rope and staple the end to the post.
- Hammer the staple pins.
- Reinstall the cat perches you removed by screwing them back to the post.
- Make sure they’re well on and solid before you let your little guy jump on it!
How to Fix the Entire Cat Tree
Okay, so the good news is that you don’t need to throw out your cat tree just yet! You can still fix it yourself and have fun doing it! Here’s how to make your cat tree more stable.
- Gather These supplies:
- Glue gun
- Staple gun
- Sisal Rope
- Box cutter
- Staple remover
- Pliers
- Scissors
- Hammar
- Non-toxic cleaners
- Vacuum cleaner
- Drill
- Gloves
- Carpet or towel or fabric
- Remove the Carpeting and Sisal Rope
Using the box cutter, scissors, staple remover, pliers, and anything else you find helpful, remove the carpeting.
The box cutter is probably the one that will do the most progress. It’s better to wear gloves here so that you don’t cut yourself by accident. You’re probably going to stumble upon many pins here so use a drill and pliers to unscrew them.
Unwrap the sisal rope. If it’s glued on, use the tools to get it loose.
- Install the New Carpeting
Now that you have the separate parts, install the fabric you chose. You could use any old carpet, rug, towel, or any fabric of your choosing. You’re going to need your scissors to cut out any excess fabric and make some cuts to be able to secure the fabric smoothly.
Secure it to the perch using the staple gun. Use the hammer to ensure the pins are in and not protruding.
- Install the Sisal Rope
Just like before, use a staple gun to secure the beginning of the rope to the bottom of the post and the glue gun all the way to the top. Wrap it tightly and staple the top part. Once again, hammer the pins in so that they don’t stick out.
- Assemble!
Now, put the tree back together! Using the nails and drill, secure the parts together. Make sure they’re tightly secured and not wobbly or anything. Congratulations! You’ve just saved a hundred bucks, and got your cat a new-ish tree!
Ways to Get Rid of the Cat Tree
Okay, so you want to get rid of this tree one way or another. Is it in a good condition or did your cat do a good job using it over the years?
If It’s in decent condition, you can choose to donate the cat tree. Below are a few areas that will gladly take lightly used cat trees and clean them so they can give them to needy families with pets.
Below are three options to choose from.
- Donate to Shelter
As much as it breaks a cat-parent’s heart, not all kitties have loving homes as our little furballs do. Some of these little fellas have had really hard lives or simply don’t have homes yet. Why not bring a little joy to their lives?
You could call the nearest shelters and see if any of them could use a cat tree! It doesn’t have to be brand new or anything, it just needs to be in a good enough condition that other cats could enjoy it. It’s bound to bring some happiness into their lives!
It’s worth mentioning, however, that some cats might not respond too well to pre-owned cat trees. The shelter would probably know what to do but in case you’d like to help a little more, you could clean the tree so that your cat’s scent isn’t too strong.
- Regift
Another nice gesture you could do if the cat tree is in good shape is to give it to a fellow cat parent as a gift!
There doesn’t have to be a certain occasion for this, you can do it simply because you don’t need it anymore. These things are really expensive so they’d definitely appreciate the thought.
Although, in this case, you’d definitely need to clean the tree a little bit. They might not be aware that their cat might respond negatively to the gift so you could save them the trouble. Just vacuum it a little bit and use a liquid cleaner to remove your cat’s scent off it.
- Sell It!
People sell everything nowadays, why not sell your cat tree? Get rid of your unwanted tree and make some cash while you’re at it! Two birds with one, well, tree. Put it on Craigslist or Facebook Market or something.
We would advise you to clean it in this instance as well, so that the buyer doesn’t call you up and demand a refund!
If It’s Completely Demolished
Your cat really did love that tree, eh? No worries! You can contact a junk removal organization to come to pick it up. LoadUp is eco-friendly and they do take cat trees.
The Bottom Line
See? Throwing out your cat tree isn’t at all advisable. There are better ways of dealing with it.
You could renovate it yourself and it could be as good as new! You could donate it to a shelter, gift it to someone, or sell it! If it’s too ruined for any of these things, have an eco-friendly junk removal organization pick it up!
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