Cats like to climb.
But if you live in a small apartment or your home isn’t cat-friendly, the opportunity for them to get some stimulating, primal exercise just doesn’t exist.
They need their own little habitat for feeling safe and they need a positive outlet to express their inner instincts.
Our favorite territorial wall spaces and stairs for our cats come from the people at CatastrophiCreations.
They are super customizable and modular so you can create any maze for your cat you want.
- The Deluxe Play place is my current setup along with…
- These Floating Sisal cat posts!
- K & H has some cool perches you could use as stairs too.
Having four indoor cats in a single story duplex, things can get a little crazy… maybe they get aggressive and start jumping on anything they can and knocking over everything in the process.
Sound familiar?
With small living spaces, the area for cat furniture or toys like a cat tree, tunnel or scratching post just doesn’t exist.
Cats are primal in nature and love being high to take in the scenery… if you have other animals or kids, those wall mounted stairs or shelves could eliminate the insecurity they feel.
The best wall mounted stairs for cats or cat wall climbing systems can offer an ideal way for that little ball of fur to get some exercise and security.
If you’ve been searching around for the best ideas for wall-mounted fun for your cats, youâve come to the right place!
We have searched high and low for wall mounted cat stairs and this article will bring you the closest product matches we found and some simple DIY solutions too.
First Up: Basic Floor Cat Stairs For Those Older Guys & Gals
Growing up in a house with stairs, my cats would be running up and down those things like a cheetah chasing it’s prey.
Sometimes I’d trip going down the stairs because I wouldn’t see them sleeping there.
Now that I moved into my own place, with no stairs, my poor cats were hit with a culture shock!
Nowhere to roam…
Hereâs the good news!
There are plenty of cat stairs available to help your cat get around your home.
For older cats, a set of floor cat stairs may be an ideal way of assisting them on to the bed at night as their legs lose strength or if they have issues…Â
Yes, old age affects cats too!
These are also great to get them onto your wall mounted stairs and shelves.
Our favorite set of basic floor cat stairs, which we discovered several years ago, are the New Cat Condos wood constructed stairs.
These large wooden stairs are ideal if you have acquired a few cats over the years.
Arriving fully assembled, theyâre ready to use out of the box and are covered with standard household carpet for more durability.
Using solid wood, similar to that your home is built with, they provide a sturdy and long-lasting platform for your kitties to lounge on.
Older cats will find the large step platforms useful for getting to those areas their legs can no longer carry them and to prevent them from being left alone roaming the floor.
Another option is to follow the DIY route we look at later and construct your own wall mounted stairs for cats.
And if you’re really feelin’ frisky…
You can build your own floor cat stairs!
Here is a great video with the basics: Shows for dogs but easily can adjust for cats too.
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Cat Wall Climbing Systems:Â The Importance Of Being Up High!
I really like the idea of a habitat that mounts to the walls of our homes.
Itâs like having an adventure playground for cats in your front room.
Sometimes I donât even have to switch the TV on to keep myself entertained, cats can be so funny!
Wall mounted climbing systems or cat climbing walls are the ideal choice if you have limited space in your home and are super popular with many cat parents.
There are so many places and types (Amazon, WalMart, Home Depot)Â to get these stairs or shelves, whether they be pre-built or customized.
Heck, you can even use floating shelves with strong anchors for drywall use (in case you can’t find a stud) to create a custom staircase!
- SmartCat Climber – they have a cool step system that hooks to your doors in the house.
- Catastrophic Creations – the better-known brand for these types of setups!
- Tucker Murphy – A budget-friendly cat wall-mounted stair step.
A collection of handcrafted wooden pieces and fabric hammocks, this is a cross between cat shelves and an activity center.
When the cat gets tired they can take a nap in the hammock with a ladder and sisal-lined hole to keep it occupied on the way up.
The fabric hammocks are rated for weights up to 62 pounds and the wooden supports for 85 poundsâif your cat is heavier than that, youâve got a problem!
I donât know who would have more fun with this, the cats or me watching them. Â
If you’ve got dogs in the house too, itâs a great way of giving the cats their own space.
All the brackets come attached for an easy installation with the piece custom built to be mounted to four wall studs with 16 inches between each stud.
The company can also build a custom piece for an additional fee if you have larger spaces between the wall studs.
Cat Wall Shelves: Oh, Just Look At The PossibilitiesâŠ
Perhaps one of the most simple solutions for wall mounted stairs for cats is to use a series of cat shelves.
Click the image for a cool tutorial for making these cat shelves (looks like a staircase on the wall!)
You can choose between wall mounted cat shelves or a simple perch like a shelf that attaches to most windows if your cat prefers a room with a view.
Click the image below to check out this tutorial on using a serving tray for a window cat perch!
Just like the wall climbing systems for cats, a floating cat shelf can be an ideal choice for apartment dwellers or anybody who wants to give their cat a vertical playground.
Floating Cat Shelves: Something A little Less Intense…
One of the more stylish floating cat shelves we found was from The Refined Feline who make lotus leaf shelves.
These are on the pricey side but are able to support 70 lbs. more than enough for most cats, and come with heavy-duty wall anchors for wall beam or drywall installation.
But wouldn’t a couple of shelves from Ikea not do the same job?
Yes.
You donât want poor little kitty falling do you?
These are made from powder-coated steel, they feature soft comfortable pads covered in a faux sheepskin material with magnetic bottoms for easy replacement.
The DIY Solution: You Donât Need To Drop A Load Of Cash To Please Your Cats
For such dignified little critters, cats are surprisingly low maintenance.
Here are a few awesome DIY cat vertical space solutions, ranging from simple to uber crafty.
I know we all love our cats, but we also love being able to afford to eat too!
A DIY project can usually be cheaper to install and will allow you to customize the design to better suit your living space and your catâs needs.
Here is a tutorial on how to make a “cat staircase” type shelf:
With tools as simple as:
- a circular saw
- a power screwdriver
- a couple of pieces of timber you could easily build your own cat stairs. Just ensure the brackets and anchors you choose are strong enough to support your cat or multiple cats.
Very simple and cost effective DIY cat wall shelving:
DIY Cat hammock video tutorial!
Crazy enough there are also cat hammocks that will fit under a chair… so if you have a small space, these are great sleeping spaces for your babes.
Outdoor Cat Stairs
Cats arenât all about the indoors, many of them enjoy going on adventures outside too.
Just as an older cat may have trouble reaching those higher beds, sometimes they may struggle to get in and out of those windows they could so easily jump from when they were younger.
One alternative would be to build a ladder or wall mounted stairs on the outside of your house.
But as your cat gets older, how safe will they be?
For lower windows, or even getting in and out of the back door, a ramp or set of outdoor stairs could be the solution.
You can DIY build your own (like the image above), buy a pre-made or plastic version of stairs, like the Flexzion folding stairs.
With sturdy plastic construction, it supports a weight of 120 pounds and offers your cat a way of safely reaching their favorite napping place.
Carpeted stair treads even offer better traction for your cat.
Do You Really Need Stairs for Your Cat?
You donât need them… in most cases.
But…
Think about it.
In the wild, youâll rarely find a healthy cat resting on the ground.
Whenever they can, they seek higher ground (or a hidey-hole or step).
Having anything in your home (the cat’skingdom) that they can climb will improve both you and your feline friends life.
No more coming home to knocked over vases or books, well not so much anyway!
They can be a great form of fun exercise to keep your cat active or somewhere for them to sleep undisturbed by pesky dogs or kids (yes my kids are pesky).
And it allows your cat to show their dominance by being higher than you.
We all know the cat is the boss really!
Do Your Cats Love Their New Habitat & Domain?
You need to showcase this stuff right away and tuck it away in some room.
You’ll have the best luck getting these things in front of windows, up high on a wall (sweet vantage point of your home) or in a corner (cats love to feel secure).
Step up if you want to make your home cat loving!
Think like a cat.
- Which angles of your home have the best views?
- Which part of the house does the sun shine mostly?
If your cats aren’t warming up to their new habitat, it’s all good.
You can:
- Sprinkle catnip on everything
- toss and hide a few treats on the shelves
- play and entice them to climb on it with a cat toy wand
Adjustment should take a few days.
Cats are notoriously leery of the differences in their surroundings, and I bet, youâll catch them chillin’ on it before the end of the week.
Remember, it isn’t hard to keep your cats happy.
You don’t really need to splurge on a cat home gym superhighway system.
You can easily use a strategically placed coffee table or DIY serving tray perch to help your cats feel more comfortable and safe.
Got any DIY ideas to share? How do you solve the problem of cat vertical space in your home?