CAT WALL SHELVES FOR LARGE CATS AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Some safety concerns and tricks that could help you
Big, giant, and overweight cats need more space to move around and more safety, especially if they're longhaired, as the hairs between their toe beans highly impact their grip ability. The smooth surface can be quite slippery when running on those silky, long hairs.
Most of the wall-mounted cat furniture isn't good for large cats. In fact, most of the cat furniture is sized for kittens, small and maybe medium-sized cats. The sizes are way too small, and the wood used is soft and thin. Having big cats does cost more, but that's something you're aware of.
Having big breed cats is a sort of privilege, and it does have a different set of rules in place if you want to have happy and healthy cats. There are challenges, and some breeds do have health issues that are common and can impact what type of furniture is best for them and how they'll use it.
If you have bigger cats that are too quick on their feet but clumsy, or you don't feel safe seeing them leaping and running up the walls, you can add elements that slow them down. A big cat can go through the normal Wally Tunnel or Tunnel Mini, but can not spring right through it, so these elements could act like speed bumps on the road, slowing the cats down, even discouraging big bully cats from chasing the smaller ones.
PLACEMENT OF CAT SHELVES IS EVERYTHING
You want to induce more action and fun, but some spaces require cats to be careful and move more slowly. Some cats get the memo, while others act like they have 9 lives left in them. This is especially important in very high spaces. The most common being over stairways.
Those spaces require wider shelves with smaller gaps between them, and carpeted shelves for extra grip. If your space is up high, there will be an issue of cleaning, but if it's up high where nobody could actually see, and cats have extra safety, is it really important if there's a layer of cat hair? Eventually, it will fall down and you'll easily pick it up.
These are some of the compromises living with cats will force us into.
The best elements for highly active cats are ultra-high and wide cat scratching poles, such as our Mounty Chonk. These get the attention of all cats, as every cat wants to sink their claws in and mark its territory. The ultra-wide post is similar to a real life tree that cats could be climbing outside. Most cats find it challenging and entertaining, and you'll see them climbing up and down as fast and furiously as they possibly can. They'll sling shot themselves onto and from the pole and monkey around like crazy. For extra aggressive cats, we recommend positioning a carpet under the pole to prevent damage to the floor.
Higher placement of shelves should mean wider and longer shelves. It's logical to have narrower shelves in the bottom areas of the wall, but placing shelves up high comes with added risks. Almost all of our shelves could be retrofitted to have a railing, and as everything is made to order, the railing could be made with many height options in mind.
Also, keep in mind that you'll sometimes need to be able to get to your cat when they're somewhere high. We recommend training cats to respond to treats or toys. In case you live in areas with earthquakes and other natural disasters, be aware that cats could flee to the highest points, and you should be able to catch them.
There are no perfect scenarios, and compromises need to be made. Safety is always our main concern.
Even cat shelves need to be cat proofed, as most don't have that by design, and because people want to have more for less price, so they buy products that are too small and not appropriate for their cats.
We encourage our clients to reach out and ask what would be safest for their space. Sometimes there are budget limitations, sometimes space, but we do try to offer our advice and knowledge. It's better to start small and upgrade and expand later(that's why all of our customers get a 20% off coupon for future purchases).
Our shelves have multiple reinforcements and purposely have wide and high back plates. The wood construction of the shelves doesn't limit you to using our standard mounting holes, but entices you to plan out your wall and to add new holes through the back plates where needed.
We're in Europe, so most of our walls are concrete and brick, and we don't have the same issues as people who live in houses with plasterboard walls and rely on studs and anchors.
Cat shelves do vibrate when cats jump on and off, that's why we put at least 4 mounting holes on each shelf, even on steps, to distribute the impact and vibrations evenly. Having 4 mounting points on a small shelf may seem like overkill, but these shelves need to carry as much weight and take in more impact on a smaller footprint than big shelves. There is always a higher risk of a smaller step/shelf coming down than the large one. For instance, our wall tunnels, loft, and stacker have 4-6 mounting holes by default, but the weight and force are better distributed along the huge back plate.
We keep seeing a lot of flat and round "steps" that are more suitable for a chinchilla or a bird, but not nearly enough for a cat.
We use birch plywood because it's extra sturdy, hard, and doesn't warp. The BigCat shelves are made out of 10mm/0.39'' and 18mm/0.71'' high-quality Baltic Birch that is solid and rigid. Giant products are made using 14mm/ and 18mm/0,71" thick ply to make it even sturdier.
BIGCAT BRIDGES
These are new in our shop and are extra secure and sturdy bridges for cats of all sizes, but specifically designed for large and heavier cats. Ideal for chonkier cats, or for large breeds such as the Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Savannah, Norwegian Forest Cat, and Highlander.
The bridges have extra-wide slats that provide large cats with ample space to freely move around. They can pass each other and turn around without issue.
Can be attached to our BigCat and Giant shelves, and some of the standard Wally shelves that are deeper than 30cm. The bridge is 30cm/11.8'' deep, and the length depends on the chosen model.
Made out of 18mm thick birch plywood, which makes it sturdy, but heavy, which means it shouldn't be mounted on flimsy cat shelves.
When mounted properly, it can hold multiple large cats.
They're simple suspension bridges, with two hard-bearing sisal or PP ropes carrying the bars and following a hyperbolic curve, the CATenary. The curve is stiffened and made more stable by 4 screws on each bar(2 in every rope), ensuring that bars stay in place. The stiffness allows the bridges to be more stable and to carry much more weight while reducing the twisting motion.
Our bridges are uniquely safe. The spacing between the bars is less than a cm, which doesn't leave room for cats' paws to get stuck. The slats gently move, and the motion between the slats is minimal. The gentle sway of the bridge is pleasing to cats.
Also, the wood is sanded down to perfection, and all the edges are rounded off for extra safety.
The bridges should be spaced out to form a gentle curve, not dangle in a U form. Also, bridges are not the same as ladders. Bridges connect two spaces of similar height. If the bridge is set incorrectly, there is a chance your cat/s might avoid using it. If you place it as a ladder, with one end being significantly higher than the other, cat/s will likely jump over it.
Our Wide Bridges are generally fully carpeted or have artificial grass on top, but could also work without carpeting for setups that need to be regularly cleaned and disinfected, or you just love them looking cleaner(there is an option of adding some non-slip transparent adhesive tape that's meant for stairs. We personally haven't tried it yet, but will do so in the future).
The shelves on the lower levels can be of smaller depth, but the further up the wall we go, the more footprint space our cats need to safely execute their moves.
THE STEP SIZE WE RECOMMEND - GIANT 1-STEP
The biggest simple cat step, deep enough for two large or chonky cats to pass by each other and long enough for a large cat to firmly sit on it with all 4 paws firmly on the shelf.
Big cats need more support. Most large breeds of cats are longhaired(the long hairs between their toe beans make their lives a bit harder, making bare surfaces slippery), have the same hereditary issues as large dogs(lower bone density, hip dysplasia, brittle bones), and just need more space to jump on and off.
The giant steps are carpeted as standard because of all those things.
Giant steps are great for tree-legged cats, as they are easy to move around on and have grip. The spacing on the shelves should be accommodating to a tree-legged lifestyle, but in reality, most tree-legged cats move around with ease on any setup. The width and the depth of this cat shelf make it easy to move around. The carpet is there to offer grip when they lose balance and can easily push themselves up, especially if they're missing a forelimb.
HAMMOCKS
should be installed at the ends of the layout, as cats like solid shelves to jump off of and onto. Also, with multiple cats, you don't want anybody to jump on someone who might be sleeping or just relaxed in their hammock.
A Combo cot is a better option for transitional areas, as it has a solid shelf part that creates a pathway around the hammock part.
USEFUL TRICK THAT COULD SAVE YOU A LOT OF HASSLE
General rule: be careful when ordering shelves because a huge amount of sellers have photoshopped or AI model cats on them or are using small lab-designed cats as models(mostly Asian market, cats like Munchkin and Scottish Fold).
If you're not certain about the size, look up the size of it up, draw it on a piece of cardboard or paper, and leave it next to your cat. Then decide if it's even big enough.
If a cat is sitting on it and it looks small, avoid it. You can also make a cutout of the desired furniture and leave it on the floor to make sense of how it would fill your space.
IF YOU'RE IN BETWEEN SIZES, ALWAYS SIZE UP
Nobody was sorry they opted for the larger shelf, but seeing cats struggle on small shelves does make you hate yourself.
The rules are vastly different for multi cat households than for single ones. When you have more than one cat, you should always make sure to avoid "bottlenecks" or "dead ends", where a kitty could feel trapped by someone else. It can lead to (or exacerbate) conflict.
Our shelves can hold humans when mounted correctly on sturdy walls.
The shelves alone can carry multiple large cats in weight, but the thing that could ruin it all is your walls. So be careful trusting only the amount a single shelf could carry; both mounting hardware and the type of wall are crucial. We do provide you with quality universal wall plugs and screws, but that may not be suitable for your wall type and placement. Better go for the overkill version for mounting heavy things, as mounting hardware is made for things that don't move, and having cats jump up and down is quite a force and causes a lot of vibration.
If your wall is fragile, you can make it extra sturdy by covering it entirely with sheets of plywood, and you can paint it so that no one notices what you've done. Then you can easily mount any furniture onto it.
NO TO COMMAND STRIPS AND HEAVY DUTY MOUNTING TAPE
We keep seeing influencer behavior where people try to act smart and recommend using things like command strips to hold cat furniture in rented spaces. There is no way of avoiding doing some damage to the walls, command strips will leave places that need fixing, and that will be all if you're lucky.
Our furniture is heavy, so I presume no one would be that bold to try using such methods.
Using command strips could not only damage the walls and everything beneath, along with destroying furniture, but also injure your cats. Please be careful and smart.
Heavy duty mounting tapes could, in theory, hold shelves with objects that don’t move, but they won't hold the force or vibrations of a cat jumping on and off.
Also, cats may have 9 lives, but they are also idiots that have "look, a squirrel" moments and forget to watch where they're going. They also fall asleep and sometimes roll over and fall down and bang themselves.
I often get sent posts from different cat groups where people are seeking help after the fact, not before. I'm not here to scold anyone, and I cannot say to anyone that they are guilty for their cats being injured or dead. They'll have plenty of guilt. I try to entice people to use their eyesight when making decisions and to read up on things. Just because something is cute doesn't mean it's safe.
Also, there is a viral content creator who builds different wall designs for his prey driven and trained cat. Note that he only has the experience of owning that one cat, and doesn't show how long things last. Even in his videos, you could see shelves vigorously shaking after the cat has jumped off/on, especially on the French cleat system with movable shelves. If there were more cats, that thing could cause lots of damage. You can see the screws through the brittle OSB board. That thing could snap in an instant.
He does promote an active and enriched lifestyle, but he's selling content. Do your research before doing DIY. There are plenty of resources online. Also, many cats won't even touch wobbly shelves, let alone relax on them. His cat is highly prey driven and trusts him. Please, use your better judgment.
SOME SAFETY CONCERNS
General rule of thumb: never use anything that has an opening where your cat could poke her head and get stuck, or where they could get her foot stuck.
For instance, have you seen the differences between our cat bridges and some of the competitors? The gap between our bars is set at a distance where the bridge can bend nicely, but it's small enough to be secure for your cat's feet. There is no possibility of getting a foot caught in there.
MACRAME CAT HAMMOCKS
Also, we advise against most, if not all, macrame beds/shelves for cats. They may look cute, but depending on the weaving and the style, they're a disaster waiting to happen. The cords get twisted easily, and your cat could tear a leg or choke herself while trying to free herself. Every opening could be lethal.
CLIMBING CARPETS ON THE WALL - THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
There is a trend of putting carpets on the walls for cats to climb, but I would be very wary of that practice. Although it looks fun in the videos, it might not be the safest thing for your cat, and it certainly isn't something I would recommend.
There are a few issues, since there are no tested and certified cat wall carpets, such as what kind to pick. I've seen variations, from forms of shaggy carpets to more natural jute buqle or sisal woven ones, and while the natural ones are more durable and better for cats, there is a concern of cats getting stuck on the loop of the carpet and tearing out a nail or even a muscle. This is a special concern with big cats.
If you're putting carpet up, be sure to secure it properly. I would suggest adding a reinforcement of some kind, as the carpet could tear under the weight.
If the carpet isn't thick and if the cat's claws could get stuck, please put some kind of padding under the carpet. It will save your walls and your kitty's nails.
If you're using a staple gun to secure it to a plastered wall, you should use heavy duty staples as they need to hold weight.
Also, be sure to add shelves for landing and something soft underneath it all.
If you're a cat rescuer/foster, you wouldn't want to teach cats that are up for adoption how to climb walls, as that may lead to other issues, such as climbing up wallpapers, decorative walls, or curtains, which could all lead to cats being returned as the villains.
One thing that might be fun to do with a carpet would be to place it on a wall behind your cat shelves. Which would mean that cat shelves are drilled through the carpet. That could work, but note that the cat hair will stick to the carpet all the time, and you'll have to suffer through it.
We specialize in making unique and customized projects, so don't hesitate to ask us questions, as we can make almost anything work.