How to Fix Failed Cat Shelves

Cat shelves are a great way to increase the space available to your cats and to make them feel happier and more secure. Cats LOVE to have high vantage points to use to look down on their territory, and cat shelves are a great way to provide those perches.

Installing cat shelves can be tricky, though. They need to be securely affixed to the wall and sturdy enough to withstand cats repeatedly jumping on and off of them. If the shelves aren't tough enough, they can fall down and take your cat with them.

In this video, I show my failed cat bridge - a particularly difficult type of shelf to secure because of the added bounce and lateral tension applied to the bolts when cats use the bridge. I demonstrate two types of attachments - drilling directly into studs and using a special type of bolt called toggle bolts to hold the bridge to the wall. I also demo my DIY reinforcement strategy to make the bridge even sturdier (a great option if you've already purchased flimsy shelves like I did lol).

I hope this helps you as you decide how to install your cat shelves!

This video is from The House With The Net, my project to close out a 50 cat colony by Spring. Incorporating cat furniture like cat shelves is one way that I make my house spacious enough for all of the cats!