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Cardboard Cat Tower

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Durable and easy to assemble, a cardboard cat tower provides your pets with the perfect spot to play. While some cat towers already come with finishes, most are delivered in blank or raw colors, which gives you the option to play with the look. A great thing about them is that they’re more affordable and eco-friendly than cat towers made of wood and metal. So look no further and take a look at these options, which our design experts carefully selected for you.

11 Recommendations and 118 Ideas

Updated 13/03/2023
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1
Best Space Saver
Cube Style Cardboard Cat Tree

Cube Style Cardboard Cat Tree

Archie & Oscar™

Perfect For: A single-cat home

What We Like: It’s available in a number of color combinations to match up with your home decor

Featuring two round openings for your cats to crawl into, this stackable cardboard cat tree contains four scratch posts that will keep any feline busy. The 12-inch tall stackable cubes are made out of a non-toxic Z-board that’s eco-friendly and safe for pets.  

$27.99 $40

Designer Advice:

With the ability to accommodate up to 30 pounds, this cardboard cat tree cube weighs under 4 pounds so it’s super lightweight and portable. It doesn’t require any tools for assembly either as all you have to do is pull the adhesive and stick the scratching papers to the cube-style cardboard cat tree and it’s all set for use. 

What Users Say:

It’s small and great for behind my couch where no one can see it. She scratches it and sleeps on it. It is a cardboard scratching post, but worth the money. 

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2
Best Budget
Townhouse Style Cardboard Cat Castle

Townhouse Style Cardboard Cat Castle

FurHaven

Perfect For: A house with multiple cats who need to keep busy

What We Like: The catnip and tiny toys included

This two-layer cardboard cat castle is easy to assemble and contains several arched doorways for cats to jump and climb into. It also contains an angled exterior scratchboard with an attached catnip mouse. This cardboard cat castle comes with cardboard toys that you can hang in each of the windows for some fun cat playtime.  

Designer Advice:

This cardboard cat castle is approximately 26 inches tall and 26 inches long, so it does take up a little bit of home space. You could always position it in the corner of your den or behind your sofa to give your cats somewhere to play that’s in the same space where family and friends gather. 

What Users Say:

We were barely finished putting it together and my cats were going nuts trying to get in it! Love it! 

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3
Castle Tower

Castle Tower

Furhaven Pet Products, Inc.

Inspired by a medieval castle, this cardboard cat tower offers four tiers where your cats can sit and chill. It is also equipped with scratching areas and detachable accessories, allowing you to customize the tower. Double-walled for durability and affordability.

Designer Advice:

With its blank canvas, you can create an entire look using stickers and craft materials. We recommend using those with brick patterns in gray and white or terracotta color schemes to complete the look. You can also place a furry rug inside each housing to make the entire tower comfortable and warm for your pets. 

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4
Sleek Cat Tower

Sleek Cat Tower

ZRen

A modern piece, this DIY cardboard cat tree uses engineered wood and metal along with carton material. The two-tier unit features a minimalistic design with rectilinear cutouts. Inside, the floors are lined with white fur.

Designer Advice:

The perfect piece for ultra-modern and contemporary interiors. It is ideal for small to medium cats. However, it might not be great for pets who constantly vomit or spray since it can easily damage the material. This is a great accent piece that you can place in the corner of your home and won’t be easily identified as a cat tower.

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5
Cardboard and Wood Play Tower

Cardboard and Wood Play Tower

Tucker Murphy Pet™

Instead of learning how to make a cat tree, get this multi-tier unit instead. With plush surfaces, baskets, two condominiums with windows, scratching posts, a hammock, and elastic balls, your cat will enjoy loads of fun. Durable and multi-functional.

$97.99 $92.99

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6
Bungalow Bundle

Bungalow Bundle

Furhaven Pet Products, Inc.

Taken from a house design with a subtle farmhouse aesthetic, this cardboard cat tree features two-level housing and a single-level one on the side. Its corrugated texture makes it ideal for satisfying your cat’s scratching needs.

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7
Three Piece Tower

Three Piece Tower

KW-Commerce

Composed of three cubes, this DIY cardboard cat tower is such a breeze to put together. It showcases one two-tier tower and a single cube attached at the bottom. With its design, the lower part also functions as an activity tunnel.

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8
Two Tower Unit

Two Tower Unit

Midlee

A great DIY cat tree cardboard, this unit includes two multi-level towers connected by bridges in the middle. With multiple holes and cut-outs, your pet won’t feel suffocated or cramped. Blank surface for easy customization.

Designer Advice:

Whether you like it as it is or you want a colorful assembly, this model can turn your cat tower dreams into reality. Aside from cats, you can also use this as an activity gym for other small to medium lightweight animals, such as bunnies. The durable construction can support play and chill functions. What’s more, they are affordable and easy to assemble.

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9
Best Safety Options
Tent Shaped Cat Box Tower

Tent Shaped Cat Box Tower

Pet Craft Supply

Perfect For: Apartments and small spaces

What We Like: The fun prints and artwork on the exterior

Not So Good For: A home with two or more cats

Lightweight yet durable, this cat boxer tower tent hideaway is crafted out of corrugated cardboard and imprinted with pet-friendly inks. There’s a scratchboard included to help them exercise and mark their territory. It’s 18 inches high and will nicely tuck under a tall side table in your family room.  

Designer Advice:

For an added activity, this cat box tower comes with two grams of 100% natural and pesticide-free catnip and silvervine blend. The plastic fasteners that connect each side allow this cat box tower to be a cute little retreat for cat breeds large and small. 

What Users Say:

Our cat loves playing in this and we also appreciate looking at him in there. This is adorable. 

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10
Halloween House

Halloween House

Hyde & Eek Boutique

With its playful look, this is one DIY cat tower in cardboard that will fit well with your Halloween decoration. Inspired by a haunted house and made of corrugated material, it offers a comfortable cove with tons of windows so you can easily check on them.

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11
Cat Condominium

Cat Condominium

SHENGOCASE

Composed of one box, this cardboard cat tree with a DIY aesthetic is eco-friendly and durable. The condominium can accommodate small to medium cats and features multiple holes. At the top is a flat surface where they can stand. Assembly takes less than 5 minutes. 

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Jump to More Ideas
Cardboard Cat Tower

Buying Guide

Cats love to play and rest in vertical spaces that suit their feline needs but unfortunately, their human friends live in a largely horizontal world. If you don’t provide your adorable cats with an environment that's both horizontal and vertical, you are actually denying them the fun, comfort, and safety that they are naturally wired for. A cardboard cat tree provides the best vertical life option for your cat in his or her territory. It’s not just a luxury but an important part of feline life.

Well, cardboard is a versatile material that provides your cat with a wide range of pleasurable activities from climbing, cozy hiding places, and safe elevated playing spots to scratching and just chilling out as cats often do. Cardboard is also 100% eco-friendly and recyclable. When your adorable feline friend no longer needs the cat tree, the cardboard can be recycled or repurposed for other uses. Cardboard is also amazingly cheap material. A cat tree made of cardboard is comparatively less expensive than one made of other materials.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the key features to look for in the best cardboard cat tree:

  • Materials used in its construction. You obviously value the safety of your cat so find a reliably strong, well-constructed cat tree made of durable cardboard and other materials. The cat tree should ideally be made of corrugated cardboard which is strong lightweight, and more budget friendly than wood.
  • A sturdy scratching post. A scratching post is a must item in every cat tree. Cats need it for exercise to stay fit and happy. They normally stretch their bodies and pull against any rough surface to maintain their agile and limber physiques. A cardboard is perfect for your cat’s scratching pleasure because of its coarse nature. Remember if you don’t give your cats a scratching post, they might just end up using your expensive furniture instead.
  • Furniture and home décor style. It is highly recommended to get a cardboard cat tree that matches the style of your furniture. You wouldn’t want your cat’s new toy to mess up your décor. A good thing with cardboard cat trees is that they come in a style that goes well with most homes décor.

Other extra features to look for in a cardboard cat tree include the following:

  • A soft comfortable condo where the cat can rest or sleep like a boss.
  • Built-in toys to keep the cat entertained when no one is around to play with. A toy can be anything from a few long feathers to a ball hanging from a string.
  • Climbing levels. Due to their natural feline instinct, cats love climbing on higher vertical levels. The cat tree must, therefore, have several elevated levels to keep your feline friend entertained for hours. The cat tree should preferably have three or more levels.

A cardboard cat tree may seem like an extravagant purchase at first but it will help to keep your cat physically fit, healthy and happy. It is an important piece of furniture to have in your home especially when you have two or more cats competing for playing and resting space.

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Colorful Tetris Modular Cat Tree

Colorful Tetris Modular Cat Tree

Arrange your own cat tree with this set of modular pieces, made to look as if taken straight from a retro game of Tetris. The pieces come in five different shapes, providing endless configurations for you to try out. Moreover, each shape has its own unique color of the outline, mixing gray, red, yellow, green, and blue colors. You can even use the pieces to make your own furniture, the second function of which is a cat house!

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Multi-Compartment Tall Cat Tree

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Spoil your cats with this entertaining cat tree, which the little devils are sure to love. The upholstery of the cat tree has been treated with catnip, the smell of which is ensured to stay potent for a long time, compelling your pets to play inside of the cat tree to stay healthy and fit. The cat tree is also made out of a combination of wood and cardboard to both ensure an affordable price of the tree and good stability.

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