5e. Have a friend help you hold the
Castle up to the wall, lining it up with
the marks you made for the top edge,
and insert a pencil into each hole to
mark where you’ll be drilling on the wall
(this helps ensure accuracy). Then lay
the Castle back down on the floor and
drill 2" into the wall at each marked
point, with the u" drill bit.
5f. Put each lag bolt and washer
together, then insert into the drill
holes. Using a rachet, screw into the
wall until snug.
NOTE: Tighten until
the cardboard surrounding the bolts is
compressed slightly,
as shown (you don’t
want them too tight
or too loose).
6. SAY “HERE, KITTY KITTY!”
6a. To attract Kitty to her new playground, rub it thoroughly with organic
dried catnip. Crush the catnip between
your fingers to release the aroma and
make it extra fragrant. Then rub catnip
all over the sawn surfaces, using extra
for the sides of the central tower to lure
her up there. If Kitty isn’t compelled to
make the initial leap, insert small pieces
of her favorite dry treat in the corrugate
openings — that’ll get her moving.
So, how does the Castle rate with the
toughest customer, a domestic short-hair cat? Mademoiselle, my pastel
calico model, wouldn’t say, but her
reaction spoke volumes. As soon as
the Castle was installed, she promptly
got busy connecting with her inner
tiger, navigating the vertical maze,
scratching, stretching, leaping, pausing calmly atop a battlement to groom
herself and purr with satisfaction, and
generally regarding the Catnip Castle
as her royal domain.
