How to Plan a Cat Wall Properly

Cats like being up high. Just look at how often they choose a windowsill, the back of the sofa, a cabinet or a shelf they were never really supposed to climb on instead of the bed on the floor.

A cat wall builds on this simple observation. It uses otherwise empty wall space and, with wall-mounted cat furniture, gives your cat more places to climb, observe and rest. And when it is planned well, it does not have to turn your living room into a cat playground.

So, how do you plan one?

Watch your cat first. Drill later.

Before deciding how many shelves you need or how far apart they should be, spend some time watching how your cat actually uses the space.

Where do they like to sit? Do they seek out windows? Do they sleep in elevated places? Do they confidently jump from one piece of furniture to another, or do they prefer shorter, easier routes?

Those observations will tell you more about your future cat wall than a universal guide with exact measurements.

A young, active cat may comfortably use larger gaps between individual elements. A kitten, senior cat or less mobile cat will usually appreciate shorter distances and a simpler route.

A cat wall should not be a test of how far your cat can jump.

What should you put on a cat wall?

You do not need to cover the entire wall. A few well-positioned elements with different purposes are often enough.

Steps and smaller cat shelves help your cat move from one level to another. They can create a simple route along the wall or connect existing furniture, a windowsill and a larger resting spot.

A wall-mounted perch gives your cat enough room to stop, sit and watch what is happening around them.

And a larger wall-mounted cat bed can become the destination at the end of the route – somewhere to stretch out, sleep or quietly supervise the household from above.

It is this combination of movement and places to rest that turns a few shelves into a space genuinely designed for your cat.

Where should you put a cat wall?

Somewhere your cat already has a reason to be.

It sounds obvious, but a beautifully arranged cat wall in a part of the room your cat rarely visits probably will not get much attention.

A living room can work particularly well, giving your cat an elevated place to observe the household. A spot near a window is another natural choice. You can also connect the cat wall to furniture your cat already uses.

If your cat regularly sits on a particular cabinet, for example, you do not necessarily need to discourage it. That cabinet could become the natural starting point for a route upwards.

Plan the route up – and back down

When planning a cat wall, it is easy to focus on how your cat will get to the top. The route back down matters just as much.

Shelves, steps and resting places should connect naturally, with enough room for your cat to step on, turn around and jump down safely.

In a multi-cat household, it is also worth considering whether cats can pass one another or use an alternative route. A single narrow path may stop working quite so well when one member of the household decides to claim its best spot.

A cat wall can start with just two pieces

You do not need to design the entire setup at once.

Start with a step and a comfortable resting place, for example. See whether your cat uses them, how they approach them and where another element would make sense.

Building the wall gradually has one important advantage: your cat can show you what actually works.

For the same reason, we selected the individual pieces at Lilly’s so they can work both independently and together. Rest can serve as a compact upholstered step, Perch as a comfortable resting spot and Lounge as a larger place where your cat can settle in for longer.

You do not need all three, and you do not need to build across an entire wall. What matters more is that each piece makes sense in your home and for your cat.

What about your interior?

Cat furniture does not have to mean sisal from floor to ceiling.

Simple forms, natural materials and colours that already belong in the room can make cat furniture feel like a natural part of the interior rather than something that had to be added afterwards.

That is also the idea behind Lilly’s. Your home does not have to be either for you or for your cat. You share it.

And the spaces they use can be considered just as carefully as the spaces you use.

One last, less interesting but important thing

Installation.

Every wall is different. Concrete, brick and plasterboard require different fixing methods, so always use mounting hardware suitable for your specific wall type and respect the maximum load of each product.

After installation, check that every element is secure and stable before allowing your cat to use it. It is also worth checking the fixings periodically afterwards.

Then let your cat decide.

They might be on their new cat wall within thirty seconds. Or they might ignore it demonstratively for two days and sit in the box it arrived in.

Both are very cat-like responses.