🪜 Senior Cat Ramp & Step Planner
When the sofa starts looking like a mountain, a ramp or a set of steps gives an older cat their favourite spot back — without the jump. Tell us the height, your floor space and how mobile they are, and we'll work out the angle, the board length, or the steps.
The climb
Typical heights: sofa ≈ 18″, bed ≈ 26″, windowsill ≈ 36″. Choosing one sets the slider — or pick Custom and measure your own.
Floor to the surface they land on, in inches.
The straight-line distance the ramp or steps can occupy, out from the furniture.
This sets the steepest comfortable angle and the highest comfortable step.
Bigger cats get a wider board — room to turn and feel steady.
Your ramp plan
Materials mini-list
| Part | What to get |
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How it works
Angle matters more than length. What makes a ramp hard for an older cat isn't how long it is — it's how steep. Most senior cats are comfortable somewhere in the 10–20° zone; this planner caps the angle at 22° for a spry cat, 17° for a stiff one, and 13° for a cat whose mobility is very limited.
The math (so you can check it with a tape measure): the floor run a ramp needs is height ÷ tan(angle), and the board length is height ÷ sin(angle). Worked example: a 26″ bed at a gentle 17° needs 26 ÷ tan(17°) ≈ 85″ of run, and a board of 26 ÷ sin(17°) ≈ 89″. If that run doesn't fit, steps with a low rise each (4.5–6″) are usually the kinder option — which is why the planner checks both.
Grip is not optional. A bare wooden board is a slide. Fix carpet offcut or a rubber runner along the whole walking surface, and make sure the ramp can't skate away — a wall cleat at the top or rubber feet at the base.
Introducing it: put the ramp where your cat already jumps up — they have a route they're loyal to. Lay a line of treats up it the first few times, let them use it at their own pace, and never lift them onto it or push them up it. Most cats adopt a ramp within days once it smells familiar and leads somewhere worth going.
A ramp is a comfort aid, not a treatment. If your cat has suddenly stopped jumping, struggles with a climb they used to manage, or seems to be in pain, talk to your veterinarian rather than just building around it.