For the base, buy a large plastic drip pan at Home Depot that they sell to put under washing machines. It has a lip.
I put this with the playstand on a small table. The playstand is about 4’ tall, I guess.
Buy 2 lengths of 10’ PVC to start, and a bunch of joiners, end caps, t-joiners, etc. You can always return what you don’t use.
Draw up a rough plan before going to the store to make a materials list. Three lengths of pipe, 15 end caps, 8 t-joiners, etc. Your plan will now tell you the longest lengths of PVC that you’ll need. This is important:
Get a PVC cutter. It’s just like a large scissors. And have a tape measure with you, because...
Unless you have a truck, those long pieces of PVC aren’t going to fit in your car, even sticking out the window. So cut those long pieces off in the parking lot to make them all shorter.
Incorporate as many crazy little perches as you can...and don’t overthink it.
To connect pieces, the tension alone will hold the thing together. If you want to use PVC adhesive, okay. I just used tiny sheet metal screws to attach pipe to connectors.
Finish with vet wrap (order a lot), and voila.
I used simple jute twine to connect the chains because it gives him something else to chew on and play with! When he succeeds in destroying the rope, I just tie it up again.