Make a Cat Scratching Post
Your cat needs to be able to claw as part of its instinctive need to flex, exercise and develop. Unfortunately your precious household effects take a hammering unless a ‘claw outlet’ can be found.
Dolly has a cat too and she uses a cat scratching post. Here’s how you can make one….
To begin, you will need the following materials:
- 2 x 2 foot long pieces of 4” x 2” pine – available from Placemakers
- 2 x 50mm screws
- 12 carpet tacks or 2 x 20mm nails
- carpet (enough to cover the pine) or approx 40 – 50 feet of sisal rope
- A square or round (solid) piece of timber with a diameter large enough so that it will support the post without it falling over! 400 x 400mm should be suffice.
- Acrylic paint or stain.
- wood glue
Here’s how to start:
- Paint your base first as well as any other surfaces that you will not be covering.
- Glue the 2 posts together along the 2” length of the face using wood glue. Your two x 4” x 2” posts is now a one piece 4” x 4” measuring 2 feet long – let the post dry before commencing further.
- Cover your posts with carpet, securing the carpet to the post with carpet tacks, or if you want the ‘rope’ finish, tightly wrap your rope around the post, securing the start point with a 20mm nail.
- Wrap the post in such a way that there are no gaps between the rope rings – tight as you can for the best finish!
- Secure the end of the rope to the post with your remaining 20mm nail.
- drill two holes into the base & into the bottom of the post ensuring each hole goes into each of the two 4” x 2”s. Make sure you centre the holes into solid parts of the post!!
- Secure the base to the post with 2 x 50mm screws.
Finally to encourage your cat to use the scratching post, it should be admonished when it scratches anywhere else (the lounge suite!) & taken to the post. After a couple of tries your cat will get the hint & will like the feel of the rope or carpet.