Things You'll Need:
- a cat with claws
- at least one good eye
- maybe a printer (to print this article)
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Step 1
ADEQUATE SCRATCHING SURFACE: We have found sisal rope to be accepted by most cats as a scratching surface. It should be very tightly wrapped, and secure at either end. A sisal rope of 3/8 inch will have a longer life than 1/4 inch. Some cats prefer carpeting. A well constructed carpeted scratching post will be satisfactory, as long as it meets these other criteria.
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Step 2
SUFFICIENT LENGTH FOR A STRETCH: A vertical post needs to be high enough for a great stretch. These critters are finely tuned hunting machines with a muscular system that needs to be in harmony. Just think if there was no good place where you could stretch out. Wouldn't that bite? Well your cat is even more picky about these things. You've seen her stretch out, either up a vertical surface, or splayed out on the floor. This is obviously important to her.
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Step 3
STABILITY: Stability comes from several factors. First, base size and weight in relation to height. A base should typically be wide enough that you can expect the cat to scratch it without tipping it. If the base is wide enough, the cat can stand on the base and scratch. A scratching post with a platform on top should have an even more stable base than one without a platform. How is a cat supposed to jump up to a perch which is atop a post with a tiny base? Tiny bases are a sign that the cat furniture designer is more interested in the product's ability to be packaged and shipped. A 19" base will give your cat something to stand on and scratch a tall post. A 16" base is really only good for 24" posts. These base sizes can be reduced somewhat if they are made of heavy materials. 5/8" or thicker OSB should provide a little more weight at the base.
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Step 4
TACTILE APPEAL:If it feels good, do it! Ever hear of that? Well, if it feels good to your cat, she'll do it. Right? I have found over many years of living among cats that they are really tactile creatures. When they are all cuddly and purry, then they like nice soft things. Perhaps that reminds them of when they were tiny, and they were snuggling up to their mommy. But when the claws come out, the rougher, the better. Sisal rope is a very coarse material. After 20 years, I still sometimes find this rope too abrasive for my human hands. But I am not a cat. Cats will love the feel of anything that their claws can dig into and pull at. A good scratching material will attract them again and again. If they find that they prefer the sisal rope to your heriloom sofa (finally!), then all is well.
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Step 5
A REASONABLE LIFESPAN: Regarding the longevity of a scratcher, I have covered many things already, like a thicker diameter sisal rope and premium carpeting. You can tell a lot by just picking up the post. A good 30 inch post will weigh upwards of 17-20 pounds. How the components are connected will also tell a lot. Some products are shipped with the base off. Make sure that you are provided with steel bolts which are at least 1/4" in diameter. A good sisal rope scratcher can be expected to last anywhere from a year to five years, depending upon how much action it sees. But remember that this thing is built to be destroyed, so it will look worse and worse as time goes on. It will ultimately resemble a palm tree, and that's OK if your cat is still scratching on it. If you like, you can clip off loose fibers as they appear, and you can use a variety of pet hair removal tools to keep the carpet clean. Use water or other liquid cleaners very sparingly on the carpet. And never -EVER - use water on the sisal rope. This will invite mold. And mold is bad.
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Step 6
SAFE CONSTRUCTION: Most scratching posts are made with: Wood, Fiber Tubes with Plugs, Carpet, Sisal Rope, Adhesive, Staples.
The base of your scratcher is OK if it is made of at least 7/16" OSB. While it has no materials that are going to harm your cat, it typically does not come into contact with your cat, since it is on the underside of the product. This material is used in houses routinely, and is a very stable product. Indeed, it is preferable, in my opinion, to plywood with the same measurements. Ths reason is that the grain in the OSB is random. It has many many more directions of stress that it can endure than a plywood with 3 or four layers laid out in just two directions.
A good post does not need to be all wood if it has a fiber tube with a sturdy wall. A tube with these walls can be expected to last longer than the sisal rope on the post. The plugs should be wood, and thick wood at that. Plastic plugs are breakable, and less forgiving than a good pine plug.
The carpet can come in many grades from a cheap builder's grade to the top of the line premuim dense thick plush. Quality carpet will be more attractive and will last longer. It is also far more pleasing to the touch than cheap carpet with sparse fibers.
Don't believe claims of "unoiled" sisal rope. ALL SISAL ROPE IS OILED! It is run through a machine at a sisal rope mill. And it is run through that machine at high speeds. High enough to require some lubrication. Otherwise it would burn up. Here is the rule of thumb: If the rope does not have anoily smell, and it leaves no oily residue, I would use it. Also, if the rope is light colored as opposed to brownish, it is a pretty good sign that it was not overoiled.
