How to Make a Cat Scratching Post

Cats scratch instinctively not only to mark their territory but because it feels good. Stretching and scratching works muscles providing kitty with a low impact workout. Outdoor cats will naturally scratch trees trunks, but indoor cats need a post for scratching to keep them from satisfying their urges on your furniture. Don't bother with fancy carpet covered posts found in pet stores. You can make one very inexpensively, and your cat will probably prefer it to the commercial brand.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Four inch diameter post
• Hand saw
• Sandpaper
• Box of half inch u-shaped brads
• 100 feet of sisal rope
• 16 inch square piece of half inch plywood
• Two wood screws
• Drill
• Hammer

1. Use a hand saw to cut a 4-inch diameter post or log to a 36-inch length and sand the ends until smooth.

2. Insert a half inch brad through one end of the sisal rope and attach it to the post as close to the top edge as possible.

3. Wrap the rope around the post tightly avoiding any gaps in between the rows. Insert a brad every four or five rows to help keep the sisal from slipping.

4. Finish wrapping the post and insert several brads in the top and bottom rows to secure the rope into place. Then pound all the brads with a hammer to make sure they are all tightly driven and won't be pulled out when a cat is scratching the post.

5. Draw a diagonal line from one corner of your piece of plywood to the opposite corner. Repeat this step for the other two corners so the lines intersect marking the center of the board.

6. Use the lines you made as a guide and drill two screw holes in the plywood. Each hole should be about three quarters from the center of the board and should match the size of the screw you are going to insert

7. Center the board on top of the post and use the holes in the plywood as guides. Drill two holes into the post and insert the wood screws to attach the post to the plywood base. Turn it over and you're done.

Tips & Warnings

• Help make the post attractive to your cat by placing toys around it or rubbing it with catnip.
• Though you can substitute carpet for the sisal rope, the rope is actually better. It not only lasts longer, but carpet covered scratching posts can lead to confusion as a cat doesn't know the difference in the carpeting on their post and the carpet on your floor.