Do It Yourself Cat Scratching Post
Your cat scratching the carpet or furniture is frustrating. Scratching is annoying to listen to and it damages the fabrics in your home. However, scratching is a natural behavior for cats. They use scratching as exercise, as a way to communicate, out of boredom and to play. Regardless of the reasons, if you want your cat to stop scratching your furniture and carpet, give it something else to scratch, like a homemade scratching post.
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Things You'll Need
- 30 by 9-1/2-inch carpet scrap
- All-purpose glue
- Paintbrush
- 30 by 3-inch cardboard mailing tube
- Binder clips
- Christmas tree stand
- Sisal rope
- 30 by 4 by 4-inch piece of wood
- 1/2-inch roofing nails
- Hammer
- Work gloves
- 16 by 16-inch piece of 3/4-inch plywood
- 3/4-inch sinker nails
- Utility knife
Instructions
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Sisal Rope Post
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1
Place the end of a piece of sisal rope at the top edge of a 30 by 4-inch piece of wood. Hammer a 1/2-inch roofing nail through the end of the rope into the piece of wood. When working with sisal rope, choose non-oiled rope that is 1/2 inch in diameter.
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2
Wrap the rope around the wood. Keep each loop of rope flush against the previous one. Keep the rope as tight as possible as you go. Continue to wrap until you reach the bottom of the wood.
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3
Hammer a roofing nail through the rope at the bottom of the piece of wood. Cut the excess sisal rope away from the board with a utility knife.
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4
Place a 16 by 16-inch piece of plywood on the bottom of the piece of wood. Center the wood on the plywood. Hammer four sinker nails through the plywood into the base of the piece of wood.
Carpet Post
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5
Cut a piece of carpet scrap to a measurement of 30 by 9-1/2-inches.
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6
Apply all-purpose glue to the outside of a 30-inch long cardboard mailing tube using a paintbrush.
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7
Wrap the piece of cut carpet around the glued tube with the right side of the carpet against the tube. The back of the carpet swatch is a good texture for scratching.
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8
Glue the seam of the carpet where the two halves meet. Secure the carpet to the tube using binder clips. Allow the glue to dry overnight.
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9
Place the bottom of the tube into a Christmas tree stand and tighten the screws to hold the tube in place.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Wear gloves when working with the sisal rope to avoid splinters.
Catnip sprinkled around the scratching post or rubbed on it encourages timid cats to scratch.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
