How to Make a Cat’s Scratching Post
Cats are cuddly and adorable, until they decide to use your furniture as a scratching post. It’s in the nature of kitties to scratch their claws, and it feels good for them, so to delight your feline pal, you should make a good scratching post for her. Here’s how to do it.
What You’ll Need:
A 4 x 4 wooden post or two 2×4 pieces fixed together
Several pieces of 2×6 wood
Hammer
Roofing nails, tacks or staple
Wood screws
Saw
Screwdriver
Staples and staple gun
Sisal rope, stiff carpet or AstroTurf
Work gloves
Protective eyewear
Cat toy
Procedure:
Decide on the measurement for your post. The height of the post must be based on your kitty, as long as her body, so measure her body first with a tape measure. Add a couple of extra inches for when she stretches. Remember, your structure must be stable enough, otherwise it’ll fall over and your cat will not like to use it continuously.
cat scratching post
Get your two 2×4 attached wood pieces or the 4×4 post, and measure them according to the measurements you took earlier. Cut them carefully with the saw, then set aside.
You now have to make a base. It’s best for the base to have two layers, so it’ll be heavy and sturdy enough. To make the first layer, set down 3 to 12″ sections of the 2×6 wood side by side. Afterwards, cut two sections of the 2×6 and make it match the width of the first layer. Put these two second layer sections parallel and on top of the first layer, then attach the two layers together with wood screws.
Cover your base with the scratch material, either AstroTurf or Berber carpet. You can also use natural rope, such as sisal, but wrapping it tightly can be difficult and time-consuming. To affix it properly, use roofing nails or flat tacks. A staple gun also works nicely.
Put the post at the center of the base, attaching it by using a screw on each of the post’s faces. Cover it with the scratch material too, just like how you did with the base.
To entice your cat to use a new post, attach his or her favorite toy on the top.
A Few Tips
Use scrap materials for these projects. See around your house if you have spare wood pieces or scratch material. Ask your neighbors for help, too.
Rub some catnip on the post, making it more alluring.
Make sure the tacks, screws and staples aren’t exposed, or they might injure your cat. If using staples, use a hammer and lightly hammer down the staples, so they’ll be as flat as possible.
Do some light sanding on the wood. Even if they’re covered, there might be a few long splinters sticking out.
Show your cat some loving by building a scratching post for him or her. You’ll make your darling pet happy, and you’ll never have to worry about scratches on your furniture again.