Inspiration > Pets

How to Build Your Own Cat Scratching Post

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Scratchingpost

The Problem: Little Boy loves my chairs. Notice the scratching post in the background of the photo below? He won’t use it because it’s too short and he really likes to stretch and scratch at the same time. Typical boy.

Scratchingpost

After researching tall scratching posts and those crazy cat condos, I realized I would never, ever spend that much money on the cats. I love them, but I have my limits.

While shopping for a suitable option that does not involve my chairs, I noticed how simply the posts are constructed. Most of the materials we had at home and the rest took just a few minutes in our local hardware store. In fact, the 4×4 post was left over from the video shoot for Building a Raised Garden Bed.

The basic materials used:

Twisted sisal rope

Construction adhesive

4 x 4 post of suitable length for your cat

(2)  3/4” plywood boards (size and shape determined by your needs)

Fabric

Staple gun

Hot glue gun

Deck screws

Scratchingpost

Scratchingpost

Step One: Tack the rope onto one end of the 4×4 post with hot glue – construction adhesive is stronger, but it takes forever to dry. Then use the construction adhesive every few rows as you wrap the rope around. You don’t need to glue the entire length of rope to the post, just enough to hold it in place. When you get to the end, you can either cut the excess post (Scott did this with his miter saw before I could ask) or just cover the end with fabric if you run out of rope with a few inches of wood to spare.

Scratchingpost

Step Two: Make sure your plywood bases are wide enough to prevent tipping. I used some furry fabric so my furry friend can have a soft place to perch, but you can cover this with carpet scraps, canvas or any fabric you choose. I cut the fabric to give myself a few inches to wrap around on all sides of the board, then stapled the parallel sides first. Carefully fold your corners when stapling so the fabric doesn’t bunch up and cause the base to sit crooked. NOTE: Just do the bottom board, then go to step three.

Scratchingpost

Step Three: Attach the top and bottom to the post with screws. We had plenty of 2-1/2 inch deck screws, so that’s what we used. Start with the bottom, center your post, then pre-drill 4 holes. Insert the screws, then flip it over to do the top. I had already attached the fabric, but in hindsight, I could have attached the post first, then stapled the fabric in place. Live and learn, right? But, since I didn’t think of that the first time, I just made a small cut in the fabric and screwed everything in place, then used a dab of hot glue to cover it up.

Once you learn the basics, you can add to your design to make any size or shape you want. As soon as I finished building this, Little Boy (yes, that’s really his name… long story) gave it a sniff and started scratching away. Who am I kidding? I would buy my furry friends just about anything. But I’m pretty sure he appreciated my extra effort.

And, if you’re interested, I’ll show you how to replace the fabric on the counter stools Little Boy has ruined.

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Sharron Wright
More about Sharron Wright

Sharron Wright is a professional graphic designer and owner of Wright’s Creations, a marketing and design firm she started in 1995. When she isn’t busy raising her three daughters (which is most of the time), she enjoys fixing up her home in suburban Indianapolis with her husband and two cats.

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27 responses to “How to Build Your Own Cat Scratching Post”

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