How To: Build a cat scratching post

We had a new requirement for a cat scratching post.

A brief Internet investigation revealed that cats are very possessive with scratch posts, and will mark prolifically, ruling out the trusty second-hand trademe option.

However new scratching posts from pet stores look flimsy, over-priced, and unlikely able to sustain a 5kg mass leaping at it from a distance.

The only option was to build our own.

How To: Build your own cat scratching post (prototype)

Ingredients:

• One old fencing post
• Old tramping mat
  
• Scrap plywood, or particle board
• Two scrap pieces of wood, each approximately 1//2m in length
• A bunch of screws
• Some old carpet and canvas
• One stray cat for testing purposes

Method:

• Assemble ingredients as per envisioned Google Sketchup plan (plan somewhat limited by user’s unmastery of sketch-up)

  

• Decide where to mount scratch pole branches, and chisel out the area on the central post

  

• Screw together prototype, and compare with what customer ordered

  
  

• Unscrew prototype, and staple carpet around central pole and branches.

  

• Staple old tramping mat to platforms, and line with canvas
• Screw back together, and admire final result

  

• Test out on random kitten

  

Random kitten gave post immediate approval, but this was only the prototype, and I’m now intent on building a beta version, which will be 3.3m high.