Any owner of a wonderful fluffy creature has to face a problem: the cat begins to sharpen its claws on objects that are completely unsuitable for this. It could be your collectible upholstered furniture, new wallpaper or door jambs. The situation is unpleasant, but there is a way out of it. And not even alone.
You can carry out some manipulations with your pet, ranging from banal regular trimming of claws and ending with not too humane surgical methods to solve the problem. Or you can go the other way - natural.
To do this, you just need to give the animal the opportunity to grind its claws with the help of accessories designed for this purpose.
Yes, but many owners simply cannot afford to buy them. It doesn’t matter, it’s quite possible to make DIY cat scratching posts.
You will need items that you may not even have to buy. If you search well in the country, in pantries and sheds, you will surely find everything you need there. So let's take a closer look at the process.
Making a cat scratching post with your own hands: preparation
Before you start designing things, you need to figure out what it should be. This refers to the mobility of the structure, because it can be mobile and stationary. Cats prefer the latter, because by grinding their claws, they transfer their body weight to the structure. If it is unstable, the animal will not use it. You also need to think about where exactly you will place the scratching post. The dimensions of its working part should be wide enough in width and length so that it would be convenient for the fluffy minion to stretch out to its full height.
How to make DIY cat scratching posts: materials
You will need a wooden block measuring 40 by 40 cm, if your kitty is large, then even more. Then you will need a plastic pipe with a diameter of about 15-20 cm. If there is none, you can use a cardboard one, but then it will need to be reinforced from the inside with wooden bars so that it can withstand the weight of a cat.
Instead of a plastic or other pipe, you can also use a long board or a piece of wood of the appropriate diameter. You will also need carpet, thick fabric for upholstery or the remnants of an old carpet, strong hemp rope, and glue. Tools: screws, screwdriver or screwdriver, scissors, metal corners, nails, hammer.
The process of creating a DIY cat scratching post
Let's start from the bottom. Put the board on a piece of carpet, cut it outsquare to the size of the board, adding 7 cm to the "bend". Cover the wooden base with a carpet, securing it with small carnations for reliability. Next, it's time to do the upper part - the pipe. If you will attach the structure to the wall, then you can take a board for this part of the scratching post. For a free-standing structure, it is better to use a pipe, so it will be stable, and on top it will be possible to additionally make a sunbed. You can do with this part in the same way as with the base - paste over and upholstered with carpet. It is desirable that the wrong side of the carpet be on the outside, so it will last longer and look better.
There is another option. In this case, you will need a rope with which you tightly wrap the entire pipe. Secure the ends of the rope by making a hole in the pipe. Fasten the vertical part and the base with metal corners and screws. Upstairs you can make a couch for kitty. Its creation is similar to that for the base, only lay a layer of foam rubber between the board and the carpet for softness.
If you want the design to serve the cat not only as an accessory for sharpening its claws, but also as a place of solitude and relaxation, then it is in your power to combine these functions. Get a claw house. How to make it? Having decided on the dimensions, use square-shaped boards of the desired dimensions, upholstered them with carpet, fasten them together to make a room. Connect it and the already made design for the point of the claws using the same corners.
So you have a good house and at the same time a scratching post for cats. Doing it yourself is not so difficult, is it?
