How to Make a Scratching Pole For a Cat?
Is your cat scratching up your furniture and curtains leaving them in ruins? Before you throw the cat out, or in desperation, consider making a simple scratching pole. If you can make a scratching pole that your cat prefers over anything else, you may solve your problem and save your furniture and curtains from further destruction. It is actually quite easy to make a scratching pole for a cat.
Here is a list of the supplies needed:
One cedar post of 30″ tall and at least 4″ in diameter
A bundle of no oiled sisal rope measuring a /12″ wide
A piece of 3/4″ plywood to make the base sturdy
Four ¾” 16d coated sinker nails
Before beginning you will want to make sure your post is dry so that there will not be any shrinking of the post after the sisal is wrapped on. To make the post you might want to wear a pair of work gloves when you wrap the sisal around the post. To start you will want to nail the beginning of your rope all the way around the top of the post. Then you wind the rope around and around and around the post very tightly so that there is no air space between the pieces of rope. This process will take you all the way down to the bottom; once again nail the end of your rope all the way around the bottom of the post. Next you will want to nail the base on to the post, use about four nails and pound them through the bottom of the plywood base and into the bottom of the post. You now have a cat approved scratching post.
Next you have to trains your cat to play with the post. To introduce the post to your cat you may want to use catnip as a lure for older cats. Rub the catnip right into the rope so that the cat can smell that wonderful smell. Once you cat has smelled the catnip scratch your nails, gently, along the surface of the rope. This will help teach your cat where to scratch. Once your cat begins to scratch, praise your cat, and tell them what a good cat they are. You could also reward your cat with a food treat, cats love treats.
This post can help save your furniture, if your cat is using a certain corner of the couch for a scratching post start out your new post right by the corner of the couch. Cover that corner of the couch with double-sided sticky tape that is completely unattractive to your cat (the tape can easily be removed for entertaining company). This will repel your cat away from your couch and right there is a post that they will lover.
