Are you wondering what that slightly strange-looking piece of furniture in a cat owner’s home is? It is not exactly pretty, so it can’t be a decoration piece. It’s not a sofa or a table, so it seems to have no apparent function.
The most likely answer is that it is a scratching post! A DIY cat scratching post is a common fixture in the homes of cat owners and serves many important functions. Our guide tells you what a DIY cat scratching post is, what purposes it serves, and how to make one for yourself.
What is a scratching post?
A DIY cat scratching post usually consists of a rough surface such as a rope or a piece of rug attached to a pole. This frictional surface of a DIY cat scratching post makes it an attractive place for cats to scratch their claws on. If you put up a DIY cat scratching post in the corner of your home, you will see your cats get attracted to it just like flies are attracted to honey! Store-bought scratching posts can cause a fortune, particularly if you visit a larger pet store. Our DIY scratching post tips will help you save money while giving them a place to scratch their claws.
How to make a DIY scratching post
You will need three things for the first homemade cat scratching post: a nail gun, a wooden post almost 3 feet long, and almost 150 fifty feet of sisal rope. For your DIY cat scratching post, attach the wooden post to a horizontal piece of wood so that it stands upright. Then using the nail gun, attach one end of the sisal rope to the base of the vertical wooden post.
Keep wrapping the sisal rope around the wooden post and securing it with a nail after almost two turns. This DIY cat scratching post is easy to make and can be ready in a few hours. The friction that the sisal rope provides will make it ideal for cat scratching since it provides some resistance for your cats to fight against.
The second cat scratcher you can make is of cardboard. For this, you need a glue gun and some large cardboard boxes. Ensure that your cardboard boxes are unassembled and cut large strips of them two inches wide. Roll these long strips into circles (so that they resemble slices of a tree trunk), and keep on doing so till you have a circle that is almost 1 foot wide. The DIY cardboard cat scratcher will become your cat’s favorite and is very cost-effective!
Keeps your cats in good shape
Like all pets, cats need a bit of exercise now and then as well. However, cats seem to have their schedules, and it’s not easy to take them out on a leash for a walk in the park. This is why having a DIY cat scratching post will help them release their physical energy and get some exercise in when they feel like it. Vets also point out that DIY cat scratching posts reduce stress and anxiety in cats since the physical activity tires them out and distracts them.
Keeps your furniture safe
The most important advantage of DIY cat scratching posts is that it keeps your furniture safe and sound. All cats have this need to scratch their claws, and if there is no scratching post, they will have no option but to resort to scratching the various surfaces in your house. Nothing will be safe from your feline friend’s claws, whether it is your sofa, tables, or cabinet doors! This is why we suggest getting a DIY cat scratching post made as soon as you get a cat so that you can protect your precious furniture from damage.
Providing a commonplace for cats to meet
If you have a multi-cat household, the DIY cat scratching post will act as a place to meet for all the cats in your home. This is because cats usually keep to themselves, but they all love cat scratching and can use the DIY cat scratching post as a place where they can meet. You may notice that all your cats meet near the scratching post after some time, and this will be the place where many new games and feline friendships start.
A place of attachment for new cats
When you bring in a new cat, they may find most places in your home strange and alien. A DIY cat scratching post can be extremely useful in attaching a new cat to a new household. This is because cats are naturally curious and are attracted to surfaces on which they can rub their paws.
Even if everything else feels strange to the cat, the DIY cat scratching post will feel like a comfortable place for them and will usually be the first place in your house where they feel safe and relaxed.
It helps release pent up energy
Some breeds of cat, and almost all kittens, have a lot of pent-up energy in them. We commonly suggest taking your feline friends out for walks or engaging them in games to release this energy. However, we realize that if you have a busy schedule, you may not take the time to do this every day.
This is where a DIY cat scratching post can come to your rescue. Whether you are home or not, this scratching post will always be there in your living room, allowing your cats to release their energy whenever they want to. This will make life easier for you and your cat, irrespective of how busy your routines are! We hope that our guide tells you how important it is to have a DIY cat scratching post in your house. In addition to its numerous benefits health-wise, it also gives the cats in your household an opportunity to bond with other felines and reduces their anxiety.
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