How to Make a Cat Scratching Post

How to Make a Cat Tree

Many thanks to Kate from Kaypez Siamese for her fantastic step by instructions on how to make a cat scratching post.

A cat scratching post can come in all shapes and sizes and can be tailor made to suit your cats and your living space. They can even be adapted for outdoor use. Below I will show you how to make your own scratching post. All you need to do then is design and make your own.

To Make a Homemade Cat Tree You Will Need

1. Wooden posts- available from DIY stores.
2. MDF or chip board sheet- available from DIY stores.
3. Contact spray adhesive- available from DIY stores.
4. Nails and screws- available from DIY stores.
5. Carpet, off cuts and roll ends are usually available from your local carpet shop.
6. Sisal rope. We got ours on Ebay

Tools Needed to Make Cat Scratching Post

1. Hammer.
2. Saw.
3. Stanley knife.
4. Pencil.
5. Tape measure.
6. Drill/ Screwdriver.

How to Make a Cat Scratching Post

Step 1.

After you have planned and designed your scratch post.

Measure and cut your base and platforms out of the MDF. Remember the base has to be large enough to support your post without it tipping over. Squares or rectangles are the easiest shapes to work with.

Step 2.

Place your base on the carpet you are going to use to cover it. Make sure you have a 2 inch gap of carpet on each side. Using your stanley knife cut out the carpet and draw around your wooden platform in the middle.

Step 3.

Remove your platform and spray the contact adhesive onto the square space you have drawn on the carpet. Take care not to get glue everywhere else. Likewise spray your wooden platform with adhesive. Line the platform up and put onto the carpet. Remember you are using strong contact adhesive which will stick when the two covered pieces meet. It is not easy to remove so be careful in your placement.

Step 4.

Spray the side of the carpet and piece of wood as shown in the picture below. Leave a few minutes until the glue is tacky and fold the carpet tightly over onto the wood. Rub out any bumps before the glue dries. Do opposite sides at a time cutting a miter out of each corner using your stanley knife as you get to the final 2 edges.

Step 5.

Your covered platform or base should look like this. Repeat the above steps until all of your platforms are covered in the same way.

Step 6.

Cut your wooden posts which will be wrapped in sisal to size, as many as you require for your design.

Step 7.

You are now ready to cover your posts in sisal rope. We did not glue ours but wrapped it so tightly it does not move. This is hard work and will require you to ware gloves as the rope splinters and gives friction burns. I have no pictures for the next step but I hope this explanation helps. Choose where you will start your rope from. Drill a notch in the top of the post which also goes just down the side, see diagram below.

Slot the end of the rope into the notch on the top of the post and fix in place with a nail. Pull the rope downwards into the side part of the notch and hammer flat into the groove you have made. Begin to wind the rope round as tightly as you can.

Step 8.

Cover all of your posts from top to bottom, when you reach the end repeat step 7 to fix the rope in place.

Step 9.

Fix your post together using long screws through the top of your platforms or base. Screw into the center of the covered posts. Don’t worry you will not see the screw heads through the carpet as long as you do them tight enough. Always check your post is secure before you allow your cats to play on it.

As you can see Kate added a hammock, hanging toy and matching cushion to her scratch post. The possibilities are endless. Any questions on how to make a cat scratching post then please contact our webmaster. We will ask Kate to try to answer them for you. Not only that but if you make your own post why not send us a picture too.