Homemade Cat Scratcher

Cats love to scratch things. Sometimes if cats don̵7;t have a designated item to scratch, they can scratch your furniture, clothing and other valuables. Buying a cat scratcher is an option, but why spend money on something you can easily make at home with everyday household items?

  1. Old Carpet

    • Use old carpet for your cats to scratch. If you don̵7;t have any old carpet, keep your eye out on trash days to see when your neighbors are throwing away old mats or carpet. Visit a carpet store and ask them if they have any scraps you can take with you.

      Glue the carpet to a piece of cardboard. Then place the carpet in one location and allow your cat to use it in this location exclusively. Move your cat back to this piece of carpet any time you catch him scratching something else to train him to only scratch the piece of carpet.

    Cardboard Boxes

    • Find cardboard boxes by visiting local stores that either recycle or throw away their cardboard. Take one to two boxes and cut them apart to make squares. Layer the cardboard four to five sheets thick. Open a pair of scissors and scratch the top layer of the cardboard to expose the underneath. Scratch the cardboard to roughen the top to make the scratcher attractive and easy to use for the cat. When the cat scratches through most of the layers, replace the worn cardboard with new cardboard and repeat the process.

    Wood and Rope

    • Use a thick branch from a tree or a large wooden peg. Attach the wooden peg or branch to a wooden square base to hold the peg in place. Attach it with a nail, screw or wood glue. Find some thick rope around the house and slowly attach it to the post from the bottom to the top, gluing it as you work your way up the post. Place a toy on the top of the post to encourage the cat to play and scratch at the rope post.