How to Make a Sisal Outdoor Cat Ramp

Cats love sisal rope. You can wrap it around just about anything and your kitty will be drawn to it naturally. The texture is just right for her to sink her claws in for a spirited sharpening session, but it provides traction, too. Since cats can balance on just about anything, you can use something as narrow as a 2 by 8 piece of wood around which to wrap some sisal to make an outdoor cat ramp.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 by 8
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Saw
  • Sisal rope, 3/8 inch in diameter
  • Carpet tacks
  • Hammer
  • Utility knife
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the space that your cat ramp is to be placed in. For instance, if you want your kitty to be able to use a ground-floor window as an entrance and exit, use the tape measure to measure from the windowsill to the ground at an angle.

    • 2

      Mark the 2 by 8 piece of wood using the tape measure and the pencil so that you can cut it to the correct length needed.

    • 3

      Cut the 2 by 8 along the pencil marking using the saw.

    • 4

      Lay one end of the sisal rope on one end of the ramp, width-wise. Secure it in place by pounding three or four carpet tacks through the rope and into the wood using the hammer.

    • 5

      Turn the ramp so that the end with the rope nailed to it is down, standing it on the floor or on a workbench, so you can work from the bottom up as you wrap.

    • 6

      Wrap the rope around the 2 by 8 until the entire ramp is covered. The wrap should be tight, so you may want to enlist someone to help hold the ramp in place as you do the wrapping.

    • 7

      Attach the rope to the end of the ramp once it's completely covered by nailing in three to four more carpet tacks.

    • 8

      Cut the excess rope from the ramp using the utility knife.