Handmade Cat Scratchers

Cats need to take care of their claws and you need to protect your furniture. You can̵7;t stop a cat from their scratching instincts, but you can save your furniture by giving your cat its own scratching post. There is no need to buy expensive cat trees. Your cat is not so snobby to turn up its nose at a scratching post or tree made from carpet scraps and wood. It just wants to scratch its claws a bit on the right surface.

  1. Why Cats Scratch

    • Cats are not just sharpening their claws when they flex their front paws on the arm of your couch. They are communicating with other cats with their scratches. According to the doctors Daniel Q. Estep and Suzanne Hetts, cats choose to claw on a handful of conspicuous objects in their territory and return to them often. It is unknown what the cat is communicating with the frequent scratches. Most cat owners don̵7;t care. Their goal is to get the cat to communicate on an appropriate object.

    Scratching Surfaces

    • Commercial scratching posts are usually covered with low-nap carpeting, sisal rope or corrugated cardboard. Each of these objects has something in common. They give the cat something to dig their claws into and destroy. This is preferable to the equally pliable fabric of your sofa.

    Location

    • Since cats like prominent places in the room, you need to assess where the cat frequents. Watch his patterns. Does the cat like to stretch and scratch as he enters a room or go to the biggest piece of furniture? In order to entice your feline to scratch on your handmade device, it needs to be placed in the areas the cat wants to scratch.

    Making a Scratcher

    • Once you established the cat̵7;s preferred scratching places, it is time to recreate it. A simple log nailed to a square plank can serve some cats, but others are more discerning. Use carpet remnants nailed over a plank of plywood for carpet scratchers. Glue sisal rope around a log and nail it to that carpeted plank of plywood for arm scratchers. Some cats like the corners of the wall. Attaching strips of corrugated cardboard with two-sided tape works well for these cats. The materials will be shredded, which is what makes it desirable for the cat. They will need to be replaced from time to time to keep it interesting for the cat.