How to Make a Cat Scratcher Toy

Cats scratch furniture and other items in your home as part of their natural behavior. They scratch to mark territory, during play, while stretching, to sharpen their claws and to remove worn outer claws. To prevent your cats from destroying your drapes, carpets and furniture, make your own cat scratcher toys, which can save the expense of purchasing ready-made scratching posts and allow you to customize the look, height and color.

Things You'll Need

  • Wood post, 4-by-4-by-36-in.
  • Plywood base, 24-by-24-by-1/2-in.
  • Sandpaper
  • Carpet remnant, 27-by-27-in.
  • Staple gun
  • Carpet remnant, 18-by-24-in.
  • Wood screws, 1-in.
  • Sisal rope, 3/8-in. diameter
  • Wood screws, 4-in.
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Instructions

    • 1

      Sand the wood post and plywood base completely smooth to eliminate any splinters or sharp edges.

    • 2

      Mark the center of the plywood base with a pencil. To find the center, draw a line diagonally using the yardstick and then add another line in the other direction (also diagonally) to make an "X" in the center.

    • 3

      Place the plywood, right side down (marked side facing you) on to the middle of a 27-by-27-in. carpet remnant (also facing right side down). Allow 3 in. to overlap on each side. Staple the top and bottom portions of the carpet edges to the plywood until secure.

    • 4

      Cut the corners (diagonally) off the two sides of carpet you have just stapled to easily fold the other two sides over. Fold over the remaining two sides, and staple them securely in place. Put the carpeted base aside.

    • 5

      Staple the 18-by-24-in. carpet remnant around the post, with the longer side along the length of the post and the shorter side around the post, leaving 4 in. above the post on the top end. Start by lining up one side of the carpet along one side of the post, and staple it firmly in place. Wrap the carpet tightly around the post, and then staple the other side of the carpet in place, slightly overlapping the first side you stapled. Keep all of the staples on the same side.

    • 6

      Wrap the carpet over the top of the post by first cutting off one side of the 4-in. overlap, then tucking in two of the remaining three sides and finally wrapping the third side down (as a flap) over the top of the post. Secure this flap with two 1-in. wood screws.

    • 7

      Cover the bottom portion of the wood post with sisal rope by wrapping it around the post. Secure the rope to one side of the post by drilling a 1-in. wood screw into the start of the rope (use the same side that you stapled the carpet). Tightly wrap the rope slowly around the post, allowing no space in between the rope for each row. Drill in a wood screw every eighth row on the same side that you first used to secure the rope. Continue until you reach the end of the end of the post, and secure with one final screw.

    • 8

      Center the post on the wrong side of the base (noncarpeted end), using the "X" from Step 2. Trace around the base of the post with a pencil. Remove the post. Using the traced box as a guide, drill four 4-in. wood screws into the base just until they poke through the carpet.

    • 9

      Hold the post with the noncarpeted end facing up, and place the base, right side down (noncarpeted side facing you) on top of it, ensuring the screws touch the bottom of the post through the carpet of the base. Drill the screws, one by one, into the post to secure the scratching post to the base.

    • 10

      Flip over the scratching post, and place near a window or your cat's favorite spot.