Check out these great instructions for a beefy cat scratching post/cat tree. It’s a no-frills, utilitarian design, but it looks easy to build and that it will last forever. You can make it fancier by painting the shelf supports and by the color carpet you use to cover the shelves. And if you don’t cover the center post in sisal, you could paint it too.
You will need a drill, a saw, and a good staple gun (I recommend an electric one to make sure you get the staples sunk deep.) And be sure to stagger the shelves and make them large enough that your cat can actually climb the tree.
Don’t miss these previous posts on a DIY cat tree and a DIY scratching post.
Very clever design here! This cat scratcher by moderncritter comes with two carpet tiles by Flor (not your typical carpet tile) that can be replaced when worn out. If the standard Terra colors don’t work in your home, you can special order from Flor and come up with something really striking or something that will blend into the background. Remember to consider whether your cat prefers looped carpet or cut pile. Moderncritter recommends looped pile if you aren’t sure.
The plywood is finished in a walnut veneer and the carpet is attached to the plywood base with heavy-duty velcro making it easy to swap out new tiles. The scratcher can be deployed several ways. You can hang it on the wall creating a shelf. You can lean it against the wall or lay it on the ground depending on what you and your cat prefer.
(via apartmenttherapy.com)
This sleek, wall-mounted scratching post by Wowbow is pretty nifty. I couldn’t find the Skritch for sale anywhere—the UK online store doesn’t seem to working. Too bad.
Still, I thought it might give you DIY-ers some ideas. It would be pretty easy to wrap a heavy-duty cardboard tube with sisal carpet. The only trick would be finding something attractive to mount the post on the wall. Ideas anyone?
A minimalist scratching post could go almost anywhere and look nice—not to mention it would make your felines happy. I like that it doesn’t take up floor space.
Check out the thumbnail to see how it looks with different colored sisal.
