The claws for a cat are the primary weapons, and the weapons, as you know, must be carefully watched. In the wildlife, cats do not have to sharpen their claws; it happens by itself during hunting, climbing trees, etc. But at home, the conditions for this are not suitable, so your cat, if not helped, will undoubtedly start to tear the house wallpaper and upholstered furniture. Therefore, a claw for cats is an absolutely necessary thing on the farm. Here we show you how to make scratching posts for cats at home.
You can, of course, buy ready-made in the pet store, but it is much more interesting to show creativity (especially since we are talking about consumables, he is destined to live for only a few months, then you will have to change). For those who want to give pleasure to their pet and preserve the apartment’s integrity, we offer an easy way to make a claw with your own hands – a step-by-step instruction with photos.
Designation of the design
In addition to its primary purpose – to provide the cat with a “legal” ability to sharpen claws without prejudice to your budget, the proposed design solves another problem: it is an excellent toy for an animal because it can be adapted to it various balls, “mice” and other entertainment for active games and hunting. Sometimes cat owners prefer to remove their claws, but there’s nothing harmful about keeping the animal with its claws.
Did you know? It has been proved that the claws on the front paws of a cat are sharper than on the back paws, probably because the claws are mainly obtained from the front paws of a pet. However, this does not mean that by hitting the strong hind legs with the released claws, a small cat can not tear your hand so that you will long remember the meeting with a “tender” pet!
Variety of choice
You can make a claw for cats with your own hands, using various schemes; as for the size, much depends, of course, on the age and breed of your pet, but it is difficult to overdo it.
Important! The cat loves height very much. This propensity is inherent to it by nature. Having climbed higher, the animal carefully watches what is happening below. So do not be afraid even for a small kitten to make high structures with different shelves and slats, if, of course, you have enough time and materials for this.
Making claws – a process in which your creativity is not limited to anything. We offer the most straightforward option, consisting of one single column. If you wish, you can make them several, connecting the original transitions and stairs, on which the animal will be happy to climb, honing not only the claws but also flexibility, balance, and wit.
The design can also be used additional elements – brought from the dacha snags, cleared of bark, basket, where the beast will arrange a nest, etc. In general, the more difficult it is, the better. But to perform the minimum task (to save the furniture from the cat’s claws), you need very little.
By the way, if you have a ginger cat, he must have a special temperament ?
Requirements for home-made construction
The most important design requirements are environmental friendliness and safety. We use only natural materials and make sure that no nails, brackets, sharp angles, or anything else stick out, hurting the animal.
Did you know? A cat in a vertical jump is five times the height of an animal, so do not expect your cat to be unable to reach the top shelf, where something interesting is hidden!
Also, the design mustn’t be too low. Otherwise, the cat will feel uncomfortable, and the animal will go looking for other options. Stretch your pet in length, holding the front and back paws with different hands, as experts at exhibitions do, and suggest that the household measure it in this condition. Multiply the result by 1.5 and get the minimum height of the column.
Important: a cat sharpens its claws, standing on its hind legs and fully extended upwards, so the animal simultaneously stretches his muscles, so if you have a kitten, its growth factor must be taken into account when choosing the height of the pipe.
The more your kitten pays attention to his claws, the less likely he is to bite or scratch you
The claw should be stable enough because it makes a great effort, moving his paws on its surface. You can’t sharpen your nails on the swaying tree. All the details of the construction for the same reason should be kept firmly. Otherwise, your homemade animal will not live long.
Step-by-step guide
Estimate Cost : 15 USD
Time Needed : 1 hours 30 minutes
So how to make a scratching post for a cat with your own hands at home? We stock up on time, necessary materials, involve the main culprit of the celebration – and act following the instructions.
- Let's prepare the base
Cut a piece of carpet of such size that you can sew them on the tabletop (carpet should bend under the tabletop on all sides with a good reserve).
- Schedule a circle in the center of the tabletop, equal to the cross-section of the pipe
The same ring is drawn in the center of the carpet's prepared piece, cut the appropriate hole.
- Drill in the upper part of the pipe
A couple of centimeters from the edge, a hole of such a diameter that it was possible to stick a rope.
- Slide the rope into the hole
and tie the end of the rope knot to secure the end inside the pipe.
- Now we need to attach the pipe to the base of the claw
Put the pipe vertically on the planned circle so that the end of the pipe with a tethered rope was at the bottom, and fasten with corners and screws. Since the particular load, this part of the design will not carry, it is enough to screw one screw in each corner's top and bottom (in total, so you use six screws).
- Put on the fixed pipe prepared piece of carpet with a hole cut in the center
and carefully sew it to the tabletop, using a construction stapler or a traditional hammer with nails.
- Also you can attach the legs
Optional, but useful
- Now, we start winding the rope on the pipe
This is the most time consuming and complicated process in all the work you will probably even need help from someone else. Winding is very tight and very tight. Otherwise, your kitten will unwind the rope with its claws and turn it into rags. From time to time, tamp the layers of rope to fit together without leaving even the slightest gap.
- When the whole column will be wrapped, the top of the pipe makes two holes, the end of the rope in one, and then another and ties tightly on the knot.
It remains to seal the tube from above. You can use a suitable size rubber ball or any other material you find at hand for this purpose.
- Install the design closer to the place where your animal adapted to sharpen his claws
bring there a kitty, and explain clearly why the house has a new exciting object.
Tools
- knife
- construction stapler (or hammer and nails)
- drill
- three corners for fastening the pipe to the base
- screwdriver
- three or six screws
Materials
- Cardboard or plastic pipe (you can find a piece of residues) with 80-100 mm diameter. We have already decided on the height
- A piece of upholstery fabric or carpet for the base upholstery
- Rope (natural, not synthetic)
- Board, old tabletop, or a portion of plywood for the base of the claw (preferably large enough, and the material is heavy enough. Otherwise the construction will be unstable, and your cat will easily tip it over)
- Tennis ball, a small amount of plywood or other material for the top of the claw
- Fixtures or other legs for furniture – 4 elements (optional)
Important! With the calculation of the number of ropes, if you want to buy “under the calculation”, you will have to work hard. It all depends on the thickness of the rope and the diameter of the pipe. Assume that the column with a diameter of 80 mm will need about 65 m rope thickness of 8 mm for winding.
Have fun!
Find out more interesting facts about cat claws
thank you for the advice! actually, i made scratching posts for my cat about the same scheme. I worked properly for a couple of years until my dog broke it 🙂
Charlee: “Good advice and information, and always remember: Highest cat wins!”
Agree 🙂