Cat Scratching Post: Practical DIY Guide You Need To Read!

DIY cat scratching post: The material is easy to obtain except for the suitable tree trunk or branch to construct our scratching post. You can fall back on a large piece of driftwood, which we may find on the next walk along the riverbank.

If you want to hit down a tree in your garden soon, pick up an appropriately large piece of a trunk with branch forks. If the tree is massive, it will be more likely to be found in the middle of the upper part of the tree so that the construction is not too robust for your living room.

Otherwise, timber merchants, sawmills, farmers, or foresters would also be excellent places to go for a suitable piece of wood. Perhaps a known or friendly forest owner can also help.

Now, let’s start to build your own DIY cat scratching post.

Building a DIY cat scratching post for cats

If you build a scratching post yourself, this has the invaluable advantage that you can adapt the tree to your home and the needs of your cats. Besides, you will then have an individual scratching post, which is unique in this kind.

1. What you need to build a scratching post

How you design your scratching post depends on the spatial conditions and your cats.

Cat scratching post design:

If you have outdoor cats, they usually only need a quiet place to sleep.
With indoor cats – especially when they are still very young – things look slightly different. In this case, a scratching post that is as large as possible and offers plenty of room to romp, play, and sleep is the order of the day. The best is a cat tree with many different levels, widths, and heights.
Below we show you various materials that you can put together to suit your scratching post.
However, before you buy the material, you should have a rough plan of what your cat scratching post should ultimately look like. Furthermore, you will have plenty of opportunities to improvise afterward because, during the building process, many spontaneous ideas usually come up.

Building a scratching post yourself - that is what you need. — Building a scratching post yourself – is what you need. / Image by VisionOfVictor from Pixabay

Note

You should not save on screws and threads because the cat scratching post will have to withstand quite a lot later. Choose solid screws and stable lines accordingly.

2. Board levels of the scratching post

DIY Cat Scratching Post - Different levels of the scratching post — DIY Cat Scratching Post – Different levels of the scratching post. / Image by husnerova from Pixabay

Each scratching tree usually consists of different levels, which serve the house tigers as observation posts or resting places.

Cat Scratching Post Board Levels:

For this, you need boards, which should not be too small. Do not orientate yourself on commercially available scratching trees because the areas are almost always too short.
The cats need space to stretch out comfortably. Also, you can place various cuddling dens, baskets, or the like on suitably high levels.
The plates do not have to be too massive and unnecessarily burdensome. A cat usually does not weigh too much either. If the plates are of different sizes, your scratching post will be much more attractive and offer the cats enough variety.
Don’t spend a fortune! In almost every DIY store, you will find a corner in the wood department where leftover pieces are getting sold very cheaply. There you will indeed find suitable elements. Otherwise, you can have a chipboard cut to size. The appearance of the boards is entirely irrelevant, as they will be covered later.
The only board that has to be as heavy as possible is the lowest, forming the foundation. Since the entire scratching post rests on it and has to withstand various attacks from cats eager to jump and play, you should look for a very stable board. Kitchen tops are the right choice, for example, as they are usually excellent.
Finally, cover the tops with a suitable cover. It can be carpet, plush, or fabric. You should note that it is tough to get rid of your cats’ beautiful hair with plush.
You can staple the cover to the edges of the tiles. If your scratching post is not too big, it is better to zip the sheets together. It is more work in the first moment, but you can permanently remove and wash them later. Of course, you can also attach the cover to the lower panels, and only on the upper levels where cats usually lie can you hook a changeable cover.

3. Scratching trunks

Another essential part of every scratching post is the trunks. Again, you have different options, but you can mix the different types of logs.

DIY Cat Scratching Post - Scratching trunks for your cats — DIY Cat Scratching Post – Scratching trunks for your cats. / Image by marjoleiny from Pixabay

Scratching Trunks For The Post:

You can use square timbers as well as round timber.
If you have planned some relatively large boards, it is better to use two slightly thinner logs, which you place offset underneath. These will give the plane much more support than a single wood in the middle.
Leave the logs either as they are or wrap them with sisal rope. However, this is not relatively cheap. Instead, you can also cover the woods with carpet.
The best selection is charming-looking natural branches, which you will find in almost every garden. The wood must be naturally healthy, and the components must be vital. Alternatively, you can also use already finished sisal logs.
No matter which trunks you choose, make sure they are stable and do not use softwood. Otherwise, your cats will quickly scratch through the trunk.

4. Cuddling dens

Once you finish the scratching post, it just needs a little fine-tuning; your cats should like it too.

Cuddling Dens For The Cat Scratching Post:

Layout large, comfortable cushions on one or two plates – cats will appreciate this.
On another level, you should place a cuddling den so that the four-legged friend can hide from time to time.
Very well, small scented cushions with catnip or valerian always come in handy, which you either hang up or put somewhere. You can also easily make the scented cushions yourself.
You should also hang one or the other cat toy on the scratching post. Trendy is the tied-up feathers of larger birds, which you can find everywhere in the forest during the molt.

Cat Scratching Post: Practical DIY Guide You Need To Read!

Building a DIY cat scratching post for cats