How To Make A Cat Scratcher

If you are the owner of a cat, you will know that in addition to the place to eat and to go to the bathroom, it requires another element to be in optimal condition: an object to scratch. Surely as soon as the new member of the family arrived home, you had the foresight to acquire a litter box and drinker, but you wondered what would be the article in which your kitten would discharge its energy?

In this article we share some ideas to make a scratching post for cats. Easy proposals, which you can do in a few minutes, with items that you may have at home or with things that you can buy at a very low cost.

Scratching, a natural necessity

If this is the first time you have a cat, you have to know that scratching is a behavior typical of felines. That is how nails tend to be sharpened. Many people choose to go to the vet to have them cut; others commit the criminal act of surgically removing them.

Nails are an essential element for felines : they are predators. Although they have long been domesticated, they still retain many of their instincts. Therefore, it is best that you provide them with a place where they can sharpen their nails, since for them, in addition to being a very pleasant activity, it is the way they have to discharge their energy.

Any ideas

Many times the prices of the scratchers sold in pet stores are usually somewhat high. Therefore, below, we give you some ideas to make a scraper that is economical and functional.

Surely, you have noticed that your cat scratches objects that it perceives with a lot of texture such as wood or fabric.  If you have a garden, you will surely have noticed his predilection for approaching the logs and sharpening his nails on them. Well, if you want to make a very simple scraper, the easiest thing is to take a PVC board or tube and tie a rope around it. You have to make sure it is quite rigid. If not, the cat will dig in its claws and pull outward, quickly taking the toy apart. To fix it you can make a notch in one of the edges and start rolling.

Another simple scraper can be made of cardboard. If you have boxes at home that you no longer use, you can take advantage of them. Cut out 10 rectangles of approximately 10 x 30 centimeters. Then glue the rectangles together, making sure they don’t get squashed. Once they are together, tape around them to hold them together throughout.

If you want something more complex, you can find an old cushion and cover it with some textured fabric. Beyond the color, look for fabrics that are rough or with the thread quite open: your cat will thank you. A variant of this type of scratcher, you can do it by gluing the fabric on a table or by covering some furniture with it that your pet frequents.

If you have made any of these scratchers and you find that your cat ignores it, do not be frustrated. This may be because your pussy has already made a habit of sharpening its nails on a particular piece of furniture. What you have to do is create interest in this new scraper. While most cats will be attracted to this new element, it is very likely that they will not use it. If so, you can use external help such as catnip or cat nip.

Cat nip is a product that is sold in veterinarians and that strongly attracts cats. It is usually recommended for cats to stop urinating in certain places or to focus their attention on other things. If you wish, you can put a little of this type of product on your pet’s new scratching post. When you do, you will find that almost immediately he forgets the furniture he was scratching on and turns to his new toy.

But be careful. You should lower the dose of cat nip as your cat starts creating a new habit. In that sense, it is always best to consult with your veterinarian.

Finally, he  places his scratchers in places that are in his path, so that he can interact with them whenever he wants.