If your kitty loves nibbling and scratching on corrugated cardboard boxes, she’ll adore flexing her claws on a scratching pad or post you make for her. Best of all, these ideas are mostly free and you can make them with things you likely already have kicking around your house–and recycle bin. If you’re ready to up-cycle, try these DIY ideas.
Horizontal Cat Scratch Pad
What you’ll need:
lots of corrugated cardboard
sturdy box lid or shallow box, at least 9″ x 11″
box cutter
non-toxic school glue
catnip (if your cat likes it)
What to do:
Cut the cardboard into strips to fit snugly inside the box’s length and height. The strips will lie on their side so the open, “raw” edge of the strips are exposed. Once you have enough to fill the box completely, lightly spread glue on the inside bottom of the box and the inside walls. Pack the strips in, sprinkling catnip between the strips. Once you’re done, allow it to dry. Sprinkle a little catnip on top and leave where kitty can discover it.
Vertical Cat Scratching Post
lots of corrugated cardboard
box cutter
marker
paper towel tube
catnip
cereal box or box of similar size
paper grocery bag, brown craft paper or decorative paper
non-toxic school glue
two bricks or other compact, heavy object that fit inside the cereal box and basically fill up the space inside
rubber cement
What to do:
Cut out your preferred shape (circle, square or triangle) at a size at least 5″ across from the cardboard. Repeat until you can stack them up as high as 3/4 of the tube’s length. Trace around the paper towel tube onto each cardboard shape, centering with each piece. Cut out the circles on the inside of the lines so they’re a slightly snug fit. Cut a rectangle the same length as the paper towel tube. Fold it over and over tightly until it’s just small enough to fit inside the tube. Slide it inside. This reinforces the tube.
Slide the shapes onto the paper towel tube, sprinkling with catnip as you go. Leave some empty space at one end. Cut a circle in the side of the cereal box just large enough to slide the vacant end of the tube inside. Don’t slide the tube in yet. Cover the box with paper, including the hole, gluing as you go. Leave one end of the box open. Poke a small hole in the paper where you cut the circle and carefully push the paper inside. Slide one weight inside. Apply glue to the paper you pushed through the cereal box’s hole. Place a large blob of rubber cement inside the box where the tube will stand. Insert the tube. Insert the other weight. Secure the lid shut with glue. Allow to dry before you leave it out for kitty to find.
As with any cat toys or equipment, regularly inspect your cat scratching pad and post for wear. Discard any pieces that kitty tears off it and replace the scratchers as necessary.
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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