Cat Scratching Post

Prime feline real estate features textured surfaces for scratching and indoor/outdoor nooks for napping. But the cat condos with the most curb appeal can be pricey. Head to the hardware store to DIY one that truly has it all.

cat sitting atop a scratching post
Photo: KIRSTEN FRANCES

For more ideas, scroll through our entire collection of cat crafts.

What You'll Need

Materials

  • Tube (Sakrete Tube for Concrete, 12" by 48", $12, homedepot.com.)
  • Handsaw (Fiskars Precision Handsaw, 7", $30, michaels.com.)
  • Hot glue gun and sticks (Surebonder Plus Series Dual-Temperature Hot-Glue Gun, $28, michaels.com.)
  • Sisal (Sisalcarpet.com Feline Sisal, in Essential Gray, $29 a sq yd., sisalcarpet.com.)
  • Tray (IKEA Glattis tray, $20, ikea.com.) ​
  • Sheepskin (Sejling Sheepskin, in Gray, $50, ikea.com.)
  • Pencil

Instructions

  1. Our brilliant base is a sturdy but lightweight cardboard cylinder; this kind is typically used in construction projects to mold concrete. It stands 48 inches tall, so halve it with a handsaw (use the remainder to make a second home, save it for another project, or recycle it).

  2. Sketch on a front door and cut it out.

  3. Hot-glue on a durable sisal exterior, and appoint the penthouse with a shearling-lined tray for lounging with a view.

  4. Optional: Remove the shearling to reveal the brass tray underneath—and convert your cat's abode into a slim side table, just right for setting down drinks.

Originally appeared: MARTHA STEWART LIVING, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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