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  3. Build your own cat scratching post: your cat will love you
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Build your own cat scratching post: your cat will love you

Handcrafting for animals
Project
There is a cat scratching post made of a tree trunk and two snow shovels in a living room. A pot filled with stones serves as a base.
A highlight, not only for your cat: the cat scratching post and tower made of snow shovels.
  • Difficulty
    easy
  • Cost
    17-25 £
  • Duration
    2-3 h

Introduction

Almost every cat sharpens its claws every day. You certainly would prefer that your new sofa won’t be used for this. A cat scratching post that doubles as a climbing tower for it to play and hang out is far more suitable. We’ll show you how to build your own cat scratching post from a tree trunk and two snow shovels.

Have you heard about our 18-volt system yet? It offers a huge variety of devices for many different applications. The thing that makes the project below so special is that you can use the same rechargeable battery for every part of this project. Simply swap out the battery pack, inserting it into a different device that is part of the 18-volt system, and continue to the next step.

 

It should go without saying that your safety is paramount throughout every step of the project, so make sure you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. You can find everything you need to know about the correct protective clothing you need when using each type of tool in our overview.

You need
  • pocket rule
  • pencil
  • g-clamps
  • glue/hot glue, if necessary
  • Your choice of a tree trunk
  • Two snow shovels
  • Wood screws of sufficient length
  • Large pot, clay or otherwise
  • Gravel or small stones
  • Hemp rope (optional: thick packing string)
L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter

Let's go - step by step

Step 1 5

Cutting the tree trunk to size

Branches are being cut off a tree trunk with a reciprocating saw and shortened to the right length.
Various tree species of suitable length and thickness are suitable for the tree trunk in this project.

You need: Reciprocating Saw, Tree trunk

You will need a tree trunk to carry out this project. Most tree trunks are suitable for this project; however, they should not be too thick. It’s most likely that the trunk will not be the exact size you need, so you may have to trim it and its branches a little. In general, the trunk should not be too long. Therefore, when trimming, take into account the age and size of your cats. Not to mention, the height of your ceiling in the room you want to place it later.

Step 2 5

Cutting the shovel handles to size

A NanoBlade saw is used to shorten the handle of a snow shovel.
A NanoBlade or jigsaw is suitable for shortening the handle.

You need: NanoBlade saw, Two snow shovels

The snow shovels will later serve as a place for your cats to perch and rest. But first you have to shorten their handles. You can decide for yourself how much you need to shorten them. But it also depends on how much space you want to give the cat scratching post at home. However, remember that later on you will have to put part of the handle through the tree trunk to secure it.

Step 3 5

Drilling the holes

A hole is being drilled in a tree trunk.
Make sure to drill the holes as centrally as possible in the trunk.

You need: Cordless combi drill, Spade Bits, pencil, g-clamps, Tree trunk

Now put the tree trunk back on the workbench and decide where you want to place the two shovels. Mark the appropriate spots and then drill both holes according to the diameter of the handles. A spade drill bit is ideally suited for this purpose.

Step 4 5

Attaching the handles to the trunk

A snow shovel handle is inserted into a tree trunk.
A handle is fastened to a tree trunk with a screw.

You need: Cordless combi drill, suitable bit set, g-clamps, Tree trunk, Snow shovels, Wood screws of sufficient length

Now put the shovel handles through the drilled holes and fasten each with a screw. The length of the screws depends on the thickness of the trunk.

Step 5 5

Setting up the tree trunk

A rope is wrapped around a clay pot.
Gravel is filled into a pot to stabilise a stem.

You need: glue/hot glue, if necessary, Tree trunk with shovels from step 4, Large pot, clay or otherwise, Gravel, Hemp rope

You can insert the scratching post into a large pot to make it more stable. A heavy clay pot is best suited here. Wrap a hemp rope around the pot and glue it in place – preferably with hot glue – to turn your DIY project into a real cat scratching post. The rope should be stable so that your cats can really scratch at it.

For extra stability, simply add pebbles to the pot.
A word of caution: It will make the whole structure very heavy. It is best to place the scratching post in the designated position in your home before filling the pot.

Now your four-legged friends can enjoy themselves with the right toys. We’ll show you three simple DIY ideas in our article. A bed for your cat is the best place for it to rest afterwards. Here are ten ideas to give you more inspiration.

And we also have a guide for a do-it-yourself litter box.

We hope you have lots of fun building your own scratching post – and that your cats enjoy it afterward!

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