If your cat is ruining all of your lovely furniture with razor sharp claws, it’s about time you get a scratching post. But don’t ruin your aesthetic with just any old tower of rope. You can make your own cactus scratching post that will satisfy your feline without sacrificing style.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Hot glue gun
- Plenty of hot glue (trust me, you’re going to need more than you think)
- 18 x 18″ wood base
- 4 spools of 1/4″ sisal rope
- Three 3.5″ foam balls
- Two 3″ wye joints
- One 3″ flushing (for the base)
- Two 3″ 45 degree angles
- One 2 ft. section of 3″ abs pipe
- One 3″ coupling
- Rocks to fill the base
- Screws
- Green Paint
- Flowers for decoration
Start by screwing the flushing to the base. Make sure the screws are tight so you won’t have a wobbling scratch post.
Next, you can start to build your cactus out of the various pipes. You can construct it in any shape you like, but here’s an example of what it could look like.
Now it’s time to add the rope. Start by wrapping the sisal rope around the bottom section of pipe and work your way down to the flushing. Wrap the rope closely together so you can fully cover the pipe. Add hot glue as necessary to keep in place.
Once the base is done, wrap the rope up to the “arms” of the cactus. Glue the foam balls to the tops of the pipes to created a rounded shape. Continue wrapping the rope tightly and hot gluing as you go. Your post should now look like this:
Now it’s time for the finishing touches. To really make this look like a cactus, add some green paint and fake flowers. Adding water to the paint can help you keep more of the natural rope texture. Let it dry then let your cat enjoy! Thanks to Kaylee Eylander for this awesome project.
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