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DIY for Homeowners

DIY Cat Scratching Post Tower

9/5/2019

5 Comments

 
text by Vicki     Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter! ​
We almost never say that a project is quick and easy, but this one actually is! We purchased the materials and made it all in a couple of hours. 

Steph was fostering a cat, which took a liking to her new sofa. That wasn't going to work, so Steph came up with this scratching post idea to give her a better option other than her sofa!

Take a look at how it all came together. 
Picture

Materials/ Tools:


  • 3” PVC Pipe (Home Depot)

  • 3” PVC Cap (Home Depot)

  • 50’ 3/8” Rope (Home Depot)

  • Wood Round (Home Depot)

  • Surebonder Battery Powered Glue Gun (Amazon)

  • Kreg Multi-Mark Multi-Purpose Marking and Measuring Tool (Amazon)

  • Gloves (Amazon)

  • DEWALT 20 in. Variable-Speed Scroll Saw (Home Depot)

  • Bosch PVC Bits (Home Depot)

  • DEWALT ATOMIC 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Compact Drill/Impact Combo Kit (Home Depot)

Tracing around the circle using a Kreg marking tools.
We started with this wood round from The Home Depot. This is the smaller of the two sizes they carry. We laid it on a piece of felt and marked the cut line.
Using a Surebonder hot glue gun to attach the felt to the bottom.
We sprayed the wood round with spray adhesive, placed the round on top and smoothed it in place. We flipped the round over and hot glued the overhang to the bottom side. This worked really well as a team project. One to glue, the other to push the felt into place. Gloves are a must! Don't burn yourself! That's a Surebonder battery powered hot glue gun--it's one of our favorite tools. #SBMakerFamily
Cutting the support circle on the DeWalt Scroll Saw.
If you don't have a scroll saw, a jig saw would work just fine, BUT we have a brand new DeWalt scroll saw that I was itching to use! This is actually my very first project on this saw. Yeah, it's a simple circle, but it was exciting to make the cut and NOT cut myself! More to come on the scroll saw in future projects.
The wood round in place in the PVC.
It's not perfect, but it's going to work just fine. This is what is going to hold the PVC pipe in place.
Securing the small wood round to the larger one with the DeWalt atomic 20 volt brushless cordless compact drill.
Steph attached the wood circle to the larger circle with two screws. You could also, cut out the felt and add a bit of wood glue to help secure the wood even more.
Drilling pilot holes into the PVC with a Bosch drill bit.
Here Steph is pre-drilling holes into the PVC pipe using Bosch drill bits that are designed for plastic.
Using the DeWalt brushless cordless compact impact driver to attach the PVC to the wood circle.
The PVC is placed over the small wood circle and screwed into place using the holes Steph just made.
Adding the rope to the post and securing with Surebonder hot glue.
Team work again! Using the Surebonder hot glue gun, we secured the rope to the back, continued to add rope, and glue the rope in place every few inches. Again, gloves are a must.
Cute cat with the scratching post.
Axel took her time exploring the new post...
Who's a cute kitty--Axel is!
...but after a bit she decided she liked it!
This simple design lends itself to customization. The post can go in the center of the large round, it can be made taller, and perhaps a shelf could be included as fun perch for your kitty. You could use carpet, upholstery fabric, or even drop cloth material from the hardware store. So. Many. Options!

The fostering did not go well. Mac the greyhound and Axel just were not meant to be buddies. But don't despair, Axel has found a home that doesn't have a giant greyhound already living there!

Anyone ever foster a cat or dog? How about tips to keep cats from scratching the furniture? We would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Please note: This is not a sponsored post.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don't claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP!

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5 Comments
JoAnn
10/6/2019 06:08:48 am

Awesome! I am going to try to make one. Thank you

Reply
Steph
10/6/2019 08:03:10 pm

Awesome! Good luck with the project.

Reply
joseph ryan
12/30/2020 05:49:47 pm

very good. i got lucky found 4 ft of well pvc pipe and discarded 2x3 sheets of white shelving and cap from roll of Christmas wrap. on bottom i glued a section of runner carpet, and Sissle rope at the top added on a dog chew and a mouse on string toy. retreaded carpet 3 times . brother and sister used . 12 yrs for him she's 15.now 2 1 yrs old using it now i suggest 4 ft my 12 yr old was very tall and the others climb up the pole no longer needed to declaw the last 4 cats since building a good scratching post

Reply
Steph
1/5/2021 07:38:05 am

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Reply
barbara l drouillard link
8/2/2021 04:53:09 pm

Great idea. How tall is your piece of PVC? What size round did you use? You mentioned there were 2 sizes..

Reply



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