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Custom Cat Scratch Post

post #1 of 21
1/14/09 at 3:40pm
Thread Starter 
So I'm making a custom cat post. I have seen a lot of Sisal rope being used. But it can get pricey fast for a 24-30" tall post.

Is there any other Rope I can use that's a little cheaper? I am going by HomeDepot prices on the Sisal and it was a little too much. Thanks in advance.

Or does carpet work just as good?
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post #2 of 21
1/14/09 at 3:54pm
Carpet will fray on you, but if you have a really cheap source of carpet remnants and are ready to replace it on a regular basis, then use that instead. I've found with mine that sisal lasts about 3-4 times longer than carpet, so factor that into how much you want to spend on it over the long run.

And Home Depot is about the cheapest place that I've found for sisal, but they raised their prices by about $2 a package over the last few years. I use the 3/8" by 50' rolls.

Another thought - carpet a portion of the upright posts where they wouldn't normally scratch (very low or very high) and only use sisal on a part of it.
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post #3 of 21
1/14/09 at 3:55pm
Thread Starter 
Is there any other ropes that are usable? But I guess if Sisal lasts a while, i'll probably go for that.
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post #4 of 21
1/14/09 at 4:08pm
You have to be careful with rope, some are treated. I can't recall what I spent on sisal rope. I believe I spent under $15 for two rolls of 100' (and I bought something else that day) - I still have an extra unused roll of it around here somewhere.

I'd really like to get a hold of some sisal cloth, but the carpet stores I've tried usually have no idea what I'm talking about.
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post #5 of 21
1/14/09 at 4:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seiryu View Post
Is there any other ropes that are usable? But I guess if Sisal lasts a while, i'll probably go for that.
I would trust any other rope because it can be treated.

Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
I'd really like to get a hold of some sisal cloth, but the carpet stores I've tried usually have no idea what I'm talking about.
I've found it online, but if you think the rope is expensive, you will go ouch to the price of the sisal cloth.
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post #6 of 21
1/14/09 at 5:20pm
One of my cats prefers plain old wood. So you can try it and see how much your cats use it without putting anything on your home-made scratcher.

You can order sisal fabric online, and it's really not that expensive: you need so little of it, and you need so much rope.
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post #7 of 21
1/14/09 at 8:02pm
In my case, I'd like to make a cat tree and have boards/flat surfaces covered by sisal cloth. Rope just wouldn't work very well. I've also like to have some to make some scratch mats from and a little spare for making more or fixing stuff in the future. So say, more than 5 yards but less than 10.

And to those who have used rope or plan to. It's a pain in the butt - around, and around, and around, opps your hand slipped and half of it just unraveled - start over.
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post #8 of 21
1/14/09 at 8:33pm
Silly question alert but.... I've been thinking of making my own scratching post too, using sisal rope.

How do you attach it? Glue? If so, what kind works well?

Thx....
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post #9 of 21
1/14/09 at 8:38pm
^ I used large staples at the base and very top. The rest is just held in place by being tightly wrapped.
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post #10 of 21
1/15/09 at 7:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake_Lady View Post
Silly question alert but.... I've been thinking of making my own scratching post too, using sisal rope.

How do you attach it? Glue? If so, what kind works well?

Thx....
Hubby used glue on ours. I'll try to find the thread I posted with the pictures and how he did it and come back and edit my post with the link.

ETA: Link to our cat tree thread. http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=162705
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post #11 of 21
1/15/09 at 7:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
^ I used large staples at the base and very top. The rest is just held in place by being tightly wrapped.
Thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Hubby used glue on ours. I'll try to find the thread I posted with the pictures and how he did it and come back and edit my post with the link.

ETA: Link to our cat tree thread. http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=162705
WOW, that tree is AMAZING. Your hubby is a very talented man Now if only I could convince my hubby to build me one. He has the talent, but lacks the motivation since he's not a cat person.
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post #12 of 21
1/15/09 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake_Lady View Post
Thanks



WOW, that tree is AMAZING. Your hubby is a very talented man Now if only I could convince my hubby to build me one. He has the talent, but lacks the motivation since he's not a cat person.
Thanks. He is talented. He has made 2 solid body bass guitars that are nothing short of beautiful. He won best of show at the Woodstock Wood Show a couple years back for his first one. His brother is known both here in North America (Canada and the US) and Europe for his wood sculpting. If you get a chance google his name, Neil Cox, and you'll see some of his wonderful work.

BTW, hubby is from Ingersoll which isn't far from you. One of his brothers and also his niece live in London.
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post #13 of 21
1/15/09 at 8:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Thanks. He is talented. He has made 2 solid body bass guitars that are nothing short of beautiful. He won best of show at the Woodstock Wood Show a couple years back for his first one. His brother is known both here in North America (Canada and the US) and Europe for his wood sculpting. If you get a chance google his name, Neil Cox, and you'll see some of his wonderful work.

BTW, hubby is from Ingersoll which isn't far from you. One of his brothers and also his niece live in London.
Yup, I know the area

We've gone to the Woodstock show a couple times... definately alot of talented people out there I will check out his brother's work online.


Sorry for the hijack
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post #14 of 21
1/15/09 at 9:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake_Lady View Post
Yup, I know the area

We've gone to the Woodstock show a couple times... definately alot of talented people out there I will check out his brother's work online.


Sorry for the hijack
Actually I'm the one that hijacked the thread so my apologies to the OP.

I just wanted to say that the sisal rope for our cat tree cost a small fortune so yes, it is indeed pricey.
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post #15 of 21
1/16/09 at 9:34am
I used large heavy-duty staples, a hammer, and my sister and my father to get and keep the rope on. It is a fair amount of work and a fair amount of money. (It was a fun family thing to do, though, so I don't regret it, but I plan on never using rope to wrap a scratching post in future.)
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post #16 of 21
1/16/09 at 10:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Enuja View Post
but I plan on never using rope to wrap a scratching post in future
Did it slip out of your hands at all? It made me so mad when that happened. I hope you made sure to cover the staples with an extra coil of rope so you don't risk any claws catching on them.
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post #17 of 21
1/16/09 at 1:21pm
My boys love to scratch the back side of carpeting. I added a piece to their cat tree I made as well as a few horizontal scratchers around the house with the carpet back side out. Harley has just recently found joy in scratching sisal.

My brother is a carpet installer so carpet remnants are very easy to come by around here.

Leslie
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post #18 of 21
1/16/09 at 1:47pm
The staples are just there, not covered with anything, and I can't imagine how I could cover the staples with rope. (What would hold the upper layer of rope on? Wouldn't rings of rope sticking out from the pole encourage the type of hanging on the scratching post that could result in a nail getting stuck in the staple between layers of sisal and pulled out?) I made two scratching posts, and in the four years at my house and the four years at my mother's house, they haven't caused any problems. Mine has a very shaggy section from repeated use, but I've seen no injuries. I suspect it is just as easy for a cat to catch a claw in the sisal rope as on a small bar of metal (that is in a depression in the sisal, because we nailed them on but good). Actually, I strongly suspect it would be much easier for a cat to get a claw out of being caught under the staple than out of being caught in the sisal.

I have no memory of whether the sisal slipped out of our hands: it was too long ago. The wrapper wore gloves, and we occasionally stapled as we went. I suspect the sisal slipped out of hands, but I don't remember that specifically.
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post #19 of 21
1/16/09 at 2:00pm
Here is the link to the cat tree I built.

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...light=cat+tree

I used staples, but it was an air stapler. They went in very well and are hard to find. I chose to shoot a staple in every so often as I was wrapping to keep it all tight and in place. Also, I would be wary of sisal rope purchased through Home Depot and the like. Those ropes are sprayed with pesticides & oils. One rope manufacturer told me that herself about their sisal rope at Home Depot. I purchased some unoiled and untreated sisal. I paid $32 for 732' of the 3/8" (that's the big stuff).
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post #20 of 21
1/16/09 at 2:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack31 View Post
My boys love to scratch the back side of carpeting. I added a piece to their cat tree I made as well as a few horizontal scratchers around the house with the carpet back side out. Harley has just recently found joy in scratching sisal.

My brother is a carpet installer so carpet remnants are very easy to come by around here.

Leslie
Thanks for mentioned this! I'm in the process of ripping out all of my carpeting to replace with hardwoods, so I'll find a good section to wash and use to see if my cat likes it.
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post #21 of 21
1/16/09 at 3:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Enuja View Post
One of my cats prefers plain old wood. So you can try it and see how much your cats use it without putting anything on your home-made scratcher.

Rosehawke made one of old tree branches: homemade cat tree
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