How to build a scratching post for your kitties
===============================================
Text: Michael Doherty
Illustration: Veronica Karlsson
I built a good, durable post for my cats for $12. All you need is a
square piece of plywood for the bottom. Buy 2 feet (or taller if you
want it) of 4 x 4 posts used for fencing. Buy a bolt to attach 4 x 4
to plywood through the bottom. You now have a post. Buy 100 feet of
1/4 inch twine. This next part is hard to explain so I'll illustrate
with some pictures. This is what you want to build:
_______
/ /|
/______/ |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
________| | |____________________
/ | | | /|
/ | | | / /
/ | | | / /
/ | | | / /
/ | | / / /
/ |______|/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/_____________________________________/ /
|______________________________________|/
"X-ray view" that shows the bolt:
______
/| /|
/_____/ |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
________| | | |____________________
/| _ _ _ | _ | | _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ /|
/ / | | | | | / /
/ | | | | | / /
/ / | | |_|_| / /
/ | '|_| | / / /
/ / |'_____|/ / /
/ ||_|| / /
/ / / /
/ / /
/ / / /
/_____________________________________/ /
|______________________________________|/
Drill a hole in the direction of the arrow all the way through the
post.
Thread the sting through it and tie a knot at the end. This gives
you one end that is attached.
_______
/ /|
/______/ |
| |O|
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | | .-----.
| | | ( (_) )
| | | `-----'
| | | `==='
| | | `==='
| | | __.--'`==='
________| | |______________.-'___ .`==='.
/ | | | _.-' /|( `===' )
/ | | | _.-' / / `-----'
/ | | | .-' / /
/ `-@---| |(--' / /
/ | | / / /
/ |______|/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/_____________________________________/ /
|______________________________________|/
Spread wood glue over entire post (Thin layer).
_______
/ /|
/______/ |
| |O|
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
_ | | |
(_) | | |
\\\| | |
\\\ |%|
=\\)= |%|
\ \ |%|
\____\ |%|
\\\\\\ |%| .-----.
|||||| |%| ( (_) )
|%%%%% |%| `-----'
|%%%%% |%| `==='
|%%%%% |%| `==='
|%%%%% |%| __.--'`==='
________|%%%%%%|%|______________.-'___ .`==='.
/ |%%%%%%|%| _.-' /|( `===' )
/ |%%%%%%|%| _.-' / / `-----'
/ |%%%%%%|%| .-' / / ______
/ `-@---|%%%%%%|(--' / / .' O.
/ |%%%%%%| / / / |O-.__.-'|
/ |______|/ / / | \ |
/ / / | `-.__.'
/ / / | |
/ / / | |
/ / / | GLUE |
/_____________________________________/ / `-.____.-'
|______________________________________|/
Then start tightly wrapping twine around post. Wear gloves because
this part is a little tough.
_______
/ /|
/______/ |
| |O|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%|
|%%%%%%|%| / /
|%%%%%%|%| / /
|%%%%%%|%| .-' (
|%%%%%%|%| / _ _ _ )
|%%%%%%|%/ / /_)_)_) /
`----------------(_/ / / /_)-.
`------'// (_/_/_/_/ `.
`------'// \ .-----.
`------'// \ ( (_) )
`------'// \ `-----'
`------'// \ `==='
`------'// `-==='
`------'// `==='
________`------'//____________________ .`==='.
/ `------'// /| ( `===' )
/ `------'// / / `-----'
/ `------'// / /
/ `------'(/ / /
/ |%%%%%%| / / /
/ |______|/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/_____________________________________/ /
|______________________________________|/
When you are near the top, again thread string through a predrilled
hole and tie a knot as close to the wood as possible. Then what I did
is extend the string out another 8 inches...tie a knot....leave
another inch. This gives them a toy.
_______
/ /|
/______/ |
| |(@-.
|%%%%%%|// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// @
`------'// `
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
________`------'//____________________
/ `------'// /|
/ `------'// / /
/ `------'// / /
/ `------'(/ / /
/ |%%%%%%| / / /
/ |______|/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/_____________________________________/ /
|______________________________________|/
I forgot....go to the carpet store and purchase one of their 2x2
samples for $2.00. Cut a hole in the middle and place of post and
push down to base. This prevents injuries from landing on plywood.
_______
/ /|
/______/ |
| |(@-.
| |// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// \
`------'// @
`------'// )
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
`------'//
________`------'//____________________
/@@@@@@@@`------'//@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/|
/@@@@@@@@@`------'//@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@`------'//@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@`------'(/@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@@| | /@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@@@|______|/@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
/@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ /
|______________________________________|/
888 888 d8b
888 888 Y8P
888 888
.d8888b .d8888b888d888 8888b. 888888 .d8888b88888b. 88888888b. .d88b.
88K d88P" 888P" "88b888 d88P" 888 "88b888888 "88bd88P"88b
"Y8888b.888 888 .d888888888 888 888 888888888 888888 888
X88Y88b. 888 888 888Y88b. Y88b. 888 888888888 888Y88b 888
88888P' "Y8888P888 "Y888888 "Y888 "Y8888P888 888888888 888 "Y88888
888
Y8b d88P
"Y88P"
888
888
888
88888b. .d88b. .d8888b 888888
888 "88bd88""88b88K 888
888 888888 888"Y8888b.888
888 d88PY88..88P X88Y88b.
88888P" "Y88P" 88888P' "Y888
888
888
888
_ _ _ _
| | | | (_) | |
___ ___ _ __ __ _| |_ ___| |__ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ ___ ___| |_
/ __|/ __| '__/ _` | __/ __| '_ \| | '_ \ / _` | '_ \ / _ \/ __| __|
\__ \ (__| | | (_| | || (__| | | | | | | | (_| | |_) | (_) \__ \ |_
|___/\___|_| \__,_|\__\___|_| |_|_|_| |_|\__, | .__/ \___/|___/\__|
__/ | |
|___/|_|
88 88
,d 88 ""
88 88
,adPPYba, ,adPPYba, 8b,dPPYba, ,adPPYYba, MM88MMM ,adPPYba, 88,dPPYba, 88
I8[ "" a8" "" 88P' "Y8 "" `Y8 88 a8" "" 88P' "8a 88
`"Y8ba, 8b 88 ,adPPPPP88 88 8b 88 88 88
aa ]8I "8a, ,aa 88 88, ,88 88, "8a, ,aa 88 88 88
`"YbbdP"' `"Ybbd8"' 88 `"8bbdP"Y8 "Y888 `"Ybbd8"' 88 88 88
,d
88
8b,dPPYba, ,adPPYb,d8 8b,dPPYba, ,adPPYba, ,adPPYba, MM88MMM
88P' `"8a a8" `Y88 88P' "8a a8" "8a I8[ "" 88
88 88 8b 88 88 d8 8b d8 `"Y8ba, 88
88 88 "8a, ,d88 88b, ,a8" "8a, ,a8" aa ]8I 88,
88 88 `"YbbdP"Y8 88`YbbdP"' `"YbbdP"' `"YbbdP"' "Y888
aa, ,88 88
"Y8bbdP" 88
ASCII Character Codes:
s = ASCII 115
c = ASCII 99
r = ASCII 114
a = ASCII 97
t = ASCII 116
c = ASCII 99
h = ASCII 104
i = ASCII 105
n = ASCII 110
g = ASCII 103
p = ASCII 112
o = ASCII 111
s = ASCII 115
t = ASCII 116
Capitalised:
S = ASCII 83
C = ASCII 67
R = ASCII 82
A = ASCII 65
T = ASCII 84
C = ASCII 67
H = ASCII 72
I = ASCII 73
N = ASCII 78
G = ASCII 71
P = ASCII 80
O = ASCII 79
S = ASCII 83
T = ASCII 84
Links:
syrens.ascii.uk
jocund.ascii.uk
lace.ascii.uk
oxyphosphate.ascii.uk
coadjuvant.ascii.uk
defamer.ascii.uk
fortitudinous.ascii.uk
equiprobability.ascii.uk
accommodating.ascii.uk
dorser.ascii.uk