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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

5070.0. "Scratchin' post materials" by MCIS5::ENSLEY () Tue Nov 19 1991 19:18

    I want to make a scratchin post for my Tabs, and was wondering
    what was the best material to use for the post; rope or carpet?
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
5070.1TENAYA::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Tue Nov 19 1991 19:573
    Some cats like one, some the other.  If Tabs is already scratching at
    the real carpet, that's a safe bet.
    
5070.2WILLEE::MERRITTWed Nov 20 1991 08:146
    Make one with two posts...and put carpet on one...and sissle
    rope on the other!!!!!   I have a very big six tier cat tree...
    and that is how it is made....so no cats can complain!! (ya right!!)
    
    
    Sandy
5070.3RopeBOOKS::GERDECymbal crash 2X only...DTN 237-6302Wed Nov 20 1991 08:575
    My vote is for sisal rope.  I didn't want to try to explain to any of
    my cats why it's ok to scratch a carpeted post, but not ok to scratch
    a carpeted floor.
    
    Jo-Ann
5070.4TOOK::DUGALLisa-MarieWed Nov 20 1991 09:238
How do you make a scratching post?  I always thought of doing this but 
I'm not sure how to tack on the carpet and/or rope.  I would be afraid of using
nails because I wouldn't want Tasha to get her claws caught on one and hurt
herself.  Glue doesn't seem to quite do the trick either (Tasha keep peeling
back a piece of the couch I keep glueing and taping together over the nice
whole she made).

						Lisa-Marie
5070.5I don't like the bark; it makes a mess!JUPITR::KAGNOKitties with an AttitudeWed Nov 20 1991 09:5810
    I'm with Sandy --- use both!  We have two trees, and the one with sisal
    definitely gets the most use.  The other has the flat, nubby carpet
    that they will pick their claws on, and also claw the bark legs (the
    carpet covers the platforms, perches and house).  The flat, nubby
    carpet is best for scratching.  The only time my cats claw the
    wall-to-wall is when they see something outside and think they can
    tunnel their way out to it by clawing at the carpet by the sliding
    doors.  Kelsey is notorious for this.  We have a possum family that
    visits at night and Kels is fascinated with them.
    
5070.6MCIS5::ENSLEYWed Nov 20 1991 12:143
    
    
    Pardon my ignorance, but what the heck is "sisal rope"??
5070.7Noah Webster says:TOMLIN::ROMBERGsome assembly required...Wed Nov 20 1991 12:203
Sisal : 1A. a strong durable white fiber used esp. for hard fiber cordage 
and twine.   Also called sisal hemp. B. a widely cultivated West Indian agave
whose leaves yield sisal 2. any of several fibers similar to true sisal.
5070.8Can be purchased at any hardware storeJUPITR::KAGNOKitties with an AttitudeWed Nov 20 1991 13:464
    Or, a simplified version to Kathy's very well stated definition:
    
    Coarse, scratchy feeling rope!!
    
5070.9TENAYA::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Wed Nov 20 1991 13:535
    On the other hand, my cats totally ignored a sisal post I bought for
    them.  I also have a roll of carpet remnant cluttering up my kitchen
    because I haven't figured out how to recover their carpet posts
    without the tacks posing a hazard....
    
5070.10MCIS5::ENSLEYWed Nov 20 1991 14:569
    So, what's the preferred method of attaching rope to a post: 
    
     a. Elmer's glue?
    
     b. Tacks/nails?
    
     c. Other
    
     
5070.11InstallationHOTWTR::DUX_ALWed Nov 20 1991 17:316
    I have a post that has both carpet and sisal rope, two cats, one likes
    carpet the other the rope.  Spray the post with catnip.
    
    For attaching the carpet I suggest stretching it tight and stapling
    with a good staple gun on the seams.  For the sisal rope, again staple
    on end ans coil it around the post tightly then staple that end..
5070.12How arragned?MCIS5::ENSLEYWed Nov 20 1991 18:274
    RE: .11
    
    On the post with both carpet and rope, how did you "arrange" them,
    eg. rope on the top half/carpet on the bottom half?  
5070.13MPO::ROBINSONbut it matches my outfit!Thu Nov 21 1991 08:217
    
    	To attach sissal I used a hot glue gun, a big glob at the 
    	beginning, glue here and there while wrapping, and another
    	big glob at the end. It worked great, and it has so far
    	stood up to four cats!
    
    	Sherry        
5070.14it's cheap and chintzy looking but it worksCECV03::GASKELLMon Nov 25 1991 12:2014
    I went into a "Dollar" store over the weekend and found a cat scratch
    "thing" that I had seen advertised in a Miles Kimbal catalog (for a lot more
    than a dollar) so I bought it.  It consists of a cardboard tray with pleated
    cardboard-sandwich inside, sort of like this
    
    		   |        |
                   |/\/\/\/\|
    		   ----------
    
    It has a small packet of dryed catnip to sprinkle inside the box.
    
    IT WORKS!!!!
    
    
5070.15MPO::ROBINSONbut it matches my outfit!Mon Nov 25 1991 12:467
    
    	I found the same thing  - cardboard scratch pad - at the Christmas
    	Tree Shop for 69 cents!! I bought six of them! They're usually
    	about 5 dollars, and the cats love them.
    
    	Sherry
    
5070.16Scratch PadsMODEL::CROSSMon Nov 25 1991 15:406
    Wow!  69 cents?  I think I will buy a half dozen of them and put them
    all around my new couch!  Perhaps that will FINALLY stop the little
    monsters!  At the rate they're going, the poor couch should hold up for
    about another two months at best!  :-)
    
    Nancy
5070.17cardboard scratching boxesMCIS2::HUSSIANChristmas is only 4 weeks away!!Tue Nov 26 1991 11:554
    Roberta--->Don't you have these too? I saw something like this at your 
    house didn't I?
    
    Bonnie