How to build a scratching post for your kitties
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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:
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"X-ray view" that shows the bolt:
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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.
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Spread wood glue over entire post (Thin layer).
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Then start tightly wrapping twine around post. Wear gloves because
this part is a little tough.
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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.
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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.
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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