Cat Chat Feline Forum

When we set up the pen outside for foster cats, the charity gave me an old donated scratching post tower. It was pretty scruffy, and too big for any of the other fosterer's pens, so we took it and set it up. It was very popular, as modelled here by Baxter:

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However, it's not intended for outdoors and the inevitable has happened - the carboard tubes got damp and soggy and it's starting to collapse.

Does anybody know a supplier of outdoor scratching posts and towers at reasonable cost? I've seen a few online, but they cost a fortune and I can't expect the charity to fork out for such a thing. They're nice, but hardly essential!

I bought this one last year http://www.cat-climbing-towers.com/four-tier.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and am really pleased with it

but when it needs replacing I shall see if a local handyman can knock something similar up for less money - I don't think it would take much skill, the basic ingredients cost very little, and the cats won't care if it looks homemade

When I made the edges to 'Katie's' garden I used two left over round fence posts as corner posts. The idea was to cut them back to ground level, but Willow had other ideas. She started to use them as scratching posts. That was 8 years ago. All the cats use them and they now look like totem poles in the corner of the garden!

The excellent thing about them is they are very cheap to buy! Depnding on the floor of your pens, you could either drive the posts into the ground or fasten them to a square of marine ply.

Amazon sell replacement sisal, and so will some diy stores, ( think 'fork handle'...'4 candles' type of shop ) then you will need a glue gun, and round fencing posts, or if you don't want them to last long outside, find a carpet shop and ask for the inner rolls...:0)

voila!

If there's a branch of Screwfix near you, they sell sisal rope - 6mm x 30.5m at £7.99 inc. vat

Thanks everyone - I'll give making one a go ..... when the weather warms up a bit (I'd have to work outside!).

you might not need to bother about sisal - my two prefer to strop their claws on the only wooden pole not covered in sisal - it would seem splinters are not a problem for felines!!

You could glue or tack carpet squares. Some carpet shops sell them for 50p or even give them away.

The best thing would probably be a sofa. Most of ours, except for the 2 velvet ones are shredded!

MarkB wrote:The best thing would probably be a sofa. Most of ours, except for the 2 velvet ones are shredded!

We do already have this in one of the other corners - modelled here by my first foster, Coco!

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Yes i too would have mentioned sofa'a and chairs, just got new ones to replace the old ones, we broke them up before putting them outside they looked that bad

you haven't mentioned beds, mine could have their own catflap installed into them, as the little horrors have made holes just about that size, ( they hide in bottom of bed if don't want to be found )