Building a Corrugated Cardboard Scratching Post

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I try to keep my two cats as healthy as possible. This means that not only do I try to give them an environment that stimulates their minds, and keeps them exercised, but I also try to give them the best when it comes to their food.

Recently I discovered Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Indoor Complete Chicken with Lentils & Salmon recipe which is perfect for my cats.

(What is better is that right now you can save $2 on a bag of Nutrish® Indoor Complete by printing out the coupon from SmartSource!) While most people think of food keeping their cat healthy, it doesn’t stop there. Scratching is actually another healthy habit for cats.

When it comes to cats, scratching is natural. Just because its natural doesn’t mean that your house has to become a disaster area of ripped curtains, scratched furniture, and frayed rugs.

While it is frustrating to use as the owners, scratching helps cats to remove the outer sheath of their nails to reveal the healthy nail underneath. Plus it is a way for them to get exercise, not to mention that it feels good!

Since scratching is natural, and healthy, scratching should be encouraged, it is important to give your kitty an appropriate place to scratch such as a scratching post. The post should be something that the cat can stretch their body, be stable, and have a satisfying texture for scratching.

I have been looking for some good scratching posts for my cat to use in place of my couches or rugs. That’s why I decided to build one that I knew he would love.

Building a Corrugated Cardboard Scratching Post

You will need a piece of old carpet (a remnant will do), some pieces of plywood, a large cylindrical piece of wood, screws, and a staple gun.

Begin by cutting a piece of the plywood to be 14 inches x 14 inches. Cover the piece with some of the remnant carpet and use a staple gun to secure.

Cut the cylindrical piece of wood so that it is about 5 inches long and has a 45 degree angle on opposing sides. Attach this piece to the base with a screw. (Pro Tip: You will put the screw through the carpet and into the cylinder.)

This next part is a little tricky. You will want to create a wooden box which measures 20 inches long by 7 inches wide using the plywood. Attach a small piece of wood as backing to the top of the box. You will then want to cut and measure the carpet remnant so that it will fit around the box. Don’t attach it yet though.

Cut a piece of the plywood so that it is approximately 7 inches wide and 5 inches tall. Using the box with the carpet that isn’t attached, determine where the box would attach to the cylinder. Using a screw you will attach the carpet as well as the box and small piece of plywood to the other side of the cylinder.

Fit the carpet around the box and secure it with a staple gun. Make sure that the carpet is tight.

Now all you have to do is insert one of the store-bought corrugated cardboard scratcher inserts into the scratching post. The great part about this design is that you can simply replace the insert once it has been totally scratched through.

Beyond the Scratching Post: Keeping My Cats Healthy

I mentioned before that I want my cats to be as healthy as possible. This is why I built the scratcher and why I feed them Nutrish® Indoor Complete.

This food is such a fantastic option because it contains a real superfood blend to meet the needs of indoor cats. As cats get older, issues such as weight, digestion, and immunity become problems, but Nutrish® Indoor Complete addresses these issues by including fiber-rich ingredients, probiotics, and even antioxidants. (Only use this formula for cats over 1 year of age.)

What I love is that this food contains no ground corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-product meal, artificial preservatives, or artificial flavors. There are also no ingredients from China. In fact, this Nutrish® Indoor Complete features real U.S. farm-raised chicken always as the #1 ingredient, plus real salmon.

If you aren’t already using Nutrish® Indoor Complete, gradually introduce the food by incorporating it into your current cat food over the course of seven to ten days. Slowly replace your cat’s current food with Nutrish® Indoor Complete until it’s completely switched over.

You can purchase Nutrish® Indoor Completeonline at Chewy.com, Jet.com, or Amazon.com or at your local grocery store, such as Giant Eagle. Be sure to print your $2 coupon before heading out to the store!