A cat scratching post is absolutely necessary if you own a cat. It is what stands between destruction of your possession and your cat. Cats have this natural instinct to scratch and very often they like kneading their paws on some surfaces.

Many cat owners do not realise that they need to provide their pets with a scratching post so the cats can satisfy their scratching needs and to sharpen their claws. You cannot change the scratching instinct of your cat therefore it is best to provide an alternative scratching surface for your pet to scratch on. A scratching post must be an essential part of any cat care program for your feline.

Generally a cat scratching post is made up of a base, a post structure all exposed surfaces covered with a layer of woven material such as carpet for the scratching surfaces. A cat-scratching post is not always vertical; it can be horizontal on the floor. The base of the post should be big enough so the cat can stand on it and scratch and the structure will not topple.

A cat scratching post can be of various colors, heights, designs some with lures such as toys. One type of cat scratching post has a flat or slanting scratching surface on a frame. Strips of corrugated cardboard are then placed vertically inside the frame so all the strips have one exposed side for the cat to scratch on.

The cat will soon have the cardboard strips torn and shredded and the strips have to be replaced. A very common type of cat scratching post is one that has a vertical scratching surface on a post with a base. Some cats like such posts, could be because they are like trees or tree trunks. Very often such vertical scratching surfaces are wrapped in a tough fabric like carpet or rope for the cat to scratch on.

Making your own cat scratching post is easy. You cover a piece of wood about the size of 6 inches wide and 2 feet long with carpet and screw it onto the wall. You can also make a hanging cat scratching post. Just hang a piece of 17 inches long carpet from the ceiling to a height that your pet can scratch on. A cat tree can serve as a cat scratching post provided that the base of the cat tree is strong and large enough so the structure will not fall over.

Durable and woven materials such as carpet with piles make excellent covers for scratching posts. The post can be made of any suitable material with solid wood or plastic the common ones. The bottoms of the base are generally of sisal or vinyl and have nylon buttons to prevent the scratching post from sliding around on the tiled floor. Sisal is a good coarse material for covering the scratching post as it is very durable and rope like and cats like to sharpen their claws on such surfaces.

Finding a scratching post that meets your cat's need and preferences is easy with the variety of styles and sizes available. Your cat will leave your furniture undamaged with his own scratching post placed in a nice sunny window or corner free from drafts. For cats that are already scratching up the furniture, placing the scratching post in the same spot will soon have the cat scratching on the post instead.

Copyright by Paulina Jenkins

About the Author: Paulina Jenkins has a website that is dedicated to all cat owners with informations on cat breeds, cat supplies and products. Why cat scratching post is a necessity if you own a cat? Do you know what is the purpose of a cat scratching post?