I always thought those cardboard cat scratchers were a stupid idea, until one time when we were moving and there was a stack of boxes, and the cat could NOT leave it alone. Well. She left it alone for a bit after pulling the whole stack down onto the floor with a crash. But she was right back at it in no time.
But it seems lame to spend money on cardboard, something thrown away so often and in such quantity it gets its own dumpsters. Seriously? We're basically talking about buying trash for the cat to play on!
But cats love it! But it's just cardboard! And I'm cheap! But... think of the cat!
Psychologists say it's not good to live with this kind of internal conflict.
Much of my current furniture came from Ikea, and everything comes from Ikea in cardboard. Even my change and receipt were in a cardboard flat-pack last time I went there. My place was filled with new furniture I didn't want scratched on, and cardboard. The light bulb went on.
This project is quite similar to Neopirater's, with two notable exceptions.
1) No glue on mine. It's all held together with magnets*.
2) My cat is much, MUCH wider than Neopirater's cats. It's even possible my cat is as wide as any two of Neopirater's cats. As a result, although I don't think my scratcher is much smaller, it will look much smaller in the final photo.
2a) She's not fat. She's just wide. I swear!
But it seems lame to spend money on cardboard, something thrown away so often and in such quantity it gets its own dumpsters. Seriously? We're basically talking about buying trash for the cat to play on!
But cats love it! But it's just cardboard! And I'm cheap! But... think of the cat!
Psychologists say it's not good to live with this kind of internal conflict.
Much of my current furniture came from Ikea, and everything comes from Ikea in cardboard. Even my change and receipt were in a cardboard flat-pack last time I went there. My place was filled with new furniture I didn't want scratched on, and cardboard. The light bulb went on.
This project is quite similar to Neopirater's, with two notable exceptions.
1) No glue on mine. It's all held together with magnets*.
2) My cat is much, MUCH wider than Neopirater's cats. It's even possible my cat is as wide as any two of Neopirater's cats. As a result, although I don't think my scratcher is much smaller, it will look much smaller in the final photo.
2a) She's not fat. She's just wide. I swear!
- That was a joke. I mean, there's really no glue. But there are also no magnets.
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WARNING: It's *highly* recommended to read the instructions all the way through before beginning this project, because there are option steps, and because some of it will make more sense if you know what comes next.
MATERIALS & TOOLS
Cardboard from Ikea (This is an Ikea hack, after all!)
--- One long skinny box a bit bigger than a cat (Here, I've used the one the HELMER drawer unit comes in.)
--- The outer flat packing boxes of larger furniture (I used the VIKA Blecket box & inserts.)
Utility Knife
--- Must be sharp! Otherwise the cardboard just shreds, and your cat eats the shreds and craps cardboard bits for a week, instead of getting a new scratcher.
--- Adjustable depth of blade helps, you will NOT be cutting all the way through the cardboard.
Straight Edge, 1-2" wide, as long as your skinny box is long
--- Preferably metal
--- Need not be an actual ruler, as there is no actual measuring involved here.
Packing Tape
--- Duct tape is an acceptable substitute, as is strapping tape. The point is, you're going to be putting a little tension on this tape, and don't want it to break.
Although you don't need a cat to make this scratcher, it seems wise to have a cat somewhere in your life. I mean, if you don't even know a cat, you should probably go make something else. Maybe a nice trivet, if you're thinking about things you can put under other things.
MATERIALS & TOOLS
Cardboard from Ikea (This is an Ikea hack, after all!)
--- One long skinny box a bit bigger than a cat (Here, I've used the one the HELMER drawer unit comes in.)
--- The outer flat packing boxes of larger furniture (I used the VIKA Blecket box & inserts.)
Utility Knife
--- Must be sharp! Otherwise the cardboard just shreds, and your cat eats the shreds and craps cardboard bits for a week, instead of getting a new scratcher.
--- Adjustable depth of blade helps, you will NOT be cutting all the way through the cardboard.
Straight Edge, 1-2" wide, as long as your skinny box is long
--- Preferably metal
--- Need not be an actual ruler, as there is no actual measuring involved here.
Packing Tape
--- Duct tape is an acceptable substitute, as is strapping tape. The point is, you're going to be putting a little tension on this tape, and don't want it to break.
Although you don't need a cat to make this scratcher, it seems wise to have a cat somewhere in your life. I mean, if you don't even know a cat, you should probably go make something else. Maybe a nice trivet, if you're thinking about things you can put under other things.
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We will be moving in about 10 days, and I have a ton of boxes. I am looking at what I can do with them besides throw them out after we are done unpacking. With 2 kitties, this should work nicely. Add in some nip, and they will be very happy.
Hmm, if I were a manufacturer who uses corrugated cardboard to pack things, I would print these instructions on the boxes. :)
The cat or the box?
yeah f*** it!