Homemade Scratching Post

To make a simple scratching post, nail a 4 x 4 piece of wood to a flat heavy wooden base. As for the height of the wood, make it as high as your cat is capable of stretching. Be sure the base is wide enough and sturdy enough so that even the fattest of cats won't topple it over. Making the base wide enough for your cat to stand upon is a great idea. She'll feel like she's on a stage! You can either leave the wood bare or cover it. A really, really great material to use is rope. Just wrap it tightly around the base and secure at the top and bottom with nails or very heavy staples. When the rope gets worn, simply replace it.