I will be welcoming an MC kitten into my home in a few weeks and in trying to find everything I need I have yet to locate a suitable scratching post. From the size of my little boy's mom & dad, he is going to be large and I want him to be able to stretch out. I've been told sisal is better than carpet, but none of the posts I've seen seem to be tall enough. Anyone have any sources or suggestions on how to build one for him?

-- Anonymous, May 01, 1999

Answers

Dear Nancy, Check out the local kitty shows in your area. They almost always have vendors selling those nice large sissal scratching posts, and other goodies, besides.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 1999

ALL the cats I've had, purebreed and stray, large and small have loved the "Felix Catnip Tree", size large. Also my best friend got one and her three cats think it's just great! They are also recommended by PETA on their fact-sheet about avoiding declawing. Whatever your politics, you have to figure that PETA isn't going to recommend something unless the animals actually like it. The company that makes the post is Felix Co, 1623 Fremont Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103, (206)547-0042.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 1999

Nancy, I was scrolling through old messages and came upon yours. I'm sure you've already solved your problem, but I built my MC's a wonderful scratching tree (it's about 7 feet tall). Here's how: At a lumber yard I found that they sell the inner cylindrical cores of trees--what remains after all the boards have been cut at the lumber mill. I bought a 4" diameter, 7' tall one for about $14. You could leave it as is, but there would be splinters. I bought about 7 rolls of sisal rope (about 3/8" diameter) and some Elmers glue. I spread the glue, a little at a time, and wound the rope tightly around the pole. I had already bolted the pole to a beam in the ceiling and braced it at the bottom so it couldn't move. I added a couple of shelves, cantilevered out from it, supported by L-brackets. My cats love having something that is so much like a real tree--they shimmy up and down it, which is excellent for the stomach muscles. Diane Jacobs

-- Anonymous, November 07, 1999