A DIY Cat Scratching Post.

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Hey Friends!

If you have been following my blog for a while, you have probably spotted the occasional picture of my four legged buddy Raji.   We LOVE him!  But, we do have a furniture scratching issue {SIGH}.  This can lead to angry voices and a heavy handed use of a water spray bottle.  I know!  Hard to believe when he is this cute that he can be such a stinker! We were in need of a new and better scratching post.

My favorite family room chair is his usual victim!

So, one day I was in a fabric store and I saw some fun printed burlap on the shelf. I started thinking that the material on my chair kind of resembled burlap. He was able to really get his claws in there when he was scratching (yes, I'm cringing, remembering my chair getting a good scratching). Soooooooo, I bought some!

Then, I went home and started digging in my 'give away' pile. I found an old cork board and two quilted shams. Woohooo! I had everything handy to make a big cat scratching post / board. It's bigger than the average scratching post, because my kitty is a llittle, um, well, 'fluffy' right now.

That leads me to the other part of this post. I was told by my vet that I should consider upgrading my cat's food. Right around the same time, I was asked if I would be willing to write a post for Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food. I was intrigued.  But, before I was willing to try a new food, I needed to do a little more research, and more importantly, make sure my Raji kitty liked the food!

Um, that wasn't a problem. My Raj loves the 'in gravy' kind of food and they had a great selection of those. The meal was eagerly eaten!

Sorry, but he's a messy eater. And, I learned something. While lying on the floor trying to take his picture eating,  I learned he closes his eyes when he's eating. Ha! Who knew!!

With Muse, you don't have to choose between natural nutrition and food that tastes great. Your cat can have both when you choose Muse. Trust me, Raji has turned up his nose at some foods. But, not this! If you also have a picky cat, there are lots of flavors in chowder, broth, with toppers, in gravy and pate kinds. The main reasons I wanted to switch my cat to Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food was that all recipes are made with real fish or poultry. There are no artifacial flavors, colors or preservatives.  And, Purina Muse is 100% complete and balanced for adult cats. I found it easy to pick cat food recipes my cat would like. There are 30 recipes and 24 grain-free varieties.

So, one problem solved. Feeding my Raji better food. Now let me finish showing you the cat scratch board I made.

I wrapped the quilted pillow shams around the front and stapled them on the back (If you don't have something handy, buy some cheap quilted material or even some batting. No one will see it!).  I used just a regular stapler, but, if you have thick layers to staple through, I would recommend a more industrial type of stapler.

Then, iron your material (I used the burlap material because it felt similar to my chair), so that it will look nice and flat once you staple it on the board. Lay your bulletin board that is already wrapped with the quilted material, onto your material. Trim the material to about 4 - 5 inches all the way around.

I did put some cat nip on the board before I put the material on. But, I know there are sprays you can use also.  After you do this (if you chose to) pull the material tightly and staple it on the back.

Flip it over after everything is well stapled and you are done!!

At this point, I am just putting it on the floor so Raji can sharpen his nails on it there. I am not sure yet if I want to attach it to the wall, but, that may happen!

He does love it. Instead of hanging out on my chair, he's been hanging out on his new scratching board! And, I've seen evidence that it's getting used for it's intended purpose!

Two big problems solved!!

Let me make your life a little easier. Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food is sold exclusively at Pet Smart. You are looking for this in the aisle.

Natural has never been so delicious. Put Muse to the test with our clean plate guarantee.

Here is a coupon for Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food.

For more information about Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food, click here and here!

What challenges have you faced with your cat and how did you overcome them?