Bergan Scratch Lounger

After reading through Moderncat's list of favorite cat scratchers, I decided to buy this one from Bergan because it is incredibly inexpensive. I don't have a lot of money, but I could definitely afford the $9 it cost me (including shipping) for this nifty piece of sleeping/scratching furniture. (You can find it here)

What I like about the lounger is that it's 100% recycled material. Interesting design, sturdy, but as light as an egg carton. You can even flip it over to play with the hollowed out parts! = )

All the cats seem to like it, but Mellie being Mellie has claimed this new piece of furniture. She loves to sleep on it. I haven't seen them scratch it yet, though. They've never scratched anything except corrugated cardboard and sisal rope, so this is a new substance for them. I will put some catnip on it to encourage them, but even if they just use it to sleep on, I rather like it and do not regret buying it.

Good for the earth, creative use of materials, and the cats like it. I think we all win!!!

Melian and the Cardboard Scratcher

This is Melian, aka Mellie. I haven't ever posted about my own cats, have I??? Well, she used to be Mellie-belly, but we've been playing a lot more and has since lost the belly. (She loves the laser that much.) She was Moo-Moo at birth, b/c she and her brother reminded me of itty-bitty cows.

This is the cardboard scratcher I made for her. The two other cats like it as well, but it really belongs to her. = )

I made it a little bigger last week, but may enlarge it a bit more tonight. It's big enough, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind a little extra room. (Then Noms can lay comfortably on it as well.)

I didn't get any pictures of her scratching the pad, but she does adore it.

Another view. All three are very good about scratching only the scratching pads and posts. Not sure why, b/c I doubt it's my wonderful "parenting". I think it's luck/having proper scratching pads/posts from the day they were born. The only thing they're tempted to scratch is my uncovered mattress, but that's easy to avoid. Keep the sheets on!!! = )

I was over at http://www.moderncat.net/, reading the posts in the DIY section, where I stumbled across a post on how to make your own scratching pad. I was immediately excited, b/c I really only have sisal pads and posts. I bought two cardboard scratchers, but none for my cats - one was for the parents' cat, the other for my sister's cats. Mellie loved them when they were hanging out in the room, so I knew I should buy her one, but when I saw this post, I knew I could make one.

I'm not very crafty in the art sense. I can't paint, draw, build, sculpt, anything. I can, however, cut cardboard with a utility knife in straight, equal sections. (Go me!) And we always have cardboard boxes at work to recycle, so I knew I could easily obtain the materials. It's funny, b/c when I'm sad or bored or just in the mood, I want to *make* things. Artsy things. But as I mentioned, I am not very artsy-craftsy with the exception of making cards and scrapbooks. And sometimes, you get to the point where cards and scrapbooks just don't do it for you anymore. And making this has been fun for me.

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I also made one for Bud-Bud at work. He likes it, the foster cats like it (even without their claws, poor things), and a lot of the boarders like it. I should enlarge that one as well. When I first started cutting the strips from cardboard, I was thinking, "I could make ten of these!!!" But as with everything, I go at a slow pace. I always feel the need to multi-task. I'll be measuring and cutting while watching a movie, then forget about the cardboard in my hands for a half hour. So it takes me a couple days to finish. And then I get a bit lazy, so I leave it for a couple weeks before I *actually* finish it, making it large enough for everyone. = )

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It's fun making useful things. I love that *I* like the way it looks, my *cats* love to lay on it, sit on it, scratch it, etc, and it cost me nothing except for time while watching movies. Also, I like that I can flip it over if it gets worn down. Can't do that with the ones from WalMart. = ) (I need to find more things I can make!)

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You can find the directions to make your own at http://www.moderncat.net/2009/01/18/recycled-cardboard-kitty-pad-from-designsponge/