How to Replace the Sisal Rope on a Cat Tree

Sisal rope should be wound tightly on the scratching post.
i rope image by Antons Trifonovs from Fotolia.com

Cats love digging their claws in and shredding the sisal rope on their cat tree. After a few months, they can damage it so much that they may turn to your furniture and carpets for fresh targets. Replacing the sisal rope is the cheapest option to make you both happy again.

Step 1

Remove the old, ragged sisal rope from the tree using scissors and pliers. Check whether it is attached to the tree with nails, staples or glue. Nails and staples can be removed with pliers, while glue will have to be scraped off. Dispose of the old rope.

Step 2

Start at the bottom of the cat tree post and nail one end of the new coil of rope to it. Drive the nail in hard, so that there is no edge where a cat can catch a claw. Wrap the rope around the post tightly, and every four to six winds, tamp it down using the hammer so that the coils are pressed firmly together.

Step 3

Cut the rope once you have reached the top of the scratching post and have tamped down the top coils with a hammer. Use a nail to secure it to the top of the post and drive it in firmly so there are no edges that could catch a stray claw.

the nest

×