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what material for climbing?



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 19th 05, 10:21 AM
John Doe
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Default what material for climbing?

There has to be some material cats can use for indoor climbing
besides carpet or Sissel rope. Maybe something that also can be
attached to a 2 x 4. Maybe some sort of plastic grating (yes, of
course it will have to be safe). Next time I go to the hardware
store, I plan to spend a lot of time looking around. If I were able
to design it myself, maybe it would be plastic grating with 1/8"
holes deep enough so that claws would not hook into it. Besides cost,
the objective is to provide something which will last and won't
disintegrate. Any ideas for something besides carpet or Sissel rope
for cats to use for climbing? I suppose someday there will be a
material like sponge rubber which claws can dig into but not
penetrate.
  #2  
Old April 19th 05, 10:30 AM
John Doe
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I wrote:

... I suppose someday there will be a material like sponge
rubber which claws can dig into but not penetrate.


My old female used to climb an eight-foot carpeted 2 x 4 in two
leaps. I can just imagine a cat hitting a sponge rubber coated
2 x 4.

BOING

And I bet you they would take advantage of the springiness.
  #3  
Old April 19th 05, 01:12 PM
Joe Canuck
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John Doe wrote:

There has to be some material cats can use for indoor climbing
besides carpet or Sissel rope. Maybe something that also can be
attached to a 2 x 4. Maybe some sort of plastic grating (yes, of
course it will have to be safe). Next time I go to the hardware
store, I plan to spend a lot of time looking around. If I were able
to design it myself, maybe it would be plastic grating with 1/8"
holes deep enough so that claws would not hook into it. Besides cost,
the objective is to provide something which will last and won't
disintegrate. Any ideas for something besides carpet or Sissel rope
for cats to use for climbing? I suppose someday there will be a
material like sponge rubber which claws can dig into but not
penetrate.


Sisal rope is cheap and provides a good gripping surface.

Better the material disintegrate and provide some "give" rather than
another surface that is more durable yet harder on your cat... not only
that but a cat may not like the more durable material.

Old car tires come to mind, but that doesn't make a very good looking
climbing post for inside your home.

Other ideas: old fire hose, old rubber garden hoses (real rubber)

  #4  
Old April 19th 05, 02:18 PM
pj
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Use the back-side of carpeting, not the soft front. Some carpet with wide
weave is excellent for them to get their claws into for climbing. I used the
carpet pieces (samples) that you can buy anywhere from $1.99 to $3.00. I've
also wrapped a two-by-four and four-by-four with thick sisal. Terrific for
kittens, because you can just lay it on the floor for them to rip into. Stand
it up as they grow!
-- pj


In article , Joe Canuck
wrote:
John Doe wrote:

There has to be some material cats can use for indoor climbing
besides carpet or Sissel rope. Maybe something that also can be
attached to a 2 x 4. Maybe some sort of plastic grating (yes, of
course it will have to be safe). Next time I go to the hardware
store, I plan to spend a lot of time looking around. If I were able
to design it myself, maybe it would be plastic grating with 1/8"
holes deep enough so that claws would not hook into it. Besides cost,
the objective is to provide something which will last and won't
disintegrate. Any ideas for something besides carpet or Sissel rope
for cats to use for climbing? I suppose someday there will be a
material like sponge rubber which claws can dig into but not
penetrate.


Sisal rope is cheap and provides a good gripping surface.

Better the material disintegrate and provide some "give" rather than
another surface that is more durable yet harder on your cat... not only
that but a cat may not like the more durable material.

Old car tires come to mind, but that doesn't make a very good looking
climbing post for inside your home.

Other ideas: old fire hose, old rubber garden hoses (real rubber)

  #6  
Old April 19th 05, 02:44 PM
Monique Y. Mudama
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Default

On 2005-04-19, John Doe penned:
There has to be some material cats can use for indoor climbing
besides carpet or Sissel rope. Maybe something that also can be
attached to a 2 x 4. Maybe some sort of plastic grating (yes, of
course it will have to be safe). Next time I go to the hardware
store, I plan to spend a lot of time looking around. If I were able
to design it myself, maybe it would be plastic grating with 1/8"
holes deep enough so that claws would not hook into it. Besides
cost, the objective is to provide something which will last and
won't disintegrate. Any ideas for something besides carpet or Sissel
rope for cats to use for climbing? I suppose someday there will be a
material like sponge rubber which claws can dig into but not
penetrate.


I got an Ultimate Scratching Post for Oscar, and it has a sisal weave
instead of just rope. If you could get your hands on this weave, I
think you could make a wall out of it and let climber-cats go to town.

Oscar's never been a climber, but I've seen her on this scratching
post with all four paws on the post. I really like the material.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca
  #7  
Old April 19th 05, 02:55 PM
Karen
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Hmmm. I've just always found carpet best. When I was little my dad came home
with a HUGE stack of carpet samples and Liquid nailed them to one wall of my
bedroom. For "insulation" he *said*. Yeah, right. Our cats enjoyed it for
years.

"John Doe" wrote in message
...
There has to be some material cats can use for indoor climbing
besides carpet or Sissel rope. Maybe something that also can be
attached to a 2 x 4. Maybe some sort of plastic grating (yes, of
course it will have to be safe). Next time I go to the hardware
store, I plan to spend a lot of time looking around. If I were able
to design it myself, maybe it would be plastic grating with 1/8"
holes deep enough so that claws would not hook into it. Besides cost,
the objective is to provide something which will last and won't
disintegrate. Any ideas for something besides carpet or Sissel rope
for cats to use for climbing? I suppose someday there will be a
material like sponge rubber which claws can dig into but not
penetrate.



  #9  
Old April 19th 05, 04:12 PM
Steve G
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Default


Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
(...)

Oscar's never been a climber,


That's because he's never had a personal bouldering wall.

Material for climbing? https://www.epusa.com/handholds/, of course!

S.

  #10  
Old April 19th 05, 10:01 PM
Nell
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I saved a 15 feet high trunk of leylandii (Leyland Cypress tree), lopped
all the branches off, but left one to three inches of each to act as
steps, stuck the lower end into a flat piece of timber with a hole in
it, and attached the top end to the conservatory ceiling. Between the
lopped branches there are segments of trunk which are wrapped in sisal,
so the cats have 15 feet of pure vertical adventure on 1. sections of
sisal rope 2. step-like branches 3. sections of bare bark. It's a
bit of an obstacle course. I stand on a chair and hold biscuits at the
very top and they scoot up to get them . . . that's if they're not
already exhausted by some other activity!

Nell.

 




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