Don’t throw away your next cardboard box! 📦🐱

That delivery box sitting by your recycling bin might be your cat’s next favorite scratching post.

Instead of buying another scratcher, you can transform several ordinary corrugated cardboard boxes into an easy cat scratching post with a fun twisted design. The individual cardboard squares stack around a center post, creating lots of exposed corrugated edges for scratching.

And yes—this is finally one occasion when your cat’s obsession with the Amazon box may actually save you money. 😹

The finished scratcher looks surprisingly stylish, costs relatively little to make, and gives all that shipping cardboard a second life.

Prefer to skip the DIY? You can also browse our favorite ready-made cat scratching posts on Amazon here:

👉 [SHOP OUR CAT SCRATCHING POST AMAZON LIST]

As an Amazon Associate, Cats Ace™ earns from qualifying purchases.

Why Do Cats Need a Scratching Post Anyway? 🐾

Scratching isn’t your cat plotting the destruction of your sofa.

It’s normal feline behavior.

Cats scratch for several reasons, including stretching, maintaining their claws and leaving visual and scent signals. The ASPCA recommends giving cats appropriate scratching surfaces rather than trying to stop scratching altogether. Cats can also have individual preferences for vertical, horizontal and angled scratching surfaces.

That means providing an appealing scratcher may help redirect some of that scratching energy toward something that isn’t your favorite armchair.

And cardboard is one of the scratching materials some cats enjoy.

So…

Amazon box → scratching post → potentially happier cat and happier furniture.

We’ll take it. 😹

DIY Easy Cat Scratching Post

What You'll Need 📦

Before you begin, start saving those boxes!

For this project you'll need:

• Several clean, sturdy corrugated cardboard boxes
• A sturdy wooden base
• One smooth wooden dowel
• A small wooden or sturdy cardboard top cap
• Pencil
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Square cardboard template
• Craft/utility knife
• Cutting mat or another protected cutting surface
• Drill for preparing the wooden base
• Appropriate hardware or wood adhesive for securing the dowel to the base
• Cat-safe/non-toxic adhesive, if needed
• Sandpaper for smoothing the wooden components

Prefer to buy your supplies instead? 🐾 I’ve put together a handy Amazon list with the tools and materials you’ll need to make this DIY cat scratching post — and don’t forget to save those clean shipping boxes for the cardboard!

DIY CAT SCRATCHER LIST 

As an Amazon Associate, Cats Ace™ earns from qualifying purchases.

Cats Ace Tip: 📦
If you receive deliveries regularly, flatten the clean boxes and save them somewhere dry. Once you've collected enough cardboard, you'll already have most of the material for this project.

Step 1: Save Your Cardboard Boxes 📦

Here's your official permission not to recycle that Amazon box yet.

You want clean, dry corrugated cardboard without oil, food residue, moisture or obvious contamination.

Remove:

• Packing tape
• Shipping labels
• Staples
• Plastic
• Loose adhesive
• Strings
• Any other packaging materials

You want to be left with plain corrugated cardboard.

How many boxes will you need?

That depends on the thickness of your cardboard, the size of your squares and the final height of your scratching post.

Instead of promising a specific number of boxes, build your stack until it reaches the height you planned while keeping the finished structure stable.

Step 2: Decide How Big Your Scratcher Will Be 📏

Before cutting 60 pieces of cardboard and discovering they're the wrong size—let's make one

template.

For our Cats Ace version, we're creating a relatively wide, stable tower rather than an extremely tall, skinny one.

The inspiration is a sculptural twisted tower, but stability comes before aesthetics.

The ASPCA recommends scratching posts that are sturdy enough not to shift or collapse during use, and notes that many cats like vertical posts tall enough for a full stretch.

Your particular DIY needs to balance those two things: usable scratching height and a base broad and heavy enough for the finished structure.

Make your template

Cut ONE cardboard square first.

Once you're happy with its size, use it as the template for every other piece.

This is important.

If every square is slightly different, your beautiful Pinterest-worthy tower can quickly become…

The Leaning Tower of Meow. 😹

Step 3: Cut Lots of Identical Cardboard Squares ✂️

Now comes the repetitive part—but it's also strangely satisfying.

Place your template on the cardboard.

Trace around it.

Cut.

Repeat.

And repeat.

And repeat some more. 😹

Try to keep every square as close to the same dimensions as possible.

Why corrugated cardboard?

Look at the cut edge of your cardboard.

See those little channels running through it?

Those exposed corrugated edges create the textured scratching surface of our finished tower.

That's why we're stacking layers instead of simply wrapping one big box around a post.

Cats Ace Challenge: 🐱
How many squares did your scratcher take? Keep count and tell us in the comments!

Step 4: Make a Center Hole in Every Square 🕳️

Now we need a way to keep all those squares together.

This is the trick that makes this DIY much easier:

We're putting them on a center post.

Find the exact center of your cardboard template and mark it.

Create a hole just large enough for your wooden dowel to pass through.

Then use that original piece as your guide for the remaining squares.

You want the holes positioned as consistently as possible so the cardboard doesn't wander dramatically off-center as you build.

Important

The cardboard should slide onto the dowel without requiring excessive force, but the opening shouldn't be so large that every layer flops around.

Think:

snug, not crushed.

Step 5: Build a Strong Base 🪵

This is the part I would not shortcut.

Your cat is going to pull against this tower with their front paws. If the entire thing tips over the first time they use it, there's a good chance your cat won't be impressed with our DIY skills.

Use a wide, sturdy wooden base with smooth edges.

The wooden dowel should be firmly anchored vertically in the center.

Exactly how you anchor it will depend on the materials you choose. A screw inserted through the underside of the base into a suitable dowel is one possible construction method; appropriate wood hardware can also be used.

Whatever method you choose:

The post should not wobble.

Cover or countersink hardware so your cat cannot reach sharp metal edges.

After assembling the base, give the empty post a good push from several directions.

If it feels unstable now, don't add the cardboard yet.

Fix the base first.

Step 6: Stack Your Cardboard Squares 🐾

Now for the fun part.

Slide your first cardboard square down the wooden post until it rests on the base.

Add another.

Then another.

At first, keep them aligned.

You'll quickly see the scratching tower begin to appear.

But we're not building an ordinary square tower…

We're giving ours a twist.

Step 7: Create the Twisted Shape ✨

This is what makes the project look much more complicated than it actually is.

As you add each new cardboard square, rotate it just slightly compared with the piece underneath.

Not a huge turn.

Just a little.

Then repeat that tiny rotation with the next piece.

And the next.

Gradually, the corners begin moving around the center post and create a beautiful spiral effect.

From above, imagine the progression roughly like:

□ → slight turn → slight turn → slight turn → ◇

Continue the pattern as you build upward.

You can also change the direction or amount of rotation gradually if you want a gentle hourglass effect similar to our inspiration.

Don't overthink perfection.

Your cat is going to scratch it.

We're building feline furniture, not entering an architecture competition. 😹

Step 8: Compress and Secure the Stack 🔒

Once you've reached your planned height, gently press the cardboard layers downward so the stack feels compact.

Then add the top cap.

The purpose of the cap is to prevent the cardboard pieces from simply lifting off the center post during enthusiastic scratching.

The exact fastening system will depend on the dowel/base design you use, but the finished top should be:

• Secure
• Smooth
• Free from exposed screws or sharp hardware
• Too large to become a swallowable loose piece
• Difficult for your cat to dislodge

The cardboard should remain firmly stacked without being crushed so tightly that the tower buckles.

Step 9: Perform the Official Cats Ace Wobble Test 😹

Before presenting your masterpiece to its feline quality-control inspector…

Try to move it yourself.

Push gently from several sides.

Does it wobble?

Does the base lift?

Does the dowel move?

Can the top cap come loose?

Are there exposed staples, tape, strings, splinters or sharp edges?

If yes, fix those issues before your cat uses it.

The ASPCA emphasizes that scratching posts should be sturdy and shouldn't shift or collapse during use.

Our rule:

If you're questioning whether it's stable enough, make it more stable.

Step 10: Introduce Your Cat 🐱

And now…

Bring in management.

Your cat may immediately run over and start scratching.

Or…

They may sniff it once, walk directly past your beautiful creation and sit inside the leftover Amazon box.

Because cats. 😹

Don't force your cat's paws onto the scratcher. The ASPCA specifically advises against physically forcing a cat to scratch a post because it can frighten them and create an aversion to it.

Instead, let your cat investigate voluntarily.

You can place the scratcher near an area where your cat already likes to scratch. Some cats may also be interested in a little catnip on an appropriate scratching surface.

And give them time.

The Best Part? You Can Replace the Cardboard ♻️

This might be my favorite part of the design.

Eventually, your cat is supposed to destroy the cardboard.

That's success.

Instead of throwing away the entire scratching post, our design potentially allows you to remove the worn cardboard stack while keeping the sturdy base and center post.

Then:

📦 Save more boxes.
✂️ Cut new squares.
🐾 Restack them.
😸 Return scratcher to management.

The ASPCA notes that cats may actually prefer familiar scratchers once they become shredded and worn, so don't replace the cardboard just because it stops looking Pinterest-perfect.

Replace it when deterioration begins creating loose pieces, instability or another safety concern.

What If My Cat Prefers Horizontal Scratchers?

That's completely normal.

Not every cat wants to scratch vertically.

Some cats prefer vertical surfaces, while others prefer horizontal or angled ones.

If your cat consistently ignores vertical posts but destroys flat cardboard scratchers, listen to them.

Your cat has submitted their product review. ⭐

You could use the same saved cardboard to create a horizontal cardboard scratcher instead.

For older cats or cats with mobility or joint problems, International Cat Care also notes that a tall vertical scratching position may be uncomfortable for some cats and suggests offering a horizontal option.

Want a Cat Scratcher Without the DIY? 🛒🐱

Maybe you love the idea but just read “cut dozens of cardboard squares” and decided your cat can have your credit card instead.

No judgment here. 😹

We've put together a list of ready-made scratching options for different cats.

👉 [SHOP OUR FAVORITE CAT SCRATCHERS ON AMAZON]

As an Amazon Associate, Cats Ace™ earns from qualifying purchases.

You can look for different styles including:

• Vertical scratching posts
• Cardboard scratchers
• Horizontal scratching pads
• Angled scratchers
• Scratching lounges
• Cat trees with scratching surfaces

Your cat's preferred scratching position matters more than choosing whichever scratcher looks prettiest in your living room.

DIY Cat Scratcher Safety Checklist ⚠️

Before letting your cat use any homemade scratching post, check:

☐ The base is wide and stable.
☐ The center post cannot wobble or detach.
☐ No screw points or other hardware are accessible.
☐ There are no staples.
☐ Packing tape and shipping materials have been removed.
☐ There are no strings or loose pieces your cat could swallow.
☐ Wood surfaces and edges are smooth.
☐ The cardboard is clean and dry.
☐ The top cap is firmly secured.
☐ The cardboard stack cannot slide off.
☐ The finished scratcher doesn't tip when pulled.
☐ Damaged or loose components are removed or repaired.

The ASPCA recommends active supervision when cats have access to homemade enrichment items and removing items if a cat tries to ingest pieces.

Supervise your cat when first introducing the scratcher and inspect it regularly as the cardboard becomes worn.

Don't Throw Away That Box! 📦🐱

The next time a delivery arrives, your cat might be more interested in the packaging than whatever you ordered.

This time, let them have it.

With a pile of cardboard squares, a stable base and one center post, you can transform shipping boxes into an easy cat scratching post that's functional, inexpensive and surprisingly stylish.

And when your cat eventually shreds it?

That's not a ruined DIY.

That's a five-star review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now we need to know:

Would your cat scratch the tower… or immediately sit in the leftover box? 😹

Tell us in the comments!

📌 Save This DIY for Later

Save this tutorial on Pinterest so the next time boxes arrive, you know exactly what to do with them.

And if you make your own Cats Ace cardboard scratching post, we'd love to see it. 🐾💛

Love This DIY? Make a Cozy Cat Bed Next! 🐱🛏️

If you enjoyed turning everyday materials into something your cat can actually use, don’t stop here! Turn an old sweater into an easy DIY cat bed for another budget-friendly project your cat can scratch, sniff, knead, and curl up in. 💛

👉 [Watch/Make Our Easy DIY Cat Bed From an Old Sweater]

From cardboard box to scratching post and old sweater to cozy bed — sometimes the best cat projects are already hiding around your house. 🐾♻️

Disclaimer

This project is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not veterinary or professional construction advice. Every cat behaves differently, and homemade pet items should be designed with your individual cat's size, age, mobility and behavior in mind. Always supervise your cat when introducing a new DIY item. Ensure the scratching post is stable and free of accessible sharp hardware, staples, tape, strings, splinters, loose cardboard or other pieces that could cause injury or be swallowed. Stop use immediately if the scratcher becomes unstable or your cat attempts to ingest the materials. If you have questions about whether a scratching setup is appropriate for your cat, consult your veterinarian.