“Has your cat left scratch marks on everything from grandmother’s kneecaps to your grandfather clock? It’s time to train Kitty to use this scratching post instead of everything else in your home.” Phil Bowie and Larry Cotton are here to help with their Cat Scratch Feeder project that appears on the pages of MAKE Volume 33. Their simple design combines scratching post and treat dispenser, sure to get Kitty’s undivided attention and keep it. Essentially all it takes is some wood, PVC, an extension spring, aluminum flat bar, a piece of carpet scrap, and a weekend in your workshop.

A catnip cup in the top will attract your cat and place her in natural scratching position. Each time the cat claws downward on the spring-loaded carpeted cylinder, this device will deliver up to 4 special treats. Because you control the number of treats, you can keep your cat lean and gradually wean her off the treats altogether as she becomes accustomed to using the post, if you wish.

Below are a few glimpses from the project: drilling and assembling the treat disk, and putting together the spring assembly inside the body tube. The full project how-to is available starting on page 108 of MAKE Volume 33 and here on Make: Projects.