If you’re going to build projects for your cat, you have to think about what rope you are going to use. When building our projects we build with products that won’t effect the cat’s health when the cat is playing or sleeping on them. Materials that have been treated with chemicals are not used.
We’ve received some questions regarding some of our projects, and the question that always seems to come up is how we choose the rope we’re using. We’ve addressed some of the more common questions we’ve received here in this post regarding Sisal Rope.
What kind of rope should I use for making a cat scratching post?
If you’re making a cat scratching post or wrapping some poles for that cat tree project of yours, then in our experience the rope you should be using is untreated sisal rope or untreated hemp rope will work as well. There are other ropes you can use. However; the REAL important thing to note is it must be “chemical free” with no odors.
Natural hemp rope works well but good quality hemp rope can cost you and if your wrapping poles or boards… the rope can go quickly. Sisal rope can be much more cost effective.
What is sisal rope?
Sisal rope is a type of rope made from natural fibers. Sisal (A. Sisalana) is actually from the agave family (that’s right, cactus). Its very fibrous when processed and many times its made into carpet, rugs, hats and footwear. One of sisal rope’s most common uses is when it’s made into rope or twine. It is the perfect material if you’re inclined to make your own cat scratching post, tree, or scratching area for your feline friend(s).
Are there different kinds of sisal rope?
Yes. Sisal rope is used for many things and often times it is treated with chemicals as needed. It’s important that when you are looking for sisal rope, you get rope that’s labeled “Pet Safe” or more often it would be labeled “chemical free” as well.
Sisal rope’s other uses means that it is sometimes treated with water proofing chemicals or the rope is oil treated. Chemicals and oil are the last things you want your cat rubbing against or getting under its claws, so be mindful when purchasing any materials for your cat projects.
Why use sisal rope?
Sisal rope has great “give” for a cat’s claws. The rope let’s a cat “rip away” away at something that takes little damage for what the cat’s doing to it yet it let’s the cat get away with ripping a tiny strand of the fibers once in a while… and the cat feels “satisfied” at having destroyed or ripped into something. The cat also accomplishes some nail grooming in the form of de-husking their nails along the way. Win Win.
Hemp rope works well too but it’s usually more expensive when we’ve priced it against sisal. Different suppliers vary in quality so if you find one you like, stick with them. Sisal rope also has good friction for your projects. Good for tying knots and for grabbing other building materials that can be lashed together.
How much sisal rope am I going to need?
Well that depends on your project. If you plan on building a cat tree with all the poles and cross members wrapped with rope… you’re going to need a lot of rope. If your unsure… you can buy a roll one at a time and see how far that gets you. Here’s a handy online calculator that might help you plan out your project.
We usually buy 100 feet at a time of either the 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch rope (it never goes as far as you think it will). You might get two or three poles with that depending on the project and size of the poles. The thicker the rope… the more it will be in terms of price, but the more it will cover on the pole when wrapping, so less wraps.
Are there disadvantages to using sisal rope?
As with anything there’s always some disadvantage.
- Sisal rope that’s “chemical free” will rot if it’s left wet (think puke and pee from your cat). If cleaned right away then you can minimize the issue.
- Different manufacturers will give you different strengths and quality for the same size rope, so doing a project with different manufacturers may result in a slight color variation for the project or varying strengths of rope without realizing you are doing so.
- Handling the rope can be a bit rough on your hands (again depending on the manufacturer), so we recommend work gloves that allow for tying knots while you are wearing them. Thicker gloves can’t tie knots and thinner gloves are great but won’t last long before you have to get more if you’re doing multiple projects. The rope will wear the gloves down after consistent use.
The most common issue we’ve found when looking for a good supplier of the rope has to do with the smell of the rope. If the rope smells like oil or some chemical… how can you expect your cat to rub themselves all over it? There should be no unpleasant odor to the rope and it should look CLEAN.
Is colored sisal rope OK to use?
Colored sisal rope will have dyes. We have seen natural sisal rope with natural dyes but we can’t personally recommend them because we’ve never used them.
Darkened (DARK brown) sisal rope sometimes means the manufacturer ran the rope through oil. That’s what gives it that dark color (and waterproofing) and this type of rope definitely shouldn’t be used. As before there are some suppliers using natural dyes for black or dark colored rope that is not waterproof and is not run through oil, but again we can’t personally recommend what we’ve never used. We simply stay away from dyes when it comes to building materials.
A good rule of thumb is; think of your cat eating or cleaning his teeth on the little strands of rope that inevitable start pulling out of the scratching post. If you don’t want pieces of oil saturated rope or chemical laden fibers being dragged through your cat’s teeth from self cleaning or… heaven forbid, in their digestive track… then don’t use the rope.
Do cats like sisal rope?
Our experience has been an overwhelming “yes” to that question. The texture is perfect for rubbing and combing their fur and we see our cats doing this all the time. In fact we have a hard time around here starting a cat project using rope without Paws wanting to get involved. He absolutely loves the stuff. Start unwrapping the rope and he comes from nowhere to start playing.
The tight wrappings of the rope allow for clawing and the sisal fibers provide enough give that their claws don’t get caught or hung up. In case there’s any doubt to at least some cats liking sisal rope, check out our sisal rope photo shoot with Paws.
If you can’t get it wet, how do you clean sisal rope?
Good question. It’s not that you can’t get sisal rope wet, it’s more that you can’t LEAVE it wet. Inevitably you’re going to have to deal with the hairball or some little bile on the rope. Water with mild soap will usually do for actually cleaning if you need to. Let dry or speed up the drying with a fan or hand held hair dryer.
If there’s a pet accident that you’re trying to clean up, we’ve had no problem with several products for cleaning the mess. However, the important thing is to pat the area dry with paper towels and speed up the drying process. Rope left uncleaned will begin to smell and rot, and at this point your cat will likely not return to the area again.
Other Advantages to Using Sisal Rope?
As sisal rope breaks down the strands sometime stick out. On more than one occasion we’ve had cats that use these strands to clean their teeth. Rope that is chemical free with “natural” fibers is preferred for this reason. Some cat’s like to rub up against the rope for either grooming or rubbing there scent on it which is only another reason to stay chemical free.
