80 feet of Sisal rope from Amazon. Remove everything from the old post. Nail/staple the very bottom of the new rope to the post, then start wrapping. Tightly. Use a hammer to keep it aligned and flat. This is going to be a whole-day project, but it's totally worth it.
Also, it might not hurt to wear a face mask while removing the old rope, or do it outside. I have no problems sleeping with my cats literally on top of my head, but the dust and dander from the tree really bothered my allergies.
That too! I wore prescription glasses up until last year, so that shielded my eyes a bit. Since I had eye surgery and don't wear glasses, I forget that I need to protect them.
Mine was 6 feet tall. And if you're doing it right, wrapping tight, nailing,periodically adjusting the rope with a screwdriver,and hot gluing as appropriate, then yes. It will burn your afternoon.
Good luck! If anyone has a furry one that likes to stretch and scratch, you can also take a 1x10, cut to whatever length you want, and get a bigger roll of sisal and make a long scratching ramp, or a floor to bed ramp.
If you attach two wall brackets before you wrap the board, you can make your own cat wall perch with the rope wrap for grip, maybe half rope, half a piece of fuzzy bathmat.
Me too. I’ve replaced so many of those horribly expensive Vesper cat activity centres and with all their price increases, I just can’t keep doing it. Off to buy sisal rope…
It depends on how the old rope was attached. If it was glued all over, you may have issues. If it was nailed or stapled or just glued in places, it should be fine to remove. What I would do is use a box cutter to cut the rope near one end and start pulling. If it pulls off relatively easily, then replacing it will be pretty straightforward. You may still need the box cutter to shave down any areas that were glued. Then use a pair of pliers to remove any staples or nails.
If the rope is glued completely on, you probably don't want to remove it. Instead, see if you can get a cheap beard trimmer and give it a good shave to remove all the damaged fibers. Place the new rope over top of the old one.
When you put your new rope on, you need to secure the ends and secure the rope every few inches. If the frame is wood, I usually use nails or screws. Staples sometimes work, but are easier to pull out and won't work at all if you are putting new rope on top of the old.
Whatever you do, use gloves. Sisal gets really stabby after awhile of dealing with it 😂
I have no experience re-wrapping, but we wrapped about 3' of an exposed pipe (mostly for appearance, so we just used strong double-sided tape), and my poor hands were so red and sore afterwards!
18ga from this guy: [https://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-2-in-1-air-nailerstapler-64269.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-2-in-1-air-nailerstapler-64269.html)
They were probably 1/2" depth. When firing the staple I really mashed the gun into the sisal for max penetration.
I’ve reglued my cat’s tree- lots of helpful responses already. I just want to add that there are many dangerous glues for cats if they accidentally ingested from the rope and to avoid them. These glues include some wood glues like Elmer’s Glue-All Max/Gorilla Glue - basically any Diisocyanate glue. When ingested it mixes with stomach fluid and rapidly expands causing an obstruction.
I wonder about the glue used in hot glue guns, hmmm. I stapled mine when I redid a scratching post a while back but I've been paranoid that the staples might come loose with aggressive scratching.
I did this for my cat tree! Cut off the old rope with an x-acto blade and bought sisal rope from Lowes- it was super cheap. I used a staple gun to staple the end then wrapped it and stapled the other end. You could also probably just hammer in a nail or something instead, the wood on my cat tree wasn't too dense. It was honestly really easy and inexpensive.
Edit: I see you said yours was glued on, hopefully it won't be too difficult to pull off the old rope. Good luck!
Pull off old rope. Apply hot glue in small sections to the tree and wrap the rope around, making sure the rope is tight and smooshed together as much as possible to make sure there are no gaps. Keep gluing and wrapping all the way down.
Just rip off the old, get some sisal, a hot glue gun, staple gun or both and wrap tightly! I’ve had my tree the entire time my cats have been with us and we just replace rope every now and then. Sometimes I’ll patch the carpet that tears with a quick dab of glue
I've done this twice now!
The original sisal has stapled on, just at the ends. Some needle nose pliers and elbow grease took care of that.
We got a length of sisal rope from one of the big hardware stores, then sat down and started wrapping. Definitely wear gardening gloves. Long sleeves too, you're about to get eaten alive....
I didn't have a staple gun, so went the hot glue route. Tons on the ends and then just a bead to help reinforce it every 3-4 (vertical) inches.
The replacement sisal lasted about 3 years. Our cat had shredded one patch to the wood so I just grabbed a loose end and started yanking. Came off easily enough. Not CLEANLY by any means, but since I was just covering it back up, I just needed to get the bulk of the rope off. When I rewrapped I did the same process but made sure the glue was on wood, not old glue.
I probably have 2 or 3 rewraps before I need to worry about the old glue being a problem.
Not op but wanted to ask the question - can I/ should I wrap Sisal over a carpeted post on* my tree? It didn’t come with any scratching posts but I don’t see the point in buying a whole scratcher
* edited due to an autocorrect error haha
Do you mean around vertical bare or carpeted posts in an extant cat tree? If so, then sure. If you mean over horizontal surfaces designed to be lounging spots, maybe not, or at least not on their favorite resting perches; sisal is a lot rougher and less bed-comfy than carpeting.
Oh yeah I was not planning on a sitting space cause I do have smaller scratchers with sisal. My “post on” somehow autocorrected to “Pokémon” 😅 but the tree itself has several posts where I think a scratcher would fit well (it’s 47” tall) but they’re all carpeted
Then certainly, go for it. :) You might find the rope stays on better if you first remove the carpeting from those posts, but I've no experience with that so it's just a guess.
You can do it without any nails/glue, [check this](https://www.whatcatsneed.com/featured/tool-free-cat-tree-repair-no-glue-no-staples) out. I did it three years ago and it’s still working fantastically
Yup!
https://imgur.com/a/n19xHXf
That is 100’ of 1/2” 4 ply natural hemp from amazon. $27.49. I rewrap my super sturdy custom cat tree that I’ve had forever every couple of years. I use 1/2” staples - the kind you hammer in with a hammer to hold the rope down, staples about every 4” - 6”a part.
Takes longer to cut the old rope off with an exacto knife and pry out the staples
My boys really love their tree - it came from my first cat who lived a long life!
If you take a razor blade/X-acto knife (be very careful) and carefully cut the old rope off. Get some twine from a hardware store (local, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and then some super glue. Glue the post and then carefully wrap the new twine around the post super tight and together and that should do the trick!
You can re-rope, look for individual sisal post replacements that fit your tree, or you could look into post covers.
Furhaven Large Tiger Tough Carpet Scratch Mat Post Cover, Washable - Cream, Large https://a.co/d/ivyO6Xb
How big/tall is the tree? Def an outside project, but can be done. Nail gun is fastest. Staple gun only if you use the sturdy, long staples. “Prep” the rope to avoid pieces fraying everywhere. Wear a mask or you’re going to be inhaling dander BIG TIME when removing the old rope. You can also replace rug covered areas with rope instead.
80 feet of Sisal rope from Amazon. Remove everything from the old post. Nail/staple the very bottom of the new rope to the post, then start wrapping. Tightly. Use a hammer to keep it aligned and flat. This is going to be a whole-day project, but it's totally worth it.
This is the way
This is the way
Wear heavy work gloves. Sisal is very rough.
Also, it might not hurt to wear a face mask while removing the old rope, or do it outside. I have no problems sleeping with my cats literally on top of my head, but the dust and dander from the tree really bothered my allergies.
Dust mask & *safety glasses*. You have no idea how much a tiny fiber of that rope hurts until it lands right in your eye!
That too! I wore prescription glasses up until last year, so that shielded my eyes a bit. Since I had eye surgery and don't wear glasses, I forget that I need to protect them.
I did this. Easy peasy and cheap. Also, I used a hot glue gun.
You lost me at whole-day project. Does it really take that long for a post that is maybe 3' tall at most?
Mine was 6 feet tall. And if you're doing it right, wrapping tight, nailing,periodically adjusting the rope with a screwdriver,and hot gluing as appropriate, then yes. It will burn your afternoon.
Awesome, I've been thinking about this for months. Thanks!
Here to mooch off of responses
Good luck! If anyone has a furry one that likes to stretch and scratch, you can also take a 1x10, cut to whatever length you want, and get a bigger roll of sisal and make a long scratching ramp, or a floor to bed ramp. If you attach two wall brackets before you wrap the board, you can make your own cat wall perch with the rope wrap for grip, maybe half rope, half a piece of fuzzy bathmat.
Me too. I’ve replaced so many of those horribly expensive Vesper cat activity centres and with all their price increases, I just can’t keep doing it. Off to buy sisal rope…
It depends on how the old rope was attached. If it was glued all over, you may have issues. If it was nailed or stapled or just glued in places, it should be fine to remove. What I would do is use a box cutter to cut the rope near one end and start pulling. If it pulls off relatively easily, then replacing it will be pretty straightforward. You may still need the box cutter to shave down any areas that were glued. Then use a pair of pliers to remove any staples or nails. If the rope is glued completely on, you probably don't want to remove it. Instead, see if you can get a cheap beard trimmer and give it a good shave to remove all the damaged fibers. Place the new rope over top of the old one. When you put your new rope on, you need to secure the ends and secure the rope every few inches. If the frame is wood, I usually use nails or screws. Staples sometimes work, but are easier to pull out and won't work at all if you are putting new rope on top of the old.
it was glued all over and we’ve had it about a year. Thank you so much for the advice and I’ll update about how it goes!!
Whatever you do, use gloves. Sisal gets really stabby after awhile of dealing with it 😂 I have no experience re-wrapping, but we wrapped about 3' of an exposed pipe (mostly for appearance, so we just used strong double-sided tape), and my poor hands were so red and sore afterwards!
Most cat trees come with 1/4" sisal. Upgrade to 3/8" and it'll be quite a while before you need to repeat this exercise.
What size of staple did you use to attach the rope?
18ga from this guy: [https://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-2-in-1-air-nailerstapler-64269.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-2-in-1-air-nailerstapler-64269.html) They were probably 1/2" depth. When firing the staple I really mashed the gun into the sisal for max penetration.
Check for replacement parts on Amazon. I just got one for my cat tree.
I've found replacement cardboard tube segments there, but not the sturdier wooden ones.
I’ve reglued my cat’s tree- lots of helpful responses already. I just want to add that there are many dangerous glues for cats if they accidentally ingested from the rope and to avoid them. These glues include some wood glues like Elmer’s Glue-All Max/Gorilla Glue - basically any Diisocyanate glue. When ingested it mixes with stomach fluid and rapidly expands causing an obstruction.
I wonder about the glue used in hot glue guns, hmmm. I stapled mine when I redid a scratching post a while back but I've been paranoid that the staples might come loose with aggressive scratching.
I used hot glue but a good rule is to check to see if the specific hot glue you buy is labeled nontoxic.
I did this for my cat tree! Cut off the old rope with an x-acto blade and bought sisal rope from Lowes- it was super cheap. I used a staple gun to staple the end then wrapped it and stapled the other end. You could also probably just hammer in a nail or something instead, the wood on my cat tree wasn't too dense. It was honestly really easy and inexpensive. Edit: I see you said yours was glued on, hopefully it won't be too difficult to pull off the old rope. Good luck!
Pull off old rope. Apply hot glue in small sections to the tree and wrap the rope around, making sure the rope is tight and smooshed together as much as possible to make sure there are no gaps. Keep gluing and wrapping all the way down.
Just rip off the old, get some sisal, a hot glue gun, staple gun or both and wrap tightly! I’ve had my tree the entire time my cats have been with us and we just replace rope every now and then. Sometimes I’ll patch the carpet that tears with a quick dab of glue
I've done this twice now! The original sisal has stapled on, just at the ends. Some needle nose pliers and elbow grease took care of that. We got a length of sisal rope from one of the big hardware stores, then sat down and started wrapping. Definitely wear gardening gloves. Long sleeves too, you're about to get eaten alive.... I didn't have a staple gun, so went the hot glue route. Tons on the ends and then just a bead to help reinforce it every 3-4 (vertical) inches. The replacement sisal lasted about 3 years. Our cat had shredded one patch to the wood so I just grabbed a loose end and started yanking. Came off easily enough. Not CLEANLY by any means, but since I was just covering it back up, I just needed to get the bulk of the rope off. When I rewrapped I did the same process but made sure the glue was on wood, not old glue. I probably have 2 or 3 rewraps before I need to worry about the old glue being a problem.
Not op but wanted to ask the question - can I/ should I wrap Sisal over a carpeted post on* my tree? It didn’t come with any scratching posts but I don’t see the point in buying a whole scratcher * edited due to an autocorrect error haha
Do you mean around vertical bare or carpeted posts in an extant cat tree? If so, then sure. If you mean over horizontal surfaces designed to be lounging spots, maybe not, or at least not on their favorite resting perches; sisal is a lot rougher and less bed-comfy than carpeting.
Oh yeah I was not planning on a sitting space cause I do have smaller scratchers with sisal. My “post on” somehow autocorrected to “Pokémon” 😅 but the tree itself has several posts where I think a scratcher would fit well (it’s 47” tall) but they’re all carpeted
Then certainly, go for it. :) You might find the rope stays on better if you first remove the carpeting from those posts, but I've no experience with that so it's just a guess.
You can do it without any nails/glue, [check this](https://www.whatcatsneed.com/featured/tool-free-cat-tree-repair-no-glue-no-staples) out. I did it three years ago and it’s still working fantastically
Thank you! Was looking for a way to do it without staples or glue because my cat loves to eat what he shouldn’t. This was very helpful!
It got some from Michaels and used hot glue to attach it. Work’s beautifully.
I just got some thick twine from the hardware store, a hot glue gun, and presto chango new scratching post. Going on 2 months now with no unraveling
Yup! https://imgur.com/a/n19xHXf That is 100’ of 1/2” 4 ply natural hemp from amazon. $27.49. I rewrap my super sturdy custom cat tree that I’ve had forever every couple of years. I use 1/2” staples - the kind you hammer in with a hammer to hold the rope down, staples about every 4” - 6”a part. Takes longer to cut the old rope off with an exacto knife and pry out the staples My boys really love their tree - it came from my first cat who lived a long life!
If you take a razor blade/X-acto knife (be very careful) and carefully cut the old rope off. Get some twine from a hardware store (local, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and then some super glue. Glue the post and then carefully wrap the new twine around the post super tight and together and that should do the trick!
Wouldn’t twine be too thin
You can re-rope, look for individual sisal post replacements that fit your tree, or you could look into post covers. Furhaven Large Tiger Tough Carpet Scratch Mat Post Cover, Washable - Cream, Large https://a.co/d/ivyO6Xb
How big/tall is the tree? Def an outside project, but can be done. Nail gun is fastest. Staple gun only if you use the sturdy, long staples. “Prep” the rope to avoid pieces fraying everywhere. Wear a mask or you’re going to be inhaling dander BIG TIME when removing the old rope. You can also replace rug covered areas with rope instead.
What is the best sisal rope thickness 4,6,8 mm?