Rewrapping a cat post

On By CarynIn Cats, Craft, Life Hack

The favorite scratching post in the house needed a fix-up.

Photo description: cat scratching post with the jute rope broken and falling off

When I last rewrapped this post, I took some of the carpet off the top to provide a higher area for scratching since I have longer cats. From the picture, it really wasn’t necessary, even the big cats scratch the middle of the post. To rewrap this time, I purchased 160 feet of 1/4 inch jute rope.

Photo description: bundle of jute rope, pliers, and a staple gun for the rewrap project

My future self is not going to be pleased with me, because as I wrapped the rope, I stapled it down on the back every few inches. Last time, I only stapled the top and bottom, which made it easy to remove, but I believe shortened the time of use. The last wrap lasted slightly less than a year.

The most helpful thing this time around was that my eldest held the rope above the scratching post, so it was easier for me to wrap the post from the bottom up smoothly.

Photo description: freshly jute rope wrapped cat scratching post

The new rope, while marketed as 1/4 inch, has a smaller diameter than the old rope, and a tighter twist. It will be interesting to see if it holds up better.

Shadow

On By CarynIn Cats, photography

This is Shadow the long haired black meadow cat that hangs out with Mr Tom, my neighbor’s cat. I’m not sure what other names he goes by, I call him Shadow because he follows Mr Tom around and is black. Shadow has one white whisker, but also doesn’t understand photo shoots. He assumes my presence means he gets brushed, so the photo is hilariously bad.

Photo description: slightly blurry picture of a long haired black cat with a comical sneer, and one white whisker

And an armadillo

On By CarynIn Wildlife

Although they are not on the trail cam footage as often as cats and opossums, our armadillos do make an appearance.

Photo description: night vision view of an armadillo on a leaf-covered ridge

What I haven’t seen yet on the new trail cams are raccoons.

Legs and tail

On By CarynIn Wildlife

The second trail cam I set lower than recommended on a tree in the woods, just behind the meadow. After collecting the pictures, I think I’ll raise it up some.

Photo description: back two legs of a deer
Photo description: hind end of a coyote

Trail cameras

On By CarynIn Wildlife

Ooo! My folks gave me two trail cams! My old camera died after seven years of use, and I haven’t had a peek into the wildlife in the back woods for a while. I set one camera up by the back of the coop, and the other where I was getting deer pictures before, a little ways into the woods. I set the cameras on the trail setting, which I love. Mostly what I am getting is pictures of the meadow cats, the semi-feral outdoor cats that hang out between my neighbors’ house and mine, but I did get an interesting time line of a couple of opossums.

Then sequence of photos shows a larger, lighter opossum approaching a smaller, darker opossum. The first thing my eldest noticed on seeing the photos was that the opossum on the left doesn’t have eye shine on its left eye, a possible injury indicating blindness in that eye, maybe? I’ve seen both these critters on the new trail cam individually. Opossums are reported to be solitary, only coming together to mate in late winter early spring, so it is unlikely these two are buddies. I am interested to see if I get any more glimpses of the two together.