How to specify a corrugated cardboard cat scratcher for retail
Six things belong in a cardboard scratcher specification: flute, grammage or layer count, adhesive, density, odour and packing. Name all six against the reference you are quoting, then check each one on a physical sample before you place a production order.
Ask for these six specification details in writing against the exact reference you are quoting.
Then check them on a sample: cut a corner, count the layers, pull a glued edge, weigh it, smell it and measure the pack.
What Baiwei scratcher board is commonly made from
The main cardboard scratchers commonly use BC-flute corrugated paper and corn-based glue, with a usual paper grammage of 120 gsm. Start from those figures, then ask for the board make-up of the exact reference you are quoting, such as the BWP-SCR-002 assembled sofa or the BWP-SCR-003 folding scratcher.
Which flute, and at what pitch?
Ask for the flute type and the pitch of the corrugation, and ask for both against one reference rather than the whole range.
Write the answer into your specification so a repeat order is measured against the same board.
What grammage, or how many layers?
Ask for the grammage of the liner and the fluting, or for the number of glued layers in the finished piece.
Decide which of the two your own inspector will check on arrival, then ask for that one by name.
Which adhesive?
Ask which adhesive holds the layers together, and ask for it by name rather than by description.
Put the name in the specification you send with your artwork file, so it is quoted rather than assumed.
What density, and in which unit?
Ask for density in kilograms per cubic metre, and write that unit into your specification.
Buyers ask about paper crumbs on the floor, and about how long a board lasts in a home with several cats. Put both questions to the desk in writing.
What does the board smell like?
Ask for a plain statement on odour, and ask what the board is made from.
Then open a sample in a closed room and smell it before the piece airs.
How does it pack?
Ask for the packing figures early, then work out what the order costs you to move.
The BWP-SCR-003 folding scratcher opens to 220 mm diameter × 110 mm and folds to 110 × 100 × 70 mm. It packs 36 pieces to a carton of 360 × 336 × 340 mm. Net weight is 310 g and gross weight is 345 g.
For BWP-SCR-002, the 678 × 300 × 240 mm leather-look assembled sofa uses a 420 × 300 × 140 mm unit pack. Four pieces go to a 435 × 575 × 330 mm carton, at 1.3 kg net. These packing figures belong to these two references only; ask for the packing list of the exact product you order.
The folding scratcher is supplied in kraft, and the sofa scratcher takes a customisable pattern. Both are made in China.
Ask for the unit box, the carton dimensions and the pieces per carton, from the packing list for that exact product. Work from those figures rather than an estimate.
The six questions in one table
| What to name | How to ask for it | What to check on the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Flute | Flute type and pitch, per reference | Cut one corner and look at the wave across the edge |
| Grammage or layers | Liner and fluting grammage, or glued layer count | Count the layers on a cut edge |
| Adhesive | The adhesive named, not described | Pull a glued edge apart by hand |
| Density | Density in kilograms per cubic metre | Weigh the piece against the stated weight |
| Odour | A plain statement on odour and on what the board is made from | Open it in a closed room and smell it before it airs |
| Packing | Unit box, carton dimensions, pieces per carton | Measure the packed piece and count what fits one carton |
What to do with the sample
A sample is approved before production runs. Do the six checks below on it first.
- Cut one corner and look at the wave across the edge.
- Count the glued layers on that same cut edge.
- Pull a glued edge apart by hand, and see whether the layers separate or the paper tears.
- Weigh the piece and compare it against the weight on the specification.
- Smell the board on opening, in a closed room, before the piece airs.
- Measure the packed piece, then check the carton figures against the packing list.
Record shedding during your agreed sample checks. For lounge or sofa shapes, ask how stability and load will be checked for the intended pet use, and agree the method before testing.
Keep the approved sample, and keep a photograph of it beside your specification.
Ask for the board specification
Your message opens in WhatsApp with the page name added, so the desk knows what you are looking at.
Or email the sales desk: sales@baiweipets.com
Notes
Indicative price ranges are shown on some references. Your quotation states the price, the flute, grammage or layer count, adhesive and density for the reference, pieces per carton and carton dimensions for other references, colours and patterns beyond the ones named and the minimum for each order route. How an order runs, the four order routes, documents and who invoices you are answered on the buyer FAQ.