Cat Scratching Posts & Scratchers

A cat scratching post works by giving a cat a better option than your furniture, which means it has to be in the room the cat actually uses, not tucked away in a spare bedroom. Scratching is territorial marking and claw maintenance, not misbehaviour, so the aim is to redirect it rather than stop it.

Orientation is the thing most people get wrong. Watch where your cat already scratches: a cat that rakes down the side of the lounge wants a vertical post, and one that works at the carpet or a doormat wants a flat or angled pad. Buying the wrong orientation is the usual reason a scratcher gets ignored.

For a vertical post, height and weight decide whether it gets used. A cat scratches at full stretch, so a post shorter than your cat standing on its hind legs will be passed over, and a light base that slides across the floorboards will be abandoned after one attempt.

On materials: sisal rope and sisal board are the hard-wearing choice and suit a cat that scratches daily. Corrugated cardboard is inexpensive and cats take to it readily, but it is consumable by design — expect to replace the board, and check whether the model you pick takes replacement inserts before you buy.

Shop related ranges

• Cat Trees & Towers
• All Cat Trees, Condos & Scratchers
• Cat Toys
• Cat Beds