Your cat will enjoy this incredibly sturdy scratching post, and you'll appreciate the simple design and strong construction.

When owning a cat, there is one more thing that is as important as the right feeding bowls and a litter tray: the right scratching opportunities. Apart from anything else, if your cat does not have a specific way to satisfy its natural scratching needs, then your furniture and upholstery will undoubtedly be the first to suffer! This is not protest behaviour from your pet, but simply the only way it can find to meet its inbuilt instinct to scratch. A cat scratching tree is the perfect solution to this problem! Even better, if your cat has a chance to play and sleep on it. Cats are notorious for turning their noses up at new toys and beds, as well as scratching posts. They will often prefer to keep scratching the carpet or furniture. Follow these steps to try and discourage scratching furniture and encourage scratching the scratching post. While some cat scratching posts offer just that, some are equipped with much more, like places to lounge and climb or attached toys for entertainment. Consider your cat’s personality and the size of the post to determine if you want a basic version, a maxed-out model, or something in between. Age is also a factor, since kittens or young cats are more likely to interact with scratchers that have toy accessories, whereas an older cat may prefer a floor scratcher or something they can stretch out across. It’s made from recycled corrugated cardboard, non-toxic corn starch glue, premium satin cardboard siding.

The Best

The SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post is designed to last for year, and with several months of daily use from two cats, the scratcher shows no signs of losing its appeal. It's large enough to stay permanently in one place like a small piece of furniture, but light enough so that it can be moved around. We found it to be incredibly effective as a barricade between a couch leg and a cat's desire to claw. Play with your cat’s favourite toys around the scratching post and involve the post and its elements in your games. You can also try sprinkling some natural catnip on the post. Cats love catnip as much as they love scratching.

Above all, you need to be persistent and consistent. It might take a few days before your cat even investigates the new scratching post, and even when you think you’ve discouraged him from using the sofa or other piece of furniture, there may still be slip ups. Don’t give up and do continue to encourage your feline friend to use the post. You will all benefit in the long run. In the wild, cats will scratch trees and other hard vertical surfaces. They like tree bark because it is strong and rough enough to sharpen claws and remove dead claws but soft enough that it will break down. It offers satisfaction. Rather than using bark, which would need replacing often, indoor cat scratchers use any of a variety of materials as the scratching surface. Once the cat is using the scratching post regularly, discourage it from using furniture and other items instead. Make a loud noise when you catch the cat scratching a surface you want to discourage it from. Alternatively, you can spray it with water. Ideally, the cat should not know that you were the source of the noise or water, so that it associates this with scratching the post.

When buying a scratching post, you need to make sure that you buy the one that is best suited to your cat. Consider the following features: Height Sisal rope scratchers may just need to be re-wound around the post or you can buy a replacement rope if the base and post is still fine. This is a corner post, which means that it has two perpendicular, square sides, so that it can be slotted right in the corner of a room, out of the way. The post is inexpensive and easy to assemble and will help kittens develop their scratching skills and maintain their claws. Your cat can let off as much steam as it likes, whenever it likes, without damaging your furniture or upholstery