Which one is right for your household?

Scratching posts come in all shapes and sizes and are an essential addition to your cat owning home. They often include upright wooden posts covered with thick sisal rope and carpeted platforms, beds, and hiding boxes.

Which one is right for your household?

Learn from your cats

Every cat is different and has its own personality. Watch your cat, what do they like? Try to choose something which imitates what they are currently choosing to scratch now.

Watch for what texture and angles they to prefer. Are they scratching the carpet, the coir or sisal doormat, a horizontal surface, or do they prefer to reach up a scratch a vertical surface, such as walls or the side of your beloved couch? Some cats scratch horizontally; some reach high overhead vertically for a good back stretch; some lie on their backs and scratch a surface above them.

How old and big is your cat? Make sure the post is tall enough for your cat to scratch at full stretch. If you buy one for your kitten you will need to change it when it grows up. If scratching is awkward or less than full stretch, the cat may find a better alternative on your furniture. For elderly cats, a big jump to higher platforms and beds can be a struggle.

You also need to consider how the cats relate to each other in multi-occupancy households. If your cats are genuine friends, then a large bed will allow them to sleep and cuddle up together. If they dislike each other, then separate sleeping areas will be required. Solitary cats are unlikely to use adjacent beds if they can see a cat in the next bed.

In most households, the situation is between these extremes and the cats ‘tolerate’ each other, so look for designs with some degree of isolation between separate beds. Ideally, for every cat you have in your home you should have one scratching post, and you should have an extra scratching post on top of that. Many cats don't like to share their scratching territory. If there is only one post that has already been marked by one cat, the others may choose to mark other places in the house, such as your sofa.

If your cat has not moved in yet, talk to the breeder or previous owner to see what facilities the cat currently enjoys and how the cat uses them. It is always best to plan ahead and have the scratcher in place before your new furry friend moves in.

It’s your home

It often appears that your cat chooses to live with you and treats your house like a hotel, but it is still your home. Will the scratcher blend with your décor and colour scheme? Is it the right size for the space available? Looking at the scratchers in a large cat show hall, or on the website can be misleading; they always seem to be bigger when you get them home. To be sure, use a newspaper page folded to the size of the base and place it on the floor where the scratcher is going. This gives a much better indication of how it will look in the room. If space is an issue in your home you could always purchase a wall scratcher fixed at the appropriate height.

Stability

In order to fully exercise his upper extremities and get a good stretch, the cat must have enough confidence in the post to put all of his body weight into it. If the post has too small or too insecure a base, it will wobble or tip as he pulls, eroding his confidence in the post and leading him back to your nice solid furniture. This is why our products are highly recommended as they are very sturdy so even the biggest cats struggle to tip them over.

Some owners believe scratching posts should not be covered in carpet as it encourages cats to scratch your own carpets. The opposite is actually true: Remember you are providing an alternative scratching location to your furnishings, give your cat something it likes to scratch!

Still struggling?

If you are still unsure of which cat scratcher would be best do not hesitate to call us.
We will try our best to find you and your cats the perfect scratcher. You can call on 01535 517330 or use the online equiry form leaving your name and telephone number and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.