If your cat scratches the sofa, the curtains or the door, it isn't doing it to annoy you. Scratching is a need: it's how cats take care of their claws, stretch and mark their territory with the glands in their paw pads. The solution isn't to forbid it, but to give them a better place to do it.
1. Taller than your cat at full stretch
A cat scratching stretches from its back legs to its front legs. If the post is too short, it can't stretch out fully and will go back to the sofa. As a rule, the post should be at least 70–80 cm tall for an adult cat. For small apartments, compact scratching posts with a good sisal post work well.
2. It shouldn't wobble
This is the most common mistake. If the scratching post wobbles the first time, your cat won't use it again. Look for a wide, heavy base or secure it to the wall. With multi-level cat trees, the taller they are, the more important the base is.
3. The material
- Sisal: the most durable and the favorite of most cats.
- Cardboard: cheap and very popular, but it doesn't last long.
- Jute and carpet: pleasant, although they wear out sooner.
4. Vertical, horizontal or cat tree
Some cats scratch standing up and others lying down. Pay attention to what they scratch now: if it's the back of the sofa, they need a vertical post; if it's the rug, a horizontal one. If you have the space, a cat tree with platforms and a little house also gives them height to keep watch and a cozy spot to sleep, and it's the best option if you have several cats.
5. Where should you put it?
Place the scratching post right next to what they already scratch, near where they sleep or by the entrance to your home: cats mark when they wake up and in high-traffic areas. Hiding it in a corner is the quickest way to make sure they don't use it.
6. How do you get them to use it?
- Rub a little catnip on the sisal.
- Play with a wand toy or a feather duster around the post.
- Reward them when they use it, and never punish them for scratching something else: just take them to the scratching post.
- Temporarily cover the part of the sofa they scratch with a blanket.
With the right scratching post, most cats change their habit within two or three weeks. Take a look at our scratching posts and cat trees and, to complete their corner, our beds and toys.
You might also be interested in: cat trees from 48 cm to over 2 meters.