Home › Posts: types and placement
Choosing and placing scratching posts
Match the material
A cat who scratches carpets often takes to a carpet-covered post or a horizontal cardboard scratcher. A cat who goes for nubby sofa fabric may prefer sisal rope or another coarse, rope-like covering. Wood scratchers and logs suit cats who target door frames. If you're not sure, offer two or three cheap options at once - a cardboard flat scratcher, a sisal post, a carpeted post - and let your cat vote.
Match the orientation
Vertical scratchers stretch upward: they need a post at least as tall as your cat standing on hind legs with front legs outstretched, sturdy enough not to wobble or topple - a post that tips once may be avoided forever. Horizontal scratchers drag their paws along the ground: flat cardboard scratchers or a log on its side fit them. Many cats use both.
Placement beats persuasion
Put the post next to the spot your cat already scratches, even if that's the middle of the living room. Once the post is reliably used, you can shift it gradually - a short distance each day - toward where you'd like it long-term. If your cat scratches in several places, provide a post near each one. Cats also like to scratch after sleeping and in social areas, so beds and the room where the household gathers are prime post locations.
Two details people get wrong
First: don't throw out a post when it looks ragged and shredded. A worn post is a well-marked post - it's covered in your cat's scent and visual marks, which is exactly why they return to it. Second: a wobbly, lightweight post teaches cats that the sofa is more satisfying. Heavy bases and wall- or door-mounted options are worth it for enthusiastic scratchers.