20 Best Scratching Post For Kittens (2023 Updated)

This is the best sisal cat scratcher I’ve ever bought or seen used! Finally, a scratcher that is tall enough for adult cats to stretch out like they are supposed to and yet still so sturdy! The height is perfect for out cats to use it to get to the windows without struggle, and the top is just big enough for a cat to sit on.

What really surprised me is how my foster cat took to it- from the moment she stopped hiding she went right to this scratcher and hasn’t stopped since. Every time she is anxious or excited, she goes right to the scratcher- even if she is just excited because we came home! I really can’t imagine a better sisal post- and while all cats might not like sisal, those that do, REALLY do!.

Love the material and the color. The problem here is the fit and sizing. I ordered my usual size small, and I was not just swimming but drowning in this. It came down to my knees in a way I only want with dresses and skirts (I’m 5’6″ for reference), and the arms were boxy in a pretty unflattering way.

It was so big I had my boyfriend try it on to see if he could wear it instead (he usually wear a men’s medium in tops). Nope; way too big on him. There’s no way sizing down to an extra small would have helped, so this top’s a no-go for me.

My 4 rambunctious kittens LOVE this scratching post. My middle-age and senior cats use it occasionally as well. It has a big base so they don’t knock it over. They love sitting on the top. It’s bigger than another one I have, which they sit on also, The sisal like material (can’t remember what it is) is great.

I don’t get all the little pieces of carpet falling off like from my other scratching posts. I recommend it.

They used lightweight plywood for the base so it’s not heavy enough to stand up when the cat scratches on it. Falls over every time. Also, the carpet fibers are coming out like crazy after just one week of use.

I have had several scratchers throughout my cats life, and this is by far the cheapest made, low quality scratcher I’ve purchased.

As others have noted, this is a nice TALL carpeted post, and seems to be the only one available these days. My two cats rejected the Smart Cat Ultimate sisal post I bought them a few months ago, so I got this one to replace their 12-year-old (!) worn-smooth carpeted post (which was made by North American Pets, as is the one on this page).

But as others have also noted, that flat cap on the top really ruins the post. The poor cats reach up high to dig their claws into the top, but when they encounter the plastic cap, they drop back down without using the post.

One cat has been tentatively scratching at the middle and the base of the post but then will move away and do a full-length scratch on a rug. So I’ve had to buy a runner rug for them to use, since they don’t like either of their two new posts.

Except for the cap, though, this post is well made, so I recommend it to people with small cats or cats who don’t seem to need a full-out stretch when they scratch. If the company makes cap-less versions, I hope Walmart will stock them.

(By the way: I needed to have the post delivered to me, and Walmart sent it very quickly and in sturdy packaging. Great service! I’m going to order from them rather than Amazon when possible. ).

I’m taking care of a family cat for the next five months, I wasn’t sure whether the cat preferred carpet or sisal scratching posts, so I got this one because it was roughly half-and-half. In reality, since the middle 60% is sisal, and that’s the area most normal-sized cats will be scratching, this is basically a sisal scratching post.

It’s a strong post, the sisal rope seems high quality but does have a little bit of fraying (I’ve had it for two weeks now), it’s still wound tightly around the post but some wear is to be expected as my roughly 10lb.

cat uses it multiple times daily and with frequently with a lot of force. The carpeted area, while not the plushest rug, is certainly not the lowest quality either and my cat sometimes sleeps partly on it.

Unless you know in advance your cat won’t use sisal, it’s a good purchase, however I don’t know how long the sisal will last, with my current cat I guess it would last about 12-16 months, but that’s just a weak guesstimate as this is my first cat and my first scratching post.

Another caution, if you plan on buying a cat tree with sisal legs this product might be a redundant purchase, however my cat has both and prefers the sisal on this scratching post. I’ve found that this product can also serve as part of an exercise toy, about twice per day I twirl a shoe lace around it and the cat enjoys scrambling up the post trying to swat at and catch the lace.

I purchased the 3 post cactus one and I must say it is fabulous and very decorative to fit into your home. I have 3 Ragdolls and my male is 24 lbs and he cannot knock it over even when hanging from it.

I do have 2 much larger tree house condos with posts made of sisal and real wood which they all use daily. Since 2 of the cats are fairly new I wanted something a little smaller to place in my living room so they had 2 areas to scratch on in order to stay off my mahogany wood furniture which I have in abundance.

This cactus works beautifully and my cats adore it. For those complaining that it falls apart. well it is to be expected when you have sharp claws going after it every day. Imagine the damage those claws would cause to your wood furniture.

I assure you no amount of sanding or staining would save it. The wood posts I do have where shaved by 2 inches in certain areas after 3 yrs of use. So if that can happen to real wood imagine the damage to sisal over cardboard.

The tree condos I have cost me hundreds of dollars each so for $50 this is a nice alternate for an extra area to scratch away on. To me it was worth saving my expensive wood furniture. Once used up buying another one for that price is not a big deal.

If you have cats that are scratchers then invest in a real wood post condo but I assure you they are not cheap but will last year’s but they too will need to be replaced eventually. Not all cats like to scratch on wood posts either as they prefer sisal so try and get both options on the condo posts one with sisal on it and one solid wood so they have the choice.

Avoid posts with carpet as they will last a month. Nothing lasts forever people and claws are sharp. To use these small scratching posts is a good alternate area for cats but should not be used as a main area for scratching on.

As pretty as expected and the cat likes it – what more could you want? Good quality. The sisal is sisal – but a pretty green and the cat seems to approve the texture, and it seems to be securely wrapped.

The non-sisal parts are also nice – an interesting moppy? fabric? I wouldn’t mind the “fingers” being a little denser, but it’s an interesting texture and looks pretty good. My cat doesn’t scratch or rub on that part, but other cats might.

It’s much more ascetically pleasing than carpet, and a better texture for cats than flat fabric. The arms and round tops of the cactus are densely stuffed, so they hold their shape but have some flexibility.

The “flowers” are a nice touch – they add a lot visually, and I like to tuck silvervine sticks beside them for the cat to knock out. Is sturdy and was very easy to assemble. Really happy with this purchase!.

I’m very happy I decided to get this cute little scratching post for my kitties. It’s pretty hefty for it’s height; very solid and sturdy. I’ve seen all four of my cats (ages 10-17 yrs) using it multiple times already.

My 17 yr old black tabby especially loves it! He’s in the photos, and for reference he is about 13 lbs. I’m not too sure how the softer material at the top is going to hold up to their constant scratching and biting over time, but even if it does get worn I’m okay with it because of how much use my cats are getting from it and the overall price I paid I felt was a good deal.

The fabric at the top is similar to a shag-style microfiber bathroom rug. I was actually thinking of buying a second one for a different room in the house, but sadly the price has gone up since the first time I bought it.

so I’ll just have to wait and see if it comes down again, because I feel it was only worth it at the price I paid before. But overall, I’m happy with it and my cats love it so I’m glad I got it.

My two male cats are FINALLY turning their claws to something OTHER than my (otherwise) brand new leather recliner! This scratching post is seemingly made rather well & looks like it’s going to take their abuse!! Would definitely recommend this since they haven’t even TOUCHED my chair, other than to love on me!.

This thing is AWFUL. I wanted something smallish because it is for our livingroom and she has a giant cat-tree elsewhere in the house. I should have known it wouldn’t hold up very long given what I paid, but I never expected it not to last out the first day.

My kitten is only 2 pounds (just had her second check up, so I know her weight) and the pole is already wobbly on the base, which is particle board, split in the center. It cannot be tightened. It’s already trash.

Great cat scratcher. This is the only one my cats actually use. It also become a favorite cat perch. Good quality, sturdy. The Burlap surface is much more attractive to my cats for scratching than the typical rope style scratcher.

Finally – a cat scratcher with a wide enough base that my 13 and 15 lbs boys wont knock over! Ridiculously easy to put together (did it on my porch so I didnt have to bring trash inside LOL) and so cute.

So cute! My cat loves stretching on this tree and she enjoys playing with the hanging ball! Perfect for smaller spacesrooms!

Cats love it. They spend more time scratching on it than hanging out on the top platform. My cats aren’t kittens. It was a very good decision to buy this post.

Normally my cat Fable prefers cardboard scratchers. She won’t touch rope sisal, which is unfortunately in a lot of cat toys and furniture. She does have one big scratching tower made of woven sisal, though, and she enjoys climbing it, so I took a gamble.

I’m glad I did! This is a sturdy little scratcher. It’s solid enough that I can prop it at an angle against the wall and it won’t budge against my cat’s 10 pounds, but she prefers it flat on the floor.

I like the rubber grips on the bottom that hold it in place on hard floors. I thought it might be too narrow for her, but the size doesn’t seem to bother her. I’ve only had it about a week so I can’t say how well it holds up, but the other woven sisal product I have from Chewy has held up nicely for over 2 years.

If I weren’t renting I would buy another and try to fix it to a wall to give her more scratching opportunities from different angles, but this will do for now!.

my sweet little cat is very dumb and with regular disposable cardboard scratchers, she would always try to eat the bits of cardboard that came off. it would also cause a mess in general since the cardboard bits get everywhere since she scratches a lot.

ive been having this scratcher on my wishlist for almost a year now waiting till i was able to buy it!!! it’s been sold out for the past few months and it finally came back in stock, and on sale too!! im so happy i got it it’s mess free and my cat loves using it.

i just leave it on the floor cuz i cant nail things to my wall and it has a pretty weighted base so it doesnt move around when she uses it! it’s very sturdy and the rope (idk what the material is) is very tightly knit so i can tell it’s not going to unravel anytime soon! def save up and buy it!! i havent found any other kind of scratching board like this that’s not disposable!.

I have 4 of these scratchers in different rooms, all bought at different times. I bought first unit in July of 2019. All cats share & love them. No issues with scratching carpets or furniture or anything else.

The first one may not have much life left. But 9 cats have had their nails into it. I regularly cut off the shredded parts as much as possible. I just wish they sold replacement covers. I will hate throwing out the unit when the cover is shredded.

What a waste in my mind. I’d pay near as much for the cover to help save our planet. I’ve looked for good replacement sissel material but I can’t find it anywhere yet. Great product though.

Its fine but I should have bought the bigger sturdier version. As my cats are both big, when scratching on it they pull it over. My own fault. I would recommend this for kittens. They’re 8 yrs old but i did get this size when they were 9 weeks old & they loved it.

This is used all the time as they still scratch at it when on its side but i will have to buy a bigger one.

This scratching post is well made, and despite tearing at it regularly, it hasn’t unravelled , from the string section. Most of my cat owning friends who have bought similar posts have had the string part that is wound round and round, unwind, and they’ve had to throw the post away.

Mine is still perfect and going strong despite lots of use. The only thing I would say, is that the base doesn’t seem heavy enough, and when my cat scratches on it, the post tends to tip over ( but she still uses it!!) Maybe it’s just my cat!!!.

So useful to be able to buy replacement playpost and fit it to the existing base. The base is in a good condition and only the post needed replacing.

It is sturdy, soft and very nice. My cat is an 13 year old feral rescue so she isn’t used to human made “cat things” but she is checking it out. I put pieces of food on the base and she knows to go there now for treats.

I placed it next to my husbands recliner and it’s the perfect height to use the top for a tray! LOL! It’s sturdy enough where he can put his drink on it. The cat likes to scratch the arm of the recliner so hopefully she get’s the idea to scratch that instead since it’s in the way of her scratching the recliner.

For younger more active cats, I think they would love it!.

At first, I got one with a defective screw, so it was unstable and constantly leaning to the side. I emailed Chewy and they had a replacement out to me within a week and said if the old one was salvageable to donate it.

Unfortunately, it was not, but I was really impressed with their quick response and turn around time! The second one that came is perfect. It is strong and holds both of my cat’s weight, although I will say they have not tried sitting on the top part or anything, just attacking/jumping on the scratching post part.

I am really happy with the replacement, and I will definitely be purchasing from Chewy again not only because of the product but also because of their customer service!.

Love this cat perch. The width is perfect for my adult cat. Prior purchases had more levels but my cat would not rest on them–not wide enough for her taste. Shadow(my cat) will even sleep on this one because it is so sturdy–She also loves the scratching post (my furniture is now safe!).

I was concerned that the single post would tip, but it is very stable even when shadow plays with the cat toy underneath. Thinking of getting a 2nd one to place near the office window. Very satisfied with this purchase.

Thanks Tiger Tough!.

This is the first scratching post that I bought for my kitten that she actually uses!! I took in a feral kitten and I tried the cardboard type with the catnip, and she would only sniff it and then walk away.

I did remove the two balls and replace them with mice, though, because she would bat at the balls and they would bounce back and hit her in the head. It was easy to assemble and appears to be quite sturdy.

Daisy and Punky have had several scratching posts/toys – this is by far their favorite. It is well built and the toys on the stretchy cords have held up. Highly recommend this. TU.

Received today, assembled and our 3 adult cats started playing with it immediately. They love it. Easy to assemble. Time will tell how well the strings holding the toys stay attached.

Product is well made and my cats love it. They chewed up the string that holds the mouse toy in a couple of minutes and tore the grey cover off the mouse by the next morning. They don’t have any problem getting the balls out of the bottom and play with them for awhile then they end up his under the furniture.

They use the scratching post a lot. It was a good purchase. I would buy again. Scratching post was the reason I bought it. And it is well made and will help save my furniture. The toys keep them occupied for a while lol.

I liked it but my cat won’t use it. She likes the lite rope and uses it all the time. I don’t think she likes the black for some reason. I will give it to my granddaughter for her cat.

Like the Scratching post. The balls that go into the base are broke. Not totally happy with that. Not worth the hassle of returning over broken plastic. I will make it work.

I bought this pole because the color was described as reddish brown but what I received was a light beige pole. I wanted it to blend in with the furniture since it is an eyesore sitting in the room. Have to say it is a nice tall post and heavy but if you are buying it for the color choice beware.

I know my cat doesn’t care about the color but that was the reason I bought it and was thinking of getting 2 one for the other room but since I was so disappointed in this one I wouldn’t take the chance of getting another one since it wasn’t the color described.

VERY poor quality carpet. Makes a complete mess when cats try to use it. Carpet just flakes off the post and carpet pieces go everywhere. Constantly either sweeping or vacuuming around it. I had to take it away from from cats.

The post and base are heavy wood which will prevent turn over, and height is adequate for my 13 # cat to stretch. Why they would waste such a well built tree with large loop carpet I cannot understand.

I have carpet pieces everywhere Constantly have to clean them up. Using a flat tight carpet would have made this an excellent post. Sadly cheap long strand carpet seems to be all I can find on carpeted cat trees any more.

just found a piece of carpet tangled in her toenail I had to undo.

I purchased this for my 15 week old kitten and I was happy to see that such a nice activity center was less than $25. When I set it up which was extremely easy to do, it wasn’t long before my kitten became interested and started jumping at the toys and was running up and down the scratching pad.

It was soft and very sturdy except for the toys. I soon began to understand why it was so cheap, the dangling toys lasted exactly 6 hours before the kitten managed to rip two of them off the activity center.

Frustrated, I called Bed Bath and Beyond who told me that I would have to return it to one of their stores. I have yet to do this because, the nearest store is over an hour away. The kitten has lost quite a bit of interest in it since 2 of the toys are gone.

I may try to find a way to reattach them in a more sturdy way.

The cat tree is very cute. My furball loves playing on it. The only flaw is the rised part. It shakes too much when my kitty jumps on it. I have tried tighten it more but it still shakes. All in all is an ok item for the price paid.

Would I recommend the product? Not sure.

Her cat checked it out right away. She hated the sure you on it. And we put it in front of a window so she sits on it all the time to look out. She even realize what the scratch past was for. Great deal compared to other cat tower items.

Especially on her right budget.

I’ve purchased this post twice. It holds up well to multi-cat households with unclipped claws, and in my experience both times I’ve ordered it, does so for a minimum of several months before showing wear to the rope.

It’s stable and withstands aggressive climbing and scratching without tipping over. Tip: lay horizontally and rest on its side for added safety, security, and enjoyment by kittens, declawed cats, and timid climbers.

Fun that way for all for a stimulating change. A couple of mine enjoy trying to catch interactive wand/feather toys while scaling the horizontal post on their backs. Even my biggest male cat (a long 18-pounder) can enjoy a beautiful full stretch with both paws fully extended above his head using this post in either the upright or horizontal position.

Fun to hide treats at the top for them to hunt. Highest recommendation. I think it’s the best scratching post out there. The only improvement I’d like to see is an even bigger base and actual carpet at the top and covering the base as those are covered with that plush fabric and it is that cheap plush fabric that usually wears out looking unsightly — but in my experience that takes years.

We bought this based on other reviews and we were glad we did. It was pretty easy to assemble but you could use 1 other person to help hold it when putting the pieces together. It is well made and the base is large and heavy enough to prevent falling over.

It is taller than average sissell posts but nicer than most as well. The base, middle piece and top piece are covered in soft brown material. There are some staples at the base of second level that we used a hammer and screwdriver to push in jusy a little further to be sure they don’t catch a claw on them.

We tried the hammer to gently tap flatter and if need a more focused tap, used the screwdriver against the staple and tapped with hammer on screwdriver. Worked perfectly. No concern now. They liked it as soon as we opened it and put it together.

It comes with easy to follow instructions and an allen wrench. It’s the base, two barrels of the sissell scratcher, a middle spacer, and 1 bolt and a double ended piece to secure the top section. Definitely recommend and worth the price.

Looks like it will last years.

PROS: 1) This is REALLY well-made. 2) Taller scratching posts are hard to find & the 41-inch height here is great so an adult cat can stretch up while scratching. That’s the main reason I bought this one.

CON: The color. Brown is SO 1970s. There’s really no excuse not to offer more color options, especially considering the price & size of the item. It is HUGE – this isn’t just a scratching post, it’s a statement piece.

I have grey carpet & this does NOT go with it. And since it’s so big, it’s very noticeable & the reason I knocked off 2 stars. NOTE: Another thing to mention is that my cat wouldn’t use it at first – in fact he acted like he was afraid of it, which was completely unexpected.

He has gradually gotten used to it, & now (at about 3 weeks in) is finally starting to actually use it. I wonder if it’s partly because the sisal rope is a lot thicker than his previous post. That’s actually a good thing though as it should last much longer.

Just wanted to mention it in case someone else has a cat that doesn’t like it at first. Give it some time.

This is almost identical to the first scratching post we bought out kitten. It was great to give him something to scratch when he was little, but within a few months it was too big. Posts this small aren’t very stable when you’ve got a growing cat and he avoided it after toppling it over when trying to stretch out.

Since then we got him a cat tree which is build of scratching posts as supports and it works much better. The feather kept him interested until he chewed it off, and then it was old news for him.

Worth every penny, with or without catnip! Buddy the cat has found so many ways to play with/scratch on/bite into this thing, the most recent being tipping it over on its side and just going bonkers.

Am ordering a new one to add to the collection today!.

I bought for my cat so she will stop scratching my wicker hamper. It’s a little shorter than I would like and the twine started to unravel soon after she began using it.

TranslateShow in original languageVår bondkatt älskar den! Men nu måste den uppgraderas till större variant då liten blir stor. Negativt var bara att bollen som hänger var ditlimmad och lossnade efter en-två veckor.

Har gjort eget hål och knutit fast den istället nu, funkar precis lika bra om inte bättre !.

TranslateShow in original languageNasz nowy kociak potrzebował nowego drapaka, więcznalazłem ten. Kot od razu zaczął bawić się piłką ale potrzebował troche czasu zanim zaczął drapać słupek.

TranslateShow in original languageEn liten rolig och fin present till min kattunge! Precis som på bilden, lärtmonterad

The reviews said it was easy to assemble, not for those of us who’ve never done something like this before. First day I cried after two hours. Second day I called my daughter to do it. Third day she cancelled and I tried again.

There’s a diagram, no words. This time I realized I could turn the whole thing upside down–it changed everything and did make it easy–er. Aberdeen loves it, and it’s nicer looking than so many of these monstrosities, so yes, I recommend it!.

This is the second I have purchased. So many of the cat condos have platforms galore – but they aren’t monkeys running up and down – they just want to get up high, survey their kingdom, and sleep! I had one and just ordered a second so they can each have a “top spot” – the kittens are 11 months old now and just love it.

The quality is excellent, and assembly is quick. They are very sturdy and fairly attractive. Highly recommend!.

Love this scratching post. It is tall enough for my large cats and it is weighted so it doesn’t fall over. It lasts for a good amount of time, especially for the value. Get at least two. One for use now and one for when it wears out so you have enough time to order another one.

Sometimes they are out of stock when you need it. I’ve tried looking in all the pet stores and they never sell a tall enough single post scratcher. When I have found one it was terrible quality and more expensive.

As it gets scratched up it will eventually shed fibers, but at this price it is a lot cheaper than replacing an entire sofa.

I bought this cat scratching post a year ago. It is sturdy and has served the need quite well. My 2 cats use it regularly. However, the top half of the post is mostly unused since it is quite tall, and my cats just use the bottom half.

It would be nice if the post could be switched around–top to bottom so that the other half of the post could be used. Seems kind of waste to get rid of mine for that reason, but the bottom rope coil is shredded (due to use) and is starting to peel off and some of the lower carpet piece is shredding.

I paid $28. 53 for this product a year ago, and now I see that it costs $53. 95. Because of that very steep $25. 00 increase, I will not be ordering it again. I’ll look for something else, somewhere else if needed.

Too bad.

I already left a reivew. It clearly got deleted. But I wouldnt waste money on it. Its tiny and the image is misleading if u dont read the dimensions No suitable for any kitten. Its like a toy

Cat put first claw in and pulled the post over on top of himself – hurt his back. Wouldn’t use it again. The post is so lightweight it is unfit for purpose. I’ve had to push it under a radiator and wedge it in with a video box.

Not an ideal solution but at least he can play with the ball. Waste of money.

Considering that I bought this product for my cat, knowing that she would soon wreck it, it’s a difficult product to appraise. But it is very much cheaper than similar products in the local pet shop and, therefore, it is very good value.

And it stops her wrecking the 3-piece suite!.