One of the pieces of advice that we often see given to people upset that their cat is scratching on their furniture is to give the cat an alternative item to scratch, like a scratching post. But that advice misses a key piece of information: how big the scratching post must be.
Often, scratching posts are barely as tall as an adult cat. Advertising or product packaging may have photos of cute kittens crawling and scratching on the post, which makes you not think about its actual height. But if you take that same scratching post home, your adult kitty is dismayed to discover that they can’t stretch out while they scratch on it.
Pierre shows that the well-used area of the scratching post is actually above his head when he is sitting next to the post.
The solution is to buy a tall cat tree at least one and one half times your cat’s body height to allow a good stretch while scratching. We cats think the taller the better, and we prefer scratching the 4 foot leg of cat tree rather than the 2 foot leg next to it.
Just keep in mind that the taller the cat tree, the wider or more sturdy the base needs to be to prevent it being wobbly or tipping over. A cat who has a tree fall over on them may never use it again out of fear or mistrust.
A little adjustment to the height of your cat tree can bring a big difference in your cat’s acceptance level of it as a good location to scratch. And your furniture will thank you!
This is something all humans with cats should know!
Only Emma uses our scratching wedge and pad. Buster scratches the carpet. You should see our floor. Mom and Dad need help.
Great advice. the little ones are for babies and I am a big girl now!
XOXO
Lucy
You’re so right! We love the tall posts. We have a short one and it never gets used.
Yes! We’ve fallen for small things in the past with the kittens in the pictures, etc. and have been disappointed. Great advice!
Pierre, you model your tall scratching post very well!
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I HAVE POST ENVY BIG TIME
HUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
Great advice! Although Truffles doesn’t scratch the furniture…she claws the rug! ACK! She’s a horizontal scratcher so I got her, well, a horizontal scratcher and so far I can’t get her to use it.
Lucy likes to sharpen her claws on one of our carpets but as it’s cold and wet outside at the moment Mum leaves her to it. We have a horizontal scratcher but Hannah sleeps on it next to a radiator!!
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
taller is better – we all need a good stretch from time to time!!
Good article!
We agree!!!
That must explain why we have some tall trees here!
We agree completely! And athletes like Faraday want to shimmy up a 6-foot section, too!
Say Amen Brother! I love my Ultimate Scratching post.
I’m all for taller trees…and more of them!!
We agree that a good scrathing post needs ta be high enough ta make us stretch! We love ours…
Yep, dat be wight on da munny. Weez won a pawsum cat scwatcher last year. It be sturdy and hefty and tall. And weez luv it. Y’all have fun.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
Totally absolutely pawsitively SPOT ON!! Great post!
I tell people to get one that is AT LEAST as tall as their hip and explain why cats like sofas and beds.. because not only are they sturdy, but they smell like their humans. Far too often people take their nice tall scratching post and stick it in a back room or a basement and then get annoyed when the cat scratches on the sofa..