Choosing the Right Scratching Post for Your Cat

Here are some guidelines to know if you are conducting a rational and logical search for a great scratching post for your beloved feline companion. I'd suggest that you print this, so you can take it with you when you look for your cat's gear.

First, let's establish some reasonable objectives.

A cat post should, ABOVE ALL, provide the follwing basic benefits:

1) Adequate Scratching Surface, 2) Sufficient length for a great stretch, 3) Stability to prevent tipping over, 4) A reasonable lifespan 5) Tactile appeal, and 6) Safety from anything that would harm the cat.

1) Adequate Scratching Surface

We have found sisal rope to be accepted by most cats as a scratching surface. It should be very tightly wrapped, and secure at either end. A sisal rope of 3/8 inch will obviously last longer than 1/4 inch. Some cats prefer carpeting. A well constructed carpeted scratching post will be satisfactory, as long as it meets these other criteria.

2) Sufficient length for a great stretch

A vertical post needs to be high enough for your cat to get a great stretch. These critters are finely tuned hunting machines with a muscular system that needs to be in harmony. Just think if there was no good place where you could stretch out. Wouldn't that bite? Well your cat is even more picky about these things. You've seen her stretch out, either up a vertical surface, or splayed out on the floor. This is obviously important to her. If you are just training a kitten to scratch, a 16" scratcher will be OK. If you have an average-sized cat, you can get away with a 24" scratcher. If your cat is big, get her a post that is 30" or more. If your cat is truly a giant, you should start thinking about 35" or more. Many cats will also scratch on a horizontal plane. The same applies to these scratchers. A 16" long cardboard scratcher might work for a kitten or a very small cat, but how will he get his stretch from that? Also, cardboard can be a real pain due to the debris left over from the scratching.

3) Stability to prevent tipping over

Stability comes from several factors. First, base size and weight in relation to height. A base should typically be wide enough that you can expect the cat to scratch it without tipping it. If the base is wide enough, the cat can stand on the base and scratch. That would prevent most tipping incidents. A scratching post with a platform on top should have an even more stable base than one without a platform. How is a cat supposed to jump up to a perch which is atop a post with a tiny base? Tiny bases are a sign that the cat furniture designer is more interested in the product's ability to be packaged and shipped. A 19" base will give your cat something to stand on and scratch a tall post. A 16" base is really only good for 24" posts. However, a 24" post with a platform on top must have a 19" base. The 16" base just won't always prevent a tipping incident when a cat takes a spirited leap. These base sizes can be reduced somewhat if they are made of heavy materials. 5/8" or thicker OSB should provide a little more weight at the base.

4) A Reasonable lifespan

Regarding the longevity of a scratcher, I have covered many things already, like a thicker diameter sisal rope and premium carpeting...

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TIME OUT:

(By the way, if you see a scratching post at the right ---------------->>> with a 5 year warranty, what good is that warranty if your cat will never use it?) And if the photo features a cute little kitten playing around with this item, will it be big enough for your adult cat? Unless you just want to throw your money out the window, please give this a little more thought!)

(we now return you to your regularly scheduled guide

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...You can tell a lot by just picking up the post. A good 30 inch post will weigh upwards of 17-20 pounds. How the components are connected will also tell a lot. Some products are shipped with the base off. Make sure that you are provided with steel bolts which are at least 1/4" in diameter. A good sisal rope scratcher can be expected to last anywhere from a year to five years, depending upon how much action it sees. But remember that this thing is built to be systematically destroyed, so it will look worse and worse as time goes on. This is a universal truth that you cannot avoid. It will ultimately resemble a palm tree, and that's OK if your cat is still scratching on it. If you like, you can clip off loose fibers as they appear, and you can use a variety of pet hair removal tools to keep the carpet clean. Use water or other liquid cleaners very sparingly on the carpet. And never -EVER - use water on the sisal rope. This will invite mold. And mold is bad. For you and for your kitty.

5) Tactile appeal

If it feels good, do it! Ever hear of that? Well, if it feels good to your cat, she'll do it. Right? I have found over many years of living among cats that they are really tactile creatures. When they are all cuddly and purry, then they like nice soft things. Perhaps that reminds them of when they were tiny, and they were snuggling up to their mommy. But when the claws come out, the rougher, the better. Sisal rope is a very coarse material. After 20 years, I still sometimes find this rope too abrasive for my human hands. But I am not a cat. Cats will love the feel of anything that their claws can dig into and pull at. A good scratching material will attract them again and again. If they find that they prefer the sisal rope to your heriloom sofa (finally!), then all is well.

6) Safety from anything that would harm the cat.

OK, so no mold. I think we can all agree on that one...

So let's talk construction. Most scratching posts are made with the following materials: Wood, Fiber Tubes with Plugs, Carpet, Sisal Rope, Adhesive, Staples.

The base of your scratcher is OK if it is made of at least 7/16" OSB. While it has no materials that are going to harm your cat, it typically does not come into contact with your cat, since it is on the underside of the product. This material is used in houses routinely, and is a very stable product. Indeed, it is preferable, in my opinion, to plywood with the same measurements. The reason is that the grain in the OSB is random. It has many many more directions of stress that it can endure than a plywood with 3 or four layers laid out in just two directions.

A good post does not need to be all wood if it has a sturdy fiber tube with thick pine plugs. A structure of this type can be expected to last longer than the sisal rope on the post. Also, this tube can be used to smack an intruder into unconscoiusness, if the need arises. I have had more than one of these tubes suddenly slide off a rack and put a mighty hurt on my own head, so I know. The plugs should be wood, and thick wood at that. Plastic plugs are breakable, and less forgiving than a good pine plug. I suggest that you ask your cat furniture supplier if they use plastic plugs. Most Chinese cat trees do.

The carpet can come in many grades from a cheap builder's grade to the top of the line premuim dense thick plush. Quality carpet will be more attractive and will last longer. It is also far more pleasing to the touch than cheap carpet with sparse fibers. Also remember: If you buy your scratcher at the local pet mega mart, it could have been returned to the store more than once, and put back on the shelf. What could be lurking in those fibers? Well, for one: flea eggs. But how about just the scent of another cat? Would your cat like that? And finally, I would say this about any cat furniture from the super store: they are sitting out in the open in a dusty warehouse setting, and are being fingered and climbed upon be countless well meaning children. They are not new. Don't expect them to be. Expect them to be dusty, handled, tromped on, climbed on, and potentially full of some bad things for your cat.

Now let's talk sisal rope. No matter what anyone else says, ALL SISAL ROPE IS OILED! Sisal rope is not braided by hand by a native sitting on the beach on an island. It is run through a machine at a sisal rope mill. And it is run through that machine at high speeds. High enough to require some lubrication. Otherwise it would burn up. Make sense? I thought so. Here is the rule of thumb: If the rope does not SMELL of oil, and it leaves no oily residue, I would use it. Also, if the rope is light colored as opposed to brownish, it is a pretty good sign that it was not overoiled. Why would someone pump lots and lots of oil into sisal rope? Because oil makes the rope heavier, and this rope is typically sold to me by the pound! By the way, sisal rope is not the same as manila rope. You want oil? Use manila. Sisal rope is also not the same as hemp. Ask your supplier if they are using genuine sisal rope (we use Brazilian sisal rope). And while you're at it, ask them what the diameter is (remember? 3/8" is better). If they get all of those questions right, then ask them a bonus question. Something about Shakespeare or British kings and queens. 

Adhesives should be used sparingly and should not be in a position to come in contact with your cat. Staples should be applied by an experienced and caring craftsman who is a cat lover. They are best applied with industrial staple guns.  

In Conclusion:

Anyone can breeze by the local pet supermarket and bring home a teency-weenie little plastic cone with some sisal twine twirled on it. I particularly get a laugh from the "traffic cone" shaped scratchers. But you are here and have read this far because you are a little more careful and thoughtful about this task your cat has given you. Don't let her down. Print this guide and find a scratcher with as many of these qualities as possible. I'm sure you'll be glad you did.