Direct Your Kitty's Claws to One of Our Favorite Scratching Posts For Cats (2024)

Our Top Picks

Your cat will enjoy this incredibly sturdy scratching post, and you'll appreciate the simple design and strong construction.

The SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post is designed to last for year, and with several months of daily use from two cats, the scratcher shows no signs of losing its appeal. It's large enough to stay permanently in one place like a small piece of furniture, but light enough so that it can be moved around. We found it to be incredibly effective as a barricade between a couch leg and a cat's desire to claw.

The top of the Ultimate Scratching Post is seven-inches square, which is the perfect size for a small cat to perch upon. SmartCat even offers a Post Perch Pad for exactly this purpose. We also found it fun to place a small kitty snack on top to encourage climbing, and the SmartCat post is sturdy enough to stay stable throughout.

The post is 32-inches tall, so cats can stretch themselves out and claw away at the fibrous, durable sisal covering. It's also stable, with a base 16-inch square base that keeps the post steady and prevents it from sliding across the floor or toppling. You’ll have to do a little assembly when it first arrives—inserting dowels into holes and attaching the base to the scratch post—but no power tools are required.

_{Dimensions: 16 x 16 x 32.5 inches | Weight: 16.9 pounds}

The Original Scratch Lounge is a big (22 by 13 inches) cardboard slab, with a thick scratch pad bordered by two scratchable cardboard walls. It forms a kind of trough, which your cat will soon fill with hair and cardboard shavings. The cardboard frame holds in the shavings better than most scratchers, so you can always go and shake out your cat's Scratch Lounge over the trash can. We've never encountered a cat that didn't love the Scratch Lounge, we assume because it allows them to imagine they're tearing apart our rugs with their claws.

It's also refillable. The brand has been around for nearly 20 years now, so you can reliably find refills. Best of all, you can buy side and bottom refills separately, since the side scratchers don't get scratched as much.

Dimensions: 22 x 13 x 5 inches | Weight: N/A

Cardboard scratchers use densely layered corrugated paper product instead of sisal twine or other materials. Our favorite cardboard scratcher is the PetFusion Ultimate Cat Scratcher Lounge, which has a unique shape that gives your cat lots of ways of interacting with it. While cats tend to love cardboard scratchers because they're soft and easy to scratch (they're also excellent at retaining catnip), they tend to have a shorter lifespan than other scratcher types.

The PetFusion is larger than most cardboard scratchers, with a 34-inch length that's more than long enough for your cat to lie on top of it. This makes it a great reclining scratcher for fully grown cats. It also has curves and a big "peekaboo" hole through the center, which will likely attract interaction between multiple cats if you are fortunate enough to have more than one kitty in your home.

While testing, the scratcher lounger did everything it promised—providing ample surface area for scratching and a comfortable lounging space for our participating cats. Keep in mind also that cardboard scratchers tend to "shed" as your cat rips into it. Expect to bust out a vacuum every once in a while to clean up around the scratcher.

_{Dimensions: 34 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches | Weight: 10 pounds}

If your cat enjoys weaving through and clawing at your drapes, carpets, walls, and furniture, then this cat post will appeal to them.

This scratching post's wavy design is meant to attract your cat, providing spaces for crawling, crouching, and lounging while they claw at the surface. A combination of sisal and carpeted scratching surfaces will help to satiate your cat’s instinctual desire to scratch.

We were thoroughly impressed with the quality of the scratching surface and found the snap-on feather toy feature to be a highly appealing addition for their cat. It's small, light, and comes assembled, so your cat can start scratching and your furnishings can breathe a sigh of relief!

_{Dimensions: 18.5 x 11.42 x 7.09 inches | Weight: 2.65 pounds}

Cats can climb to multiple vantage points while stopping to get their scratching fix along the way with this 2-in-1 cat scratching post and cat tree from Tuft and Paw. The streamlined design incorporates sisal rope—which most cats find irresistible—throughout the center pole and three adjustable platforms.

While it's more expensive than other cat scratching posts featured, customers rave about the quality of the product and the customer service of Tuft + Paw. And while we can't exactly interpret meows, the Frond Cat Tree tends to pique the interest of most cats.

_{Dimensions: 24 x 24 x 49 inches | Weight: Not Provided}

The affordable SmartyKat Angle Scratcher is especially good for very young kittens and senior cats, who can scratch and relax on the incline. Our tester noted that the arc is a great shape for cats to lay out on top of, but a larger cat is a tight squeeze underneath. It's also prone to tipping, which is why it's not the best pick for large or energetic cats, unless you plan on leaning it against a wall.

_{Dimensions: 18 x 12 x 8 inches | Weight: 1.41 Pounds}

With three scratching posts, three dangling toys, a carpeted base, and a perch at the top, if your cat likes to play then this is the cat scratching post for you. While testing, we found that no matter where the toy was placed in a home, a cat was drawn to it and would be quietly entertained for hours.

The wide base keeps the structure in place while your cat gets their fix on a mix of sisal rope and carpet. With a variety of surfaces and points of intrigue, it can also work in a home with multiple cats. But the scratching post only comes in one color which might not blend in with your decor—but it will help redirect your cat's clawing, which will ultimately keep your furnishings intact.

_{Dimensions: 15.75 x 15.75 x 19.25 inches | Weight: 9.45 pounds}

If you're looking for a place for your cat to climb, play, and rest all in one look, then the PAWMONA 3 Story Cat Tree Condo Barrel Tower is the perfect addition to your space.

The tower features three internal levels, each with a window, and a cushioned pillow at the top for perching. There are three fuzzy balls hanging from each circular opening along with hole openings between the levels for cat climbing.

While it's priced higher than other cat scratching posts on our list, the neutral streamlined design and the variety of engagement points it offers a cat make it well worth the investment. We recommend putting it near a window so your cat can feel the sunlight while scratching and then perch themselves on top to admire their domain.

_{Dimensions: 18 x 18 x 38.5 inches | Weight: 22 pounds}

If your cat likes to stretch out when they are in the mood for scratching, then this sleek, wall-mountable option is for you. We found the aesthetically appealing design and versatility to be superior to other low-profile scratchers we tested.

It takes up minimal space in a home and can be placed seemingly any where that is safe for your cat to roam. If you do choose to mount it on the wall, you can easily adjust the height to accommodate the length of your cat. Once you start to notice the scratching surface is wearing out, simply flip it over and your cat has a relatively new surface to sink their claws into.

_{Dimensions: 22 x 5.7 inches | Weight: 0.2 pounds}

Final Verdict

The best cat scratcher is the SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post. It's well made and has a classic design that comes in two neutral colors to coordinate with most home decor styles. Most importantly, the majority of cats find the shape and the sisal carpet covering will appeal to your cat and their clawing habit.

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