Choosing Scratching Posts For Cats
As scratching posts aren't something your buy every day it can be quite daunting buying one as you try and decide what makes one cat scratching post better than another.
There are several things you should look out for when choosing a scratching post. Make sure its heavy enough. A cat will be put off if the post feels flimsy and sways about too much when the cat is scratching it. So the post should feel sturdy and secure, and not wobbly. Don't forget the base either as it should have enough weight to make it difficult to knock the scratching post over.
The length of the pole is also important. Don't get anything under 2 feet tall as cats like to stretch as they scratch. If you've got a large cat look for something around 3 foot to ensure its going to be long enough for them to stretch their back muscles fully.
The texture of the post covering should be looked carefully. You can find some that are covered in carpet. Now if your cat loves to scratch your carpet this may seem like a good idea at first but claws can easily get trapped in carpet (and extracting a wailing cat's claw from a carpet is no fun). That's why it's best to go for a sisal covered scratching post. Sisal is like a rough thin rope that winds round the post. It's a natural material and is tough, so it can take a lot of clawing.
Of course these days scratching posts for cats are often far more sophisticated than simply a single pole attached to a base. You can get posts that are designed to be attached to outward pointing wall corners, which are a favourite place for cats who love the feel of your wallpaper against their claws. Using these helps protect the walls and gives your cat something more suitable to scratch. The also don't impinge on your floor space.
And now scratching posts have started to evolve into trees. They can be small, medium or large and consist of two or more post with multi-layers providing platforms, hideaways and beds for your cat or cats to clamber up. The vertical posts are normally covered in sisal to give a good climbing as well as scratching surface. The biggest ones can be very pricey but provide a vertical living area for your cat.
With these your cat will have a variety of places on the poles to have a good scratch and cats usually like to scratch in more than once place, something to remember when getting a scratching post for a cat. One post may not be enough to quench your cat's love of exercising her claws.