Very Quick
"Oh, and another side note: My Maine Coon kitty (Cassie, built like a tank - a biiig girl) who had no front claws when I got her - she also likes to "scratch" and stretch on this sturdy post."
"I'm more than happy to buy another to replace it once this starts showing some wear & tear, but I really don't think that will be for a very long time."
"I worried about our chair scratcher not using it, but I followed the tips written on the back side of the base: I put double-sided carpet tape along all the areas of the chair she scratched and put the new post in front of that chair."
"Yeah, sure, they'll use them if there's nothing else around (like that yummy recliner they can stretch up and scratch), especially if you dowse those cardboard floor-scratchers with catnip."
"We took baby steps - first it was just getting up and putting her paws on it, then when she got the hang of that I gave her bigger bits when I saw she was using her claws to get up there."
"* Bottom Half Well Designed, Top Half Poorly Designed and potentially dangerous PROS: -It's 32" height allows for my large and long cat to do a full, tall and standing stretch while scratching which is most like what his wild ancestors like lions and leopards do against trees as they scratch and leave their mark -It's neutral and natural color palette works very well with our decor -High quality individual elements/parts are used to build the post -Very stable base; no tipping even as a large and long cat scratches and rubs against it."
"After 4 years of use, I'm beginning to consider getting a new one for appearances sake and moving this one to a less open area, but that's only because my cats have used it for so long and it's fairly shredded, that being said, it still does it's job and looks like it will for years to come."
SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post (Click to Compare Deals)
Quick
"And it is definitely tall enough that nearly any cat (even the Big Boys) can get a good long stretch - fully extended my cat doesn't reach the top... I don't really need a laying place on top of this but just thought I'd mention the options because others might like that... Oh, and another side note: My Maine Coon kitty (Cassie, built like a tank - a biiig girl) who had no front claws when I got her - she also likes to "scratch" and stretch on this sturdy post."
"He visits it multiple times a day, and it is literally the only thing in the house he'll sharpen his claws on, even ignoring the wall-mounted sisal post we installed around the corner from his cat box. I'm floored that we were able to correct 15+ years of deeply ingrained bad behavior with this one smart purchase, but, there you have it!... I'm more than happy to buy another to replace it once this starts showing some wear & tear, but I really don't think that will be for a very long time."
"The sisal is woven which is much sturdier than our old cat furniture that had posts *wrapped* in sisal (that came off with all their scratching)... Most posts I've seen are too short to let them stand up completely and stretch up (especially our big one who is long!... I worried about our chair scratcher not using it, but I followed the tips written on the back side of the base: I put double-sided carpet tape along all the areas of the chair she scratched and put the new post in front of that chair."
"I've bought two of these in the past five years, and I can attest to their perfection (I'm still trying to figure out how to turn it upside down for another few years of use)... Yeah, sure, they'll use them if there's nothing else around (like that yummy recliner they can stretch up and scratch), especially if you dowse those cardboard floor-scratchers with catnip... It's tall enough that they can stretch, it's sisal rope that won't end up all over your floor (not that your inventor cat cares about that), and it's sturdy and won't wobble or tip over or otherwise stress your cat."
"I took a small bit of tuna out with my fingers, and held it up at the top of the post, so all she could do to get to it was to stretch out and place her paws on this post... We took baby steps - first it was just getting up and putting her paws on it, then when she got the hang of that I gave her bigger bits when I saw she was using her claws to get up there... I also would like to make note that I sprayed some cat nip spray all over the post every time I came to it, so it helped my cat to feel even more comfortable, but that is not for every cat."
"* Bottom Half Well Designed, Top Half Poorly Designed and potentially dangerous PROS: -It's 32" height allows for my large and long cat to do a full, tall and standing stretch while scratching which is most like what his wild ancestors like lions and leopards do against trees as they scratch and leave their mark -It's neutral and natural color palette works very well with our decor -High quality individual elements/parts are used to build the post -Very stable base; no tipping even as a large and long cat scratches and rubs against it... CONS: Even though the individual post parts are made of high quality elements/parts, the overall design of the top of the post is poor and unnecessarily elaborate leading to the following: -The post seat only slides on to the top of the post instead of being screwed in like the base leading to an unstable top which definitely wobbles and can slide off as cats jump onto and off of the post -The post seat is very small meaning large and long cats like mine are unable to curl up for a true, good nap; only able to sit in cooked turkey/bread loaf position for light rest... A) Make the top of the post EXACTLY like the bottom; an equally sized Large square (that has two pre-drilled screw holes) that screws into the top."
"My oldest cat might try scratching/pulling at my rugs instead of the post once in a while, but I just redirect her to the post and she's all over it again... After 4 years of use, I'm beginning to consider getting a new one for appearances sake and moving this one to a less open area, but that's only because my cats have used it for so long and it's fairly shredded, that being said, it still does it's job and looks like it will for years to come. I've recommended this item to friends and family members and those who have bought them have found their cats love these posts too!"
Less Quick
"While sisal covered things never excited Tootsie, it became obvious any scratching post with carpet would be quickly dispatched to the dump once she laid into it... And I got a dealie bob that is covered in sisal to hang from the front door knob (hoping she'd scratch that to go out rather than the trim around the door) (that hasn't happened yet)... Because that part is screwed firmly into the vertical part covered in sisal, it increases the stability factor a great deal (someone was thinking when they designed this)... And it is definitely tall enough that nearly any cat (even the Big Boys) can get a good long stretch - fully extended my cat doesn't reach the top... But that person said they thought you could as easily make a better one by taking a piece of board, putting foam on it, then stapling fabric of your choice over that... I don't really need a laying place on top of this but just thought I'd mention the options because others might like that... Oh, and another side note: My Maine Coon kitty (Cassie, built like a tank - a biiig girl) who had no front claws when I got her - she also likes to "scratch" and stretch on this sturdy post."
"We put it together, which took all of 2 minutes, gave it a couple of blasts of catnip mist, and introduced it to the woodworking-slayer. He cozied right up to it, nuzzling it to scent mark it, then immediately stretched to full height and started scratching away!... He visits it multiple times a day, and it is literally the only thing in the house he'll sharpen his claws on, even ignoring the wall-mounted sisal post we installed around the corner from his cat box. I'm floored that we were able to correct 15+ years of deeply ingrained bad behavior with this one smart purchase, but, there you have it! While every cat is different, and your mileage may vary, here are a few tips we've found for successfully introducing this scratching post: 1... Cats may act like rebels who play by their own rules, but they secretly want you to be pleased with them... I'm more than happy to buy another to replace it once this starts showing some wear & tear, but I really don't think that will be for a very long time."
"It seemed she wanted a vertical scratch - where she could stand on her back legs and stretch while scratching. We used to have one of those huge cat condo furniture things with platforms and sisal-wrapped posts for scratching. When we moved to our current house which is smaller we had no room for it on the main floor (and they wouldn't use it downstairs)... The wide base makes it completely solid even when they stand on back legs putting their weight on their front paws and scratch like crazy. The sisal is woven which is much sturdier than our old cat furniture that had posts *wrapped* in sisal (that came off with all their scratching)... Most posts I've seen are too short to let them stand up completely and stretch up (especially our big one who is long!... I worried about our chair scratcher not using it, but I followed the tips written on the back side of the base: I put double-sided carpet tape along all the areas of the chair she scratched and put the new post in front of that chair."
"those that you hang on a door handle, movement like banging against a door stresses them out), cats do not like scratchers that are short, low, or otherwise not this scratching post... If you watch them, you will note that they want two things from their chosen scratching place: they want resistance (all the better to sharpen those claws), and they want to STRETCH. This scratching post is therefore absolutely perfect (see, I didn't say "purrrfect," even though I really really wanted to). I've bought two of these in the past five years, and I can attest to their perfection (I'm still trying to figure out how to turn it upside down for another few years of use)... Yeah, sure, they'll use them if there's nothing else around (like that yummy recliner they can stretch up and scratch), especially if you dowse those cardboard floor-scratchers with catnip... It's tall enough that they can stretch, it's sisal rope that won't end up all over your floor (not that your inventor cat cares about that), and it's sturdy and won't wobble or tip over or otherwise stress your cat... Instead of forking out the extra $20 for a new one, I've decided to re-wrap my existing one with sisal rope (for a total of less than $5) Tons of videos on how to do this on you know what tube."
"* I was skeptical of this post, and was so worried that my cat wouldn't take to it, that I kept the box to this product for weeks thinking it just was a bunch of money thrown to the wind... She would scratch my furniture, and I thought to myself that there was no way I could be able to train a 10 year old cat! She also would only scratch in the wee hours of the morning, so I was unable to get to her to direct her scratching to the right thing, or spray her with water to discourage the act... I took a small bit of tuna out with my fingers, and held it up at the top of the post, so all she could do to get to it was to stretch out and place her paws on this post... We took baby steps - first it was just getting up and putting her paws on it, then when she got the hang of that I gave her bigger bits when I saw she was using her claws to get up there... I also would like to make note that I sprayed some cat nip spray all over the post every time I came to it, so it helped my cat to feel even more comfortable, but that is not for every cat. This is a great scratching post, and I know we will be using it for years to come because it is a strong and durable post."
"* Bottom Half Well Designed, Top Half Poorly Designed and potentially dangerous PROS: -It's 32" height allows for my large and long cat to do a full, tall and standing stretch while scratching which is most like what his wild ancestors like lions and leopards do against trees as they scratch and leave their mark -It's neutral and natural color palette works very well with our decor -High quality individual elements/parts are used to build the post -Very stable base; no tipping even as a large and long cat scratches and rubs against it. -A canister of Smarty Cat Organic Catnip (purchased a big box store) sprinkled on the post attracted our cat easily to use the post for his scratching needs. CONS: Even though the individual post parts are made of high quality elements/parts, the overall design of the top of the post is poor and unnecessarily elaborate leading to the following: -The post seat only slides on to the top of the post instead of being screwed in like the base leading to an unstable top which definitely wobbles and can slide off as cats jump onto and off of the post -The post seat is very small meaning large and long cats like mine are unable to curl up for a true, good nap; only able to sit in cooked turkey/bread loaf position for light rest. -The red cushioned seat (sold separately) is attached only by four small Velcro strips which aren't enough to stabilize and secure the pad safely to the top of the post which leads to sliding and potential dangerous situations... The post seat and pad where the cat would likely spend most of his/her time is not well designed or entirely safe. We made some adjustments recommended by other reviewers of this product but ultimately wrote to the company... A) Make the top of the post EXACTLY like the bottom; an equally sized Large square (that has two pre-drilled screw holes) that screws into the top."
"* I've had this item for a little more than 4 years and my cats love it! I originally bought it when I only had one cat, who liked to sharpen her claws on my leather couch... I find it works best for my cats if I keep it near the item I'm trying to keep them from clawing, so I usually keep it next to or behind the furniture I'm protecting. My oldest cat might try scratching/pulling at my rugs instead of the post once in a while, but I just redirect her to the post and she's all over it again... I have had cats tip over the post once in a while, but only when they try and jump on top of it after a full-on sprint... After 4 years of use, I'm beginning to consider getting a new one for appearances sake and moving this one to a less open area, but that's only because my cats have used it for so long and it's fairly shredded, that being said, it still does it's job and looks like it will for years to come. I've recommended this item to friends and family members and those who have bought them have found their cats love these posts too!"
