Cats scratch to strip the dead outer sheath from their claws and to leave a scent mark, and they do it where they already spend time. That is why a scratching post exiled to the spare room gets ignored while the arm of the sofa keeps taking a beating. Putting the scratching surface, a chase toy and a bat-about ball in one round unit gives a cat a reason to keep returning to a spot you have chosen, rather than a spot they chose for you.

The scratch pad is corrugated cardboard set into a bowl-shaped base, and the bowl is the clever part: cardboard cut on edge is the texture cats prefer for shredding, and the curve means they can lie in it as well as scratch it. A circular track runs round the outside with a ball that can be batted but not lost under the sofa, and a sprung feather teaser flicks back when grabbed. The pad is replaceable, so the unit outlives the surface.

• Corrugated cardboard scratch pad, replaceable when worn
• Bowl-shaped base a cat can lie in as well as scratch
• Circular ball track around the base with a bell ball
• Sprung feather teaser overhead
• Weighted enough to stay put during enthusiastic scratching
• Compact footprint for flats and small rooms

On what it does not replace. This is a horizontal scratcher, and plenty of cats want a vertical one they can stretch up and pull down against. If yours scratches the side of the sofa rather than the seat, a tall post is what you need and this will not fix it. Cardboard also sheds while it is being used, so expect to hoover round it.

Who it's for: Owners in a flat who want scratching, chasing and pouncing concentrated into one small unit their cat will actually come back to.