Height is the specification most scratching posts quietly fail on. A cat scratching properly stretches to full extension with the front paws well above the shoulder, and that stretch is half the point of the whole behaviour. A post too short to allow it forces them to crouch, gets abandoned within a week, and the sofa arm goes back to being the preferred option. A tall post lets the entire movement happen.

The post is wrapped in sisal, coarse enough to catch a claw and strip the worn outer sheath, which is what a cat is actually doing when they scratch. This is a tighter, lower-shedding wrap than loose rope, so you are not hoovering fibres from around the base every few days. The round base is weighted, and that is the fault that kills most tall posts: one that shifts under the first hard pull teaches the cat straight away not to trust it.

• Tall sisal-wrapped post allowing a full stretch
• Weighted round base for stability
• Lower-shed wrap to cut down on loose fibres
• Bear-ear cap detail at the top
• Five colourways, including white, green and three mixed finishes
• Freestanding, with no fixing required

On the height. Place it where the cat already scratches rather than where it suits the room, and expect to move it once.

Who it's for: Owners of an adult cat who has taken to the furniture, particularly larger cats who have outgrown a short post and need the full stretch.