Cats do not scratch to sharpen their claws so much as to stretch and to leave a mark where they want it seen. That is why the sofa arm beside the door gets shredded and the scratching post in the spare room does not. Putting sisal on the wall at the height they already target is how you win that argument, rather than keep having it every evening.

These are self-adhesive sisal strips that stick straight onto a wall, a door frame or the corner of a unit, arranged in a stepped layout so a cat can work up a run of them instead of using one panel over and over. Sisal is coarse enough to give the resistance cats are looking for, which is the point that carpet-covered scratchers miss. Mounted vertically, they take up no floor space at all.

• Self-adhesive sisal strips, no tools or drilling
• Two sizes: 30 x 9cm and 50 x 9cm
• Stepped layout for a run of scratching height
• Mounts to walls, door frames and furniture corners
• Encourages a full upright stretch
• Wide colour range including beige, grey, black and rainbow

On adhesive and walls. Self-adhesive backing pulls at paint and wallpaper when it comes off, so think about placement before you press. It also needs a clean, smooth, dry surface and will not hold on textured woodchip or fresh emulsion. In a rented flat, test one strip somewhere hidden first.

Who it's for: Flat-dwellers and anyone short of floor space whose cat has picked a wall or door frame and will not be talked out of it.