Vertical scratching is what cats do first thing in the morning, stretching up to full height and pulling down, and a post has to be tall and steady enough to let them finish the movement or they go back to the door frame. This one is wrapped for scratching and topped with a bright red mushroom cap, which gives you a post that looks like an object someone chose rather than a beige column apologising in the corner.

The wrapped column takes the claws, and the cap does two jobs at once: it finishes the shape and gives a swatting target above the scratching surface, so a cat who came over to stretch stays for a minute of play. Height is the thing that decides whether a post gets used, and a cat needs to be able to reach up with front legs extended and still have post above their paws. Anything shorter gets ignored in favour of furniture.

• Sisal-wrapped column for vertical scratching
• Bright red mushroom cap on top
• Doubles as a play feature as well as a scratcher
• Options with or without a base plate
• Small and large mushroom versions
• Turntable variants also listed, including jute and white linen columns

On the options, carefully. The small mushroom without a base plate is not free-standing. It is intended to sit on or attach to something else, and ordering it expecting a post that stands on the carpet will disappoint.

Who it's for: Cat owners who want a proper vertical scratcher and would rather it looked cheerful than invisible.