A cat that scratches the sofa is not being difficult. It is stretching its back, marking the spot and pulling the old sheath off its claws, and it will keep doing it somewhere. The job of a scratcher is to be a better somewhere: tall enough to stretch against, rough enough to grip and firm enough not to slide away.

This is a woven sisal mat stretched over a wooden frame, 70cm long, 32cm wide and 26cm deep at the foot. Lay it down and it is a sloping ramp a cat can stand on and rake. Stand it up against a wall and it is a 70cm upright board, held in place with the hook and loop strips that come with it. A small bag of catnip is included for cats who need persuading.

• Sisal scratching surface in a wooden frame
• 70 x 32 x 26cm
• Use as a floor ramp or upright against a wall
• Hook and loop strips for the wall position
• Catnip included
• Supplied as one scratcher

On the wall position: It leans and is held by hook and loop strips rather than screws, so it suits a normal scratch and stretch but a heavy cat throwing its whole weight at it can shift it. If yours is a big, energetic scratcher, use it as the ramp, where the cat's own weight holds it down.

Who it's for: Cats who go for the side of the sofa or the stair carpet, homes without room for a full cat tree, and older cats who find a sloping ramp easier than a tall post.