Cats do not scratch out of spite. They scratch to shed claw sheaths, stretch the shoulders and leave a scent mark somewhere they can survey the room from. Offer them nothing suitable and the sofa arm becomes the obvious candidate, because it is tall, firm and in the right place. This pine-framed scratcher gives three different things to claw at, which matters because cats are far fussier about texture than most owners expect.

An angled sisal board takes the long stretching scratch that a cat does on waking. Three stacked sisal balls invite the batting and grabbing kind of play that keeps a younger cat busy. A felt-topped platform gives somewhere to sit above it all. The frame is pine, kept plain enough to stand beside a sofa without drawing attention. Sisal is the right surface here because it shreds satisfyingly under a claw and keeps doing so for months rather than pilling flat like carpet.

• Pine frame with an angled sisal scratching board
• Three stacked sisal balls for play
• Felt-topped resting platform
• Natural sisal that withstands daily scratching
• Shaped to sit against sofa edges and corners
• Plain finish that blends into a living room

On placement: a scratcher only works where the cat already scratches. Put it directly against the corner they have chosen, not in a tidy spot across the room, and leave it there for several weeks before judging it. Moving it too early is the single most common reason these get written off as a failure.

Who it's for: Households with a sofa already showing claw marks and a cat who needs a better offer in the same spot.