A scratching post gets ignored for one reason more often than any other: it is too short. Cats scratch to stretch as much as to strip their claws, reaching up with the front legs and pulling the whole spine out long, and a post that stops short of full reach is simply not worth bothering with when the back of the sofa is right there and goes all the way to the ceiling.

Natural sisal is the surface cats will actually commit to. Wound tightly around a tall column, it gives enough resistance for a claw to catch and drag, which is the sensation they are after, and it takes that punishment without shedding fibres the way loose rope does. Height brings a second benefit as well: a tall post gives a young cat something to climb, which is worth having in a house where the alternative climbing target is a set of curtains.

• Tall column wrapped in natural sisal
• Built for full-stretch scratching by adult cats
• Sisal surface for claw conditioning
• Doubles as somewhere to climb and stretch up
• One option, with no size or colour choice
• Shipped tracked to the UK, typically 7 to 12 days

We cannot tell you how tall tall is. The rule to apply: the post should exceed your cat's full reach from the floor with a bit spare.

Who it's for: Owners of an adult cat who has outgrown a short post and moved on to the furniture, provided they are happy to check the height with us first.