Cat sleeping on a scratch post

Why Doesn’t Our Cat Use the Cat Tree?

One common challenge among cat owners is getting them to stop scratching up all your stuff around the house. Most of our four-legged friends do not seem to think twice about turning your costly furniture into a demolition site.

Scratch trees can provide some much-needed relief and are often recommended as the go-to solutions for misdirected scratching. But few people know that there is a science to picking the right one for your cat.

Does your furry friend seem to ignore their scratch furniture? Here are five things you likely missed:

1. Horizontal or vertical rope

Not all cats scratch alike. Some like to scratch in a horizontal motion, whereas others prefer a vertical surface like walls, posts, or trees. A cat that prefers to scratch horizontally will rarely (if ever) attempt to sharpen its nails on a vertical surface.

Next time you catch your cat in the act, observe carefully. You should be able to discern where her preference lies, which will provide you with the first major clue towards picking the right type of scratching post for your cat.

Be sure to pick a scratch post that can’t easily tip over

2. A sturdy base

If your scratcher feels like it could tip over any second, that’s not very encouraging for a cat. Kittens cats can get very excited during playtime, hanging from ledges with their full body weight before pulling up. You definitely don’t want the entire thing to tip over, so it’s vital that the structure is heavy enough and stands firmly on the ground.

Tip: If you adopted a young kitten, plan for the future. Your tiny friend might not have the strength of a tiger yet, but it will be much stronger just a few short months from now.

3. Choose the right materials

  • Sisal rope is the most frequently used material on the surface of scratchers. Lots of furniture designed for cats contains horizontally twisted sisal rope. This is unfortunate, because many cats actually prefer the wires to run vertically. So that could be another possible reason why your cat is not using your pretty new scratching post!
  • Other cats prefer the feel of cardboard and/or wood. There is a lot of variety on the market nowadays, so have a good look around,
  • If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you could try to make something yourself!
Two cats hanging from a cactus-shaped scratching post
This cactus-shaped post is covered in horizontal sisal rope, but many cats actually prefer the strands to run vertical

Our advice: experiment! The only way to discover what your cat wants is by introducing new things and observing how she responds.


Is your cat too anxious? Have a look at the best ways to build trust with a shy cat.


4. Pay attention to hotspots

Many people opt to buy one big scratcher and position it in some corner of their house. From a cat’s perspective, this is actually not very enticing at all. Instead of walking towards it as if it were an end goal destination, your kitty much prefers to encounter it along their route.

It is also a lot more fun if your cat has multiple things to climb. There are cat trees, posts, cardboard scratchers, and plenty of other products out there. You could even add something like a puzzle feeder to shake things up.

A few more things to keep in mind:

  • Ideally, you want scratch items to be in those places where your cat spends most of her time. In most cases, this would be the main living room
  • Also pay extra attention to places where your cat likes to sleep, that way she can stretch out right after waking up
  • Try placing multiple scratchable items and posts along a walking route
  • Don’t forget to place something near the doorways; cats love to mark their territory after walking through one
  • If you have multiple pets, try to ensure each of them has their own item made of the material that he or she prefers. This way you can minimize stress

5. Make it more fun

A cat sleeping tightly on a scratching tree
Many scratching trees come with one more multiple soft spots for your cat to sleep on

Scratching posts can come with all kinds of interesting extra’s that will make it all the more appealing for your cat to spend more time there.

Possible extra features include hideouts, little squeaky toys on a string, ladders to climb, and of course an extra soft padded bed to snuggle in on the top. The bed could easily become your cat’s favorite place to hang out because it provides a birds-eye view of the surroundings.

Final tips

If you applied all of the above but still have no success, then you have one stubborn kitty! Consider spraying some catnip on scratchable surfaces. The stuff is irresistible to most cats, and it’s easy enough to pick some up in your local pet store. Don’t have one near? If you are unable to find catnip for whatever reason, valerian is an easy-to-find herb that can also be used to lure cats.

Frequently asked questions

Do cats really need a scratching post?

Not necessarily, but cats do like to have some form of verticality in their territory. Higher places allow them to safely retreat and observe their surroundings. Cats instinctively seek out places where they can monitor the environment.

If you can’t afford scratch furniture, try to find something else that your cat can climb on or use to sharpen her nails.
Further reading: For more information, read this article from Hannah

Do outdoor cats need a scratching post?

It depends on how much time they spend indoors. A cat that is allowed to roam outside freely will naturally come across many spots in nature that can be climbed and scratched. In these cases, placing a scratch tree in your home may be a waste of your money.

Do scratching posts trim nails?

The scratching motion will indeed sharpen your cat’s nails, making it less likely that they have to be trimmed manually.

3 comments

  1. Ꮤоw! Τhis blog looks exactly like mʏ old one! It’s on a totally different subject but
    it has pretty much the samе layout and design. Wonderful choice of colors!

  2. Sweet blog! I found it whіle Ƅrowsing on Yahoo News.

    Ⅾo you һave any tiрs on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
    I’ve been tryіng for a while but I never seem
    to ցet there! Many thanks

  3. There was some really good tips in this article. My cat ignores her scratch tree completely, but I’m going to move it to a different spot to see if that works. Thanks for the great read!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *