What scratching post do cats actually use?

Two peer-reviewed surveys of more than 4,500 cat owners between them found the same mismatch: the surface owners buy most is not the surface cats use most. One of the studies also found that the single most common thing owners do to encourage a cat onto a scratcher makes it less likely to be used.

The evidence-backed specification is sisal rope, vertical, at least 3 feet (0.9 m) tall, two or more levels, on a base 1–3 feet wide. That comes from DePorter and Elzerman's 2019 review in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, drawing on survey data from Wilson and colleagues. Most posts on sale fail the height criterion, and carpet — the most commonly offered substrate — loses to sisal in every age group under ten.

The data: what cats chose, by age

Wilson and colleagues surveyed 4,331 owners over four months, distributed through the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's Clinical Animal Behavior Service. Owners reported what they offered and what their cat actually used. The substrate preferences split by age:

Preferred scratching substrate, by cat age (Wilson et al., 2016)

Substrate	Cats ≤ 9 years	Cats > 10 years
Rope (sisal)	32.5%	22.9%
Carpet	25.1%	24.7%
Cardboard	18.2%	19.6%

Wilson C, Bain M, DePorter T, Beck A, Grassi V, Landsberg G. Owner observations regarding cat scratching behavior: an internet-based survey. J Feline Med Surg 2016;18(10):791–797. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X15594414

Read the second column carefully before you buy for an older cat. The rope-first result reverses after about ten years — geriatric cats between 10 and 14 preferred carpet. The most likely explanation is mechanical: a vertical sisal post demands a full-body stretch on the hind legs, and around 90% of cats over 12 have radiographic degenerative joint disease. If reaching up hurts, the flat carpeted surface wins. If you have a senior cat, read the signs of arthritis in cats alongside this.

Owners offer traditionally recommended substrates and types and styles of posts but do not necessarily offer the substrate or style most commonly preferred by cats.

Wilson C, Bain M, DePorter T, et al. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2016. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X15594414

The finding that contradicts standard advice

A separate pilot study — Moesta, Keys and Crowell-Davis, published in the same journal in 2018 — examined which owner interventions actually changed behavior. Owners reported using a wide range of punishment- and reward-based techniques. Only one had a statistically significant effect, and it went the wrong way.

Cats that were physically picked up and placed at the scratching post used it significantly less often. The authors' proposed explanation is that scratching typically occurs as part of a behavior chain — on waking, during a stretch, or after social tension between cats — and lifting the cat interrupts that chain.

The practical instruction is therefore the opposite of what most guides say: do not carry your cat to the post. Put the post where the behavior already happens and let the cat arrive on its own.

Moesta A, Keys D, Crowell-Davis S. J Feline Med Surg 2018. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X17733185

Why cats scratch at all

Scratching serves at least four functions simultaneously, which is why it cannot be trained away and why substitution is the only workable approach:

1. Claw maintenance — stripping the worn outer sheath from the claw.
2. Stretching — extension through the forelimbs, shoulders and spine.
3. Visual marking — the shredded surface is itself the signal.
4. Scent marking — interdigital glands deposit semiochemicals as the claws draw down.

The scent function is why the location is not arbitrary. Cats target prominent objects near sleeping areas and at room entrances — which describes the arm of a sofa beside a doorway almost exactly. Declawed cats continue to perform the full motion, which tells you the drive is not primarily about the claws.

It also explains why a semiochemical product exists: Cozzi and colleagues (2013) tested a synthetic feline interdigital semiochemical for directing scratching onto a chosen surface. We do not stock it; your vet can advise whether it is worth trying.

Applying this to a real house

Step 1 — Observe the direction before buying anything

Cats that rear up and rake downward need vertical. Cats going at rugs, doormats and the flat top of a sofa back need horizontal. The San Francisco SPCA's guidance is blunt about this: watch your cat, because the two groups need different products and one will not substitute for the other.

Also worth reading: Vertical vs horizontal.

Step 2 — Match the height to the cat, not the room

Measure your cat at full stretch, front paws as high as they reach while standing on the hind legs. The post needs to exceed that. This is the criterion most commercial posts fail, and a post that forces a partial stretch is delivering a fraction of the benefit.

Step 3 — Site it at the target, not in the spare room

Ohio State University's Indoor Pet Initiative recommends placing posts near sleeping areas and at room entrances, and in multi-cat homes, several posts distributed through the house rather than one "cat corner".

Step 4 — Reward at the post, do not deliver the cat to it

Wilson et al. found that owners who rewarded scratching on the desired object increased its use. Moesta et al. found that carrying the cat over decreased it. Both findings point the same way: reinforce the behavior when it happens, rather than staging it.

Common questions

My cat has a post and still uses the sofa. What is the order of things to try?

Location, height, then substrate. Move the existing post directly beside the sofa arm being targeted before spending anything. If that fails, check height at full stretch. Only then consider whether the surface is wrong.

How many scratchers should a house have?

More than one. Wilson et al. found that both post use and rope preference increased with the number of posts in the home. In multi-cat households, distribute them across rooms.

Is cardboard a waste of money?

No. It ranked third in both age groups but it is cheap, it suits horizontal scratchers, and it takes catnip better than sisal does. It sheds flakes, which is the real trade-off.

Will catnip make my cat use the post?

Sometimes. Roughly two-thirds of cats respond to catnip and kittens under about six months usually do not, so it is not a reliable lever — see how to choose a cat toy.

Does trimming claws remove the need for a post?

No. Trimming limits damage. The scent- and visual-marking drives are unaffected, which is why declawed cats still go through the motion.

Cats use scratchers that match their preferred motion—vertical clawing, horizontal shredding, or a combo near a resting spot. Options that fit this situation include Suction Cup Spinning Windmill Scratcher Toy for Cats, Anti, Foldable Corrugated Scratch Board Toy with Bell, and Braided Cotton Rope Scratching Mat with Toy Ball. Match the piece to the habit you already see, not to a feature list.