Scratcher for overweight older cat with mobility issues

Scratching is completely normal cat behaviour — your cat isn't being destructive, they're maintaining their claws and marking territory. The goal isn't to stop it but to redirect it to something appropriate. And for a 7-year-old Domestic Longhair carrying extra weight, that means being thoughtful about the scratcher itself — a tall upright post that requires stretching or balancing simply isn't going to work well. Can you tell me where your cat tends to scratch (floor-level things, the side of the sofa, carpet) and what surface they seem to go for — fabric, carpet, something rougher like sisal?

That makes complete sense for a cat her age and size — horizontal scratching at ground level is exactly what you'd expect when a cat isn't comfortable stretching upward. She's telling you what works for her body right now. What does the sofa base look like — is it fabric or something else? And do you know if she tends to scratch with her front paws extended forward, almost lying down, or more crouched?

Perfect — she's a classic horizontal scratcher who likes to brace low and pull back. That stretched-flat posture means she wants something she can really dig into without any effort to get onto or stay balanced on. Sisal tends to be the winning material for cats who go after woven fabric — it gives that same satisfying resistance. The one thing to avoid here is any scratcher with a raised lip, a slight incline that requires stepping up, or one that rocks or slides — all of those will put her off or cause strain. Has she used any scratcher at all before, or is this the first time you're introducing one?

The vertical post probably stopped working as her mobility changed — that's a really common pattern. She hasn't rejected scratching posts, she's just been using the wrong format. My recommendation for her is the Rosewood Naturals Flat Scratcher. It's a wide, completely flat sisal mat that sits flush on the floor — no lips, no incline, no wobble. She can approach it from any angle and do exactly that low stretched-out scrape she's already doing on the carpet. It's dense enough to satisfy, big enough that she doesn't have to be precise about where she lands her paws, and it's cheap enough that you can put two down — one near the sofa, one wherever else she tends to go. Place it right next to the spot she currently scratches so she finds it naturally rather than having to seek it out.

Position is everything — put it right on top of or immediately beside where she currently scratches, not across the room. You can rub a little dried catnip into the sisal to draw her attention on day one, and if she approaches it even just to sniff, let her be without any fuss. Don't move her paws onto it or try to demonstrate — cats ignore that completely. Once she's used it a few times and it carries her own scent, she'll keep coming back. Then you can gradually inch it a few centimetres at a time away from the sofa over a couple of weeks if you want to move it to a better spot.