Best climbing post for Egyptian Mau cats

An 18-month Egyptian Mau — you've got one of the fastest domestic cats on the planet, and at that age they're at peak energy. Scratching is completely normal behaviour; your Mau isn't being destructive, they're maintaining their claws and scent-marking their space. The goal isn't to stop the scratching — it's to redirect it onto something that actually suits how they move. For a Mau, that means going tall and going sturdy, because they'll launch themselves at full speed and expect whatever they land on to hold firm. Before I point you in the right direction, can you tell me where they're scratching most — vertical surfaces like doorframes or sofa sides, horizontal surfaces like carpets or rugs, or a bit of both? And what material are they going for?

That's very typical Mau behaviour — they prefer a good vertical drag, and fabric gives them the satisfying resistance they're looking for. The sofa arms are also at a height she can reach easily, which tells me she wants something tall enough to fully extend. For a cat her size and speed, I'd also expect her to want to get up high once she's done scratching — so a standalone post isn't going to cut it for long. What you really want is a tall cat tree that combines serious scratching posts with platforms high enough to feel worth reaching. Is she indoor-only, or does she have outdoor access?

Good to know — that actually makes the right cat tree even more important, because for an indoor Mau it becomes her primary outlet for climbing, scratching, and surveying her territory. Here's what I'd get: the Feandrea 173cm Large Cat Tree (sold under the SONGMICS brand on Amazon UK). It's genuinely tall — 173cm puts the top platform at a height she'll find rewarding to reach — and the sisal-wrapped posts are thick and tightly wound, which gives that fabric-like resistance she's already seeking on your sofa. There are multiple platforms at different heights, a large perch at the top, and the base is wide and weighted enough to stay planted even when a fast cat hits it at speed. That last point matters a lot with Maus — a wobbly tree will put her off immediately. It's around £80–£100 depending on the variant, which is fair for the size and build quality.

The reason cats ignore scratching posts is almost always one of three things: it's too short to fully extend, it's wobbly so it feels unsafe, or the texture isn't satisfying. Your previous post probably failed on one of those. The Feandrea solves all three — it's tall, the base is stable, and sisal has the right drag for a cat who likes fabric. To help her make the connection, put it right next to the sofa arm she's been using for the first week or two. Don't move it to a corner you prefer — she needs to find it where the habit already lives. You can also rub a little dried valerian or silvervine into the sisal at her nose height to get her attention initially. Once she's using it consistently, you can nudge it a few inches at a time toward wherever you'd rather it live.

The tree will cover most of it. If you want to protect the sofa while she's transitioning, a pack of clear self-adhesive furniture protector strips on the arms will deter her without harming the fabric — she simply doesn't like the sticky texture. Peel them off after four to six weeks once the tree is her established spot. Beyond that, for a Mau specifically, a wand toy with daily play sessions will channel the energy that scratching alone can't fully address. But the Feandrea tree is the main piece — get that placed correctly and you'll see a real difference within a couple of weeks.