Chartreux ignores scratching post — fix it

A cat who walks straight past the post to scratch the sofa — that's a classic sign the post isn't matching what your Chartreux actually wants from a scratch. The catnip trick doesn't work on every cat (Chartreux in particular can be quite indifferent to it), and if the post material or angle is wrong, no amount of spray will convince them. Scratching is completely natural — they're conditioning their claws and leaving scent marks — so the goal is never to stop it, just to redirect it to something better. To point you toward the right thing: is he scratching the sofa vertically, like reaching up the side, or more horizontally across the seat cushions? And is the sofa fabric, leather, or something else?

That tells us exactly what's going wrong. Two things are against you: the height and the material. When a cat scratches vertically they want to fully extend — a 6-year-old Chartreux needs at least 70–80cm of height to get a proper stretch in. At 40cm he physically can't use it the way he wants to. And carpet-covered posts are often too soft and loopy — cats like yours who go for fabric sofas are usually after something with a coarser, more satisfying drag. Sisal rope or sisal fabric gives that resistance. Can I ask — does he have a favourite spot on the sofa arm, like near where he usually sits or sleeps?

Perfect — that's very useful. Cats almost always scratch near where they rest, partly to mark the territory around their sleeping spot. So the new post needs to go right next to that arm, not across the room. Based on everything — vertical scratcher, sisal preference, needs real height, and a cat who's already shown he'll ignore anything that doesn't feel right — I'd go with the Feandrea tall sisal scratching post, the 71cm or taller version. It's wrapped in sisal rope (not carpet), has a wide stable base so it won't wobble when he puts his full weight into it, and it's genuinely tall enough for a proper stretch. Place it directly beside the sofa arm he uses, and give him a week before moving it anywhere else.

Skip the catnip — it clearly doesn't motivate him. Instead, try gently taking his paws and running them down the sisal a couple of times so he feels and smells it. You can also hang a small toy from the top to get him interacting with it. The main thing is location: if it's right next to the sofa arm, he'll almost certainly try it within a few days simply because it's there. Once he's using it regularly, you can very gradually move it a few centimetres at a time toward where you'd prefer it to live — but don't rush that, and honestly, beside the sofa is a perfectly fine permanent spot.

Yes — a simple double-sided tape strip on the sofa arm works well during the transition. Cats dislike the sticky feeling on their paws. Feliscratch tape or even budget double-sided tape does the job. Don't use it permanently, just for the first couple of weeks while the post is becoming the preferred option. Once he's scratching the post consistently, remove the tape. That combination — attractive alternative right where he wants it, mild deterrent on the sofa — tends to work quickly even with cats who've been habitual sofa scratchers for years.