Best budget scratching post for a rescue Tabby

The most common reason cats ignore scratching posts is they're too short, too unstable, or the wrong material. Cats need a post tall enough for a full stretch and solid enough that it doesn't wobble when they lean into it — a wobble once and many cats never go back. Since you've just brought home a rescue Tabby, this is the ideal moment to set good habits before they decide your sofa is the better option. How big is your cat, do they tend to scratch vertically or horizontally, and what have you caught them going for so far — furniture, carpet, door frames?

That vertical scratching on the sofa corner tells you exactly what you need: a tall, upright sisal post. The sofa corner is appealing because it's firm and gives her that full-body stretch. So whatever you buy needs to match that. Under £20 is workable — you just need to avoid the very cheap ones that tip over, because a wobbly post at this stage will put her off scratching posts altogether. How tall is she when she fully stretches up? Rough estimate is fine.

Good — that puts her in the standard range, so you don't need anything oversized. Here's what I'd get: the Petrebels Camden 48 Sisal Scratching Post. It's around £18–20 on Amazon UK, the scratching column is 48cm tall which is enough for a full stretch on a cat her size, and the base is wide and heavy enough that it won't tip when she leans into it hard. It's wrapped in natural sisal rope, which is the texture cats instinctively prefer for this kind of vertical scratching. It's not fancy, but it's honest — stable, the right height, right material. Place it right next to the sofa corner she's already using, at least for the first couple of weeks, and redirect her there when you catch her on the sofa. Once she's using it reliably you can move it slightly if you need to.

A small pinch of dried catnip rubbed into the sisal can help, but honestly location matters more than any attractant. Putting it directly where she's already scratching does most of the work — she's already told you that spot feels right to her. If you have catnip, use it. If not, don't worry about buying it separately. The main thing is: post goes next to the sofa corner today, not across the room.

One is fine to start, especially on a tight budget. Once she's reliably using this one, you can think about a second if she starts investigating other spots in the flat. For now, nail the habit with one good post in the right place. The Petrebels Camden 48 will do the job.