This is a specific conversation about Cat scratching posts — ones they'll actually use — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Having a senior cat and a new kitten changes the scratching post equation quite a bit — your older cat needs reliable access to a post that won't get batted around or claimed by an energetic kitten. The most common reason cats ignore posts is they're too short for a proper full-body stretch, too wobbly to trust, or made of material they just don't like. A senior cat especially won't bother with something that shifts underfoot. Can you tell me: how big is your senior cat, does they tend to scratch vertically or horizontally, and what surfaces are they currently targeting around the house?
She's a fairly large cat, maybe 5kg, definitely scratches vertically — she goes for the sofa corners and the door frames. The kitten is only 12 weeks old but already chaos. I mainly want something my senior cat can use without the kitten knocking it over mid-scratch.
inparticular.ai
That makes complete sense — a 5kg cat doing a full vertical stretch needs a post that's at least 60–70cm tall, and it has to have a really solid, weighted base so a bouncing kitten can't destabilise it. What material is your senior cat scratching on the sofa and door frames — is it fabric, wood, or both?
Mostly the fabric on the sofa arms, but she's definitely had a go at the wooden door frame too.
inparticular.ai
Good to know — cats that go for both fabric and wood usually do best with sisal rope rather than carpet, because sisal has that satisfying resistance that mimics what they're getting from your sofa and door frame. For your situation — large senior cat, vertical scratcher, needs stability against an active kitten — I'd go with the Feandrea tall sisal scratching post. It's 71cm tall which gives your senior cat a full stretch, and the base is genuinely heavy and wide. A 12-week-old kitten running into it isn't going to tip it. It's straightforward, no dangling toys to distract or break, just a solid post your older cat can use on her own terms.
That sounds ideal actually. Will the kitten eventually use it too, or will I need a separate one for them?
inparticular.ai
Honestly, once the kitten gets a bit bigger and sees the senior cat using it, they'll almost certainly start using it too — cats learn scratching behaviour partly by watching each other. The issue at 12 weeks isn't that the kitten won't use it, it's that they'll be all over it, which is why the stable base matters now. When the kitten is around 4–5 months and more confident, you might want to add a second lower post or a horizontal scratcher nearby just so there's no competition at peak scratching times. But for now, one tall stable post is the right call.
Perfect, I'll go with the Feandrea one. Thanks for making this straightforward.
inparticular.ai
You're welcome — it's a good match for what you need. Place it near where your senior cat already scratches, right by that sofa arm, and she should take to it quickly. Good luck with the kitten — the chaos does calm down, eventually.
