Scratching posts for claw health — vet advice

A vet nudge toward more scratching activity is actually really useful — regular scratching helps cats shed the outer claw sheath and keeps claws from becoming overgrown or curved, which matters more as cats get older. 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 mid-use. To point you in the right direction: how big is your Birman, does she tend to scratch vertically or horizontally, and what's she currently going for around the house?

That tells me a lot. The small post is almost certainly the problem — if she can't get a full stretch on it, it's not satisfying the instinct and she'll keep going back to the door frame. Birmans are medium-sized but they need more height than most cheap posts offer. What does the post you have look like — roughly how tall, and what's it covered in?

Both problems right there. Forty centimetres is too short for a full vertical stretch — you want at least 60 to 65cm for a cat her size. And carpet is a real mismatch for a lot of cats; it can feel similar to the floor and doesn't give the drag and resistance that makes scratching feel rewarding. Sisal rope or sisal fabric is almost always more appealing for vertical scratching because it shreds satisfyingly and lets claws really dig in. My recommendation is the SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post. It's 81cm tall, covered in woven sisal, and — critically — it's weighted at the base so it doesn't tip or wobble. That stability matters enormously; one wobble and most cats won't go back. It's one of the few posts that genuinely fits adult cats properly.

Yes — placement is key. Put it right next to the spot she already scratches, the door frame or sofa arm, rather than tucking it in a corner. Cats scratch partly to mark territory, so they want the post where it will be seen and noticed. A little dried valerian or silvervine rubbed on the base can also help draw her over initially — some cats respond better to those than catnip. Once she's using it consistently for a few weeks, you can inch it to wherever you'd prefer it to live. Don't rush that move.

Good plan. Given her age and the vet's advice, it's worth checking in after a month or so — if she's using it regularly you should start to see cleaner, more even claw edges and less of the flaking that tends to build up in older cats. If she's still not engaging after a couple of weeks in the right spot, try a horizontal sisal pad alongside it; some cats prefer to mix both orientations. But my guess is the height and material change alone will make a real difference.