Cat Scratching Post Placement

If your cat ignores its scratching post and uses the sofa, the usual reason is that the post is in the wrong place, too short, or wobbly. The Cornell Feline Health Center’s advice is to put the post next to the area your cat already likes to scratch, and move it gradually to where you want it once it is being used. Start from where the cat scratches, not from where the post looks tidy.

This guide follows that Cornell page and one large owner survey. Product details are the makers’ own, read on 10 October 2026; we have not tested the products. Some cat breeds are more energetic scratchers than others, but the rules are the same for all of them. For other unwanted habits, see our cat behavior problem-solver.

Why Cats Scratch

Cornell describes scratching as largely a marking behavior: it deposits scent from glands on the cat’s paws into its territory. It also leaves a visible mark, and it works the claws and stretches the body. None of that can be trained away. What you can choose is the surface.

The Post Itself

Cornell gives three requirements.

Tall enough. At least as tall as your cat standing on its hind legs with its front legs outstretched. A large cat such as a Maine Coon needs a taller post than the average one in the shop.

Sturdy enough that it does not topple during use. A post that tips once may not be trusted again.

The right material for your cat. Cornell suggests sisal or another rope-like material for a cat that scratches the couch, and a carpet-covered post for one that scratches carpet.

A survey of 4,331 cat owners fills in the detail: rope was the surface cats used most often when it was offered, although carpet was what owners most often provided. Cats aged 10 to 14 were the exception and preferred carpet. Cats also used their preferred surface more when the post was a simple upright or a cat tree with at least two levels and at least 3 feet high.

The SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post is an example of the simple upright type: 32 inches of sisal on a wide, heavy base.

Where to Put It

Beside what the cat scratches now. The corner of the sofa, the door frame, the stair carpet. This is Cornell’s first instruction.
Where the cat spends its time. Scratching is marking, and cats mark the places that matter to them - not the back bedroom.
Near where the cat sleeps. Many cats stretch and scratch when they wake.
Where it will not get knocked. Against a wall is steadier than in a walkway.

Once the cat is using the post, move it a little at a time toward where you would like it. If the cat goes back to the furniture, you moved too far or too fast.

Upright and Flat

Some cats scratch upward, some along the floor, many do both. If your cat scratches rugs or the stair treads, give it a flat or angled scratcher as well as a post.

The PetFusion Ultimate Cat Scratcher Lounge is a long, curved cardboard scratcher that many cats also lie on.

How Many

More kinds, in more places. In the owner survey, unwanted scratching went down as the number of different types and styles of post in the home went up. For one cat, an upright post and a flat scratcher in two different rooms is a reasonable start.

Getting a Cat Off the Furniture

Do both halves at once.

Make the post attractive. Put it right beside the damaged spot. Cornell suggests enticing the cat with treats or catnip placed on or around the post. Reward the cat when it uses it.

Make the furniture unattractive. Cornell’s suggestions: cover the item with a blanket, a sheet of plastic, or double-sided tape.

Trim the claws. Cornell notes that regular trimming minimizes scratching damage. Ask your vet’s nurse to show you how if you have not done it before.

What Not to Do

Do not punish. Shouting, spraying or chasing teaches a cat to be wary of you, and to scratch when you are out of the room.

Do not drag the cat’s paws down the post. A cat handled that way may learn to avoid the post.

Declawing is not a fix. It is the surgical removal of the end bone of each toe. Cornell says it should be considered only as an absolute last resort when all other strategies are unsuccessful. A study of 137 declawed and 137 non-declawed cats found that declawing increased the risk of unwanted behaviors - including biting and urinating or defecating outside the litter box - and may increase the risk of back pain.

Nail Caps

Cornell describes plastic nail caps, glued over the claws, as an option: the cat goes through the motions of scratching without doing damage, and the caps are replaced every 6 to 12 weeks. They suit some cats and some owners; the cat still needs something to scratch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my cat ignore the new scratching post?

Most often it is in the wrong place, or it is too short or unsteady. Put it beside whatever the cat scratches now.

How tall should a scratching post be?

At least as tall as your cat standing on its hind legs with its front legs stretched up, according to Cornell.

What material is best?

Rope or sisal for most cats; in the owner survey, cats of 10 to 14 years preferred carpet. Watch what your own cat chooses.

My cat only scratches the floor. Do I need an upright post?

Give it a flat scratcher first, since that is what it is asking for, and offer an upright as well.

Does catnip help?

Cornell suggests it as a way to draw a cat to the post. Not every cat responds to catnip.

How long does it take?

It varies. Keep the post beside the furniture and the cover on the furniture until the cat has been using the post reliably for some weeks, then move the post gradually.

Final Word

A post that is tall enough, steady, covered in something your cat likes to dig its claws into, and standing where the cat already scratches will be used. Protect the furniture while the habit changes, trim the claws, and leave punishment and surgery out of it.

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