SmartCat Final Scratching Submit – Beige, Massive 32 Inch Tower – Sisal Fiber, Easy Design – For All Cats

Impressive! Big! Sturdy as a Brick **** House! Did I say Impressive?
OMG – Insanely good and sturdy. OK, now for why I say that. I used to have a huge carpet covered cat tower with a pagoda type house on top (still have it, just not in the living room any longer). First thing each morning and thru out the day, my indoor/outdoor (ie has claws) female cat would just shred the daylights out of it. And there would be plastic strands sticking out all over so every month or so I had to give the cat tower a “hair cut”. Finally it looked so bad I moved it out to the porch. Which started Ms Claws (Tootsie) going after a couple of recliners, and (her favorite) the wicker shelving in the bathroom. I needed a scratch post for inside.
I looked at ALL of them on Amazon. I read HUNDREDS of reviews. While sisal covered things never excited Tootsie, it became obvious any scratching post with carpet would be quickly dispatched to the dump once she laid into it. So sisal it would have to be. Then everyone said having the post be tall enough so the kitty could stretch was very important. Made sense to me as she would stretch out on the wicker shelf unit in the bathroom before reducing it to rubble even further. So I found this one. Kinda pricey I thought but at 32″ high, it was the tallest one on Amazon. And reviewers said it was sturdy (don’t need some tippy piece of crap).
So I got this cat scratching post. And some of the catnip spray that some reviewers used to entice kitty to like the scratching post. And I got a dealie bob that is covered in sisal to hang from the front door knob (hoping she’d scratch that to go out rather than the trim around the door) (that hasn’t happened yet).
Before we see how it worked, let me tell you how it’s built. I come from an engineering background as does all my family. So I can recognize sturdy and well built from cheap piece O crapola. Ha! Even tho it said it is 32″ tall, it doesn’t really register until you see that it stands taller than the bathroom vanity. The base is 16″ x 16″ which others have said gave it stability. They are correct. And then if you look real closely at the base of the sisal part you’ll see some molding that rings the square vertical post. Because that part is screwed firmly into the vertical part covered in sisal, it increases the stability factor a great deal (someone was thinking when they designed this). The wood surfaces have a nice finish on them. It’s a nice nuetral color overall so will match nearly any decor. Oh, and the sisal covered part is approx. 6×6″ so quite stout compared to a 4″ cardboard tube with carpet stapled to it. And it is bombproof.
I first tried squirting the catnip spray on it. Meh! says the cat, the wicker shelf unit is more fun. Then I take the peacock feather that I use for the “behind the bathroom door” game and wiggle the eye end of the feather up by the top of the post. Tootsie sees it. She crouches. She wiggles her butt in the pre-launch stage. Then she LEAPS up, landing clinging by front and back claws to the upper part of the post, nailing the feather and hanging well above the floor. Whoa! and the post didn’t even wobble or jiggle or lean. Ninja Kitty made a flying leap and the post just sat there, all nice and steady. After a few rounds of flying kitty onto big tall sturdy scratching post, she got the idea that THIS was the new Scratchable of Choice. And it is definitely tall enough that nearly any cat (even the Big Boys) can get a good long stretch – fully extended my cat doesn’t reach the top.
I did read that the same company makes a shelf that can be screwed on top for your cat to lay on ($15.99 elsewhere on Amazon). But that person said they thought you could as easily make a better one by taking a piece of board, putting foam on it, then stapling fabric of your choice over that. While that is true, I figured what is the real chance of me doing that? (like in the next 5 years – let’s be real – not very big). I don’t really need a laying place on top of this but just thought I’d mention the options because others might like that. What we’re doing now is I put one of her toys up on top of the post. She sees it up there sometime during the day, and has to leap up and cling to the top of the post so she can knock it off. Then later I find it and put it back on top. You get the picture.
Anyways, this gets a 2 thumbs up as a big beefy cat scratching post. Oh, and another side note: My Maine Coon kitty (Cassie, built like a tank – a biiig girl) who had no front claws when I got her – she also likes to “scratch” and stretch on this sturdy post. So she can lean her big self against the post and remains rock solid. Love it!

OMG…he LOVED it immediately!
For the first time ever, our boy tried to scratch the corner of the leather soda in the front room. (He didn’t have a scratching post in that room) We decided we’d better get him something appropriate for him to scratch on in that room. (often the best solution to a scratching problem is just providing a preferable and acceptable alternative for their scratching desire) OMG…He LOVES this scratching post!! Literally minutes after I put it together and set it up for him, he immediately started scratching on it. This is a good-sized post at 32″ tall. Our cat is also a fairly-large boy. He’s long bodied and over15 lbs. As you can see in the photos, he’s able to reach up and stretch out on this the way cats really like to do. Even with his weight pulling on it, it’s very stable and doesn’t tip, wiggle or rock at all. Problem solved!! He loves it so much I think I may even get another one, to replace the somewhat-shorter one he has in the family room.
As usual, I do a lot of reading of reviews prior to deciding-on and making online purchases. This post was highly rated but… I also saw some negative reviews claiming things like: a strong odor, no base for stability, the top being unsuitable for a cat to perch, a cat’s claws got stuck in the material, and the instruction sticker on the bottom that doesn’t come off easily. While everyone’s experiences and views are different, (and my intent is NOT to contradict anyone), here are my observations with regard to those concerns:
As to the odor: Right out of the box, ours had no objectionable odor. I have a fairly sensitive sense of smell. While sisal (especially new sisal) sometimes does have a slight smell, (if you sniff it right up close), ours didn’t have any odor to speak of. I suspect that sisal rope/fabric that has been newly manufactured and sealed up is more likely to smell stronger than that which may have had more time to air out. I actually bought some sisal rope once for crafts that DID smell quite strongly, initially. While admittedly, I didn’t jam my nose against this scratching post and inhale deeply, this scratching post had no real odor that was noticeable, neither while assembling it, nor within even a few inches of it. We certainly can’t smell it in the room or anywhere close to it. Obviously as seen by the photos, it wasn’t in any way objectionable or off-putting to the cat either.
As to not having a stable base: As you can clearly see in my photos, mine has a wide base making it very stable. You should note that the unassembled base DOES come in two halves (I assume for ease of shipping/packaging) that first need to be secured together by wooden dowels. The assembled base is then screwed onto the bottom of the post. The base is then very stable. If someone’s didn’t have a base, I’d imagine they just received one that was missing the base in the box (??) Like I said…my cat is a 15lb “moose” and he doesn’t even tip this. I did make an effort though to be sure to line up the holes correctly so the base would screw on securely.
As to the top being unsuitable for a perch: No it isn’t, (and definitely not for our boy’s big-butt) but…I don’t believe the top alone was ever intended to be a perch “as is”. I believe they do sell a separate attachment that is a perch if you want one. I’d think it should also be fairly easy to make your own perch and attach it to the top if you want it to have one. We personally, only wanted it to be a scratching post. In our case, our cat has other places to “perch” that he prefers.
As to a cat’s claws getting stuck in the sisal fabric: If this is happening, it is NOT the fault of a scratching post, regardless of the material; but rather the cat’s claws are way too long and sharp and it needs its claws trimmed. A cat that spends a lot of time outdoors may wear of and dull it’s claws but an indoor cat especially, will often need regular nail trimming to keep its claws at a proper length. People need to understand that scratching posts do not trim or dull your cat’s claws. Cats are not attempting to trim or “wear down” their claws by scratching. Cats actually scratch to sharpen them. In a wild/feral cat, this would be a good thing, as normal activities and “use” would tend to wear and dull the tips of the claws. Dull claws would not be ideal for defense, hunting, climbing etc. Therefore, a cat instinctively scratches to sharpen the tips of its claws that have been dulled by normal use. As the cat scratches, the outer layer of the claw is peeled and sloughs off, leaving a new, sharper tip underneath. (much like a sharpened pencil) Often in our domestic cats however; the tips aren’t worn down nearly as quickly as they grow out and are sharpened. Whether indoors or outdoors, cats don’t realize whether or not NEED to sharpen their claws. They just do it instinctively therefore they want something to scratch on. A scratching post in your home merely provides an acceptable place to scratch so that your cat doesn’t use your furniture and door frames, etc instead. Likewise, a scratching post does not take the place of regular claw trimming when needed. Overly long claws can unintentionally snag on carpets, furniture, clothing and people when a cat is running, playing or even just walking-on or cuddling with its humans. Snagging can cause paw injuries as can claws that grow and curve around and poke into toe pads. Overly sharp claws hurt YOU when your fur-baby climbs onto or jumps up onto your lap. If a cat’s claws are getting stuck in anything where it can’t get loose…then the claws are definitely too long and need to be trimmed.
Finally, as to the sticker on the bottom of the base: While it may be true that if you attempt to peel it off, it leaves sticky adhesive behind…why even bother with peeling it off? I too started to try to peel it off. (more just out of force-of-habit than any other reason). I quickly realized it wouldn’t come off easily and decided there was no need or point in doing so. It’s on the bottom of the base. You can’t see it.It affects nothing. It’s easiest just to leave it alone. That said…if you just can’t stand knowing that darn sticker is on the bottom and you’re still dead-set on getting the sticker off, by all-means…you do you! There are adhesive and “gunk” removers (and sometimes even rubbing alcohol works) that should remove any residual sticky stuff.