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Some cat products really stand the test of time, and the Ultimate Scratching Post from SmartCat is one of those classic designs. When you look at the basics of cat scratching, the key elements are a sturdy scratching post that is tall enough to give cats a good stretch when they scratch. Also, the scratching material has to let cats really sink their claws in and it should be durable enough to withstand use over time. The Utimate Scratching Post meets all these requirements, in a clean simple design that can be placed anywhere in your home, not to mention with a really attractive price.
And they get bonus points for making the top just large enough and the structure sturdy enough for cats to perch on top! Available on Amazon and Chewy.com.
*FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links including Amazon Associate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links, Hauspanther will get a small commission. We are dedicated to finding the coolest products for cats and cat lovers and we never recommend anything that we don’t love. The manufacturer sent us a complimentary sample of this product for review.
My cats have shredded theirs in under 3 years so I’m stuck with a big hunk of wood covered with disintegrating sisal. Company doesn’t make/sell replacement fabric so I’m looking for my own substitute. Disappointing.
Hi Kristen,
I happened to see this and I just wanted to explain a bit: We build our product to the highest standard that protects the cat. Our product has no nails or staples outside of the post that could damage a cat’s paw and would stop the cat from using the post. Unfortunately if we had a post that could have replaceable sisal we would need screws or nails to hold the sisal. I hope this helps to better understand why we design the post this way. Thank you for using SmartCat : )
It seems strange that you can’t replace the center. There are screws that attach the top and bottom to the center column, why not sell a center column replacement? There’s no need to throw out the top and bottom every time you need a replacement. I’ve had mine for a number of years and they’ve been all but destroyed by the cats and now I am looking to replace the center column. I love these scratchers but I am really sad that I have to throw the whole thing out instead of just buy the part that needs replacing. It’s wasteful.
I will say, though that it is less wasteful than buying the cheap ones that only last a few months, but I’m disappointed that there is no replacement for these. I live in the city and it’s very hard to dispose of large objects in the trash.
I totally understand this logic and value the safety aspect for our fur-babies. As a suggestion, maybe a replacement column…make the column as usual, but then the customer can just unscrew the column from wood top/bottom and rescue new column in. This also helps to conserve Susie’s. Good marketing li e.
Amazon carries a sisel indoor/outdoor runner rug for around $19-$20. You can cut several replacement pieces for the scratching post. Hope this helps you.
We have one of these at the shelter where I volunteer. The kitties really love it and get a great stretch when they use it.
Love love love this scratcher! We’ve had it for nearly four years and it still looks great. They use it every single day & have never tried to scratch our furniture or other surfaces. It doesn’t wobble or tip when they scratch. One of my cats gets on with all four feet and goes to town. I couldn’t be happier with the decision to buy this for my cats.
This scratcher is our gold standard. There are 2 in the main hallway, one well used, and the other being broken in. Great price on a tall, tough scratcher that has everything cats want and need, while looking great in almost any decor. Everyone owes their cats one of these!
Our cats love this. My only complaint is that it’s not easily reversible so that the top, which gets worn first, can be turned upside down for even wear. We’all try drilling a few holes in the base pieces to see if we can make it work.
I’ve had one of these for several years and it looks like new because none of the seven cats will use it other than to sit on. They all prefer the sisal and carpet on their trees instead.
Seconded on it’s a great piece of kit, but the fabric needs to be replaceable. I have two of these and sewed a coconut fiber doormat around one after the sisal died, trying to find something better for next time (tatami mat maybe?).
Hi,
I happened to see this and I just wanted to explain a bit: We build our product to the highest standard that protects the cat. Our product has no nails or staples outside of the post that could damage a cat’s paw and would stop the cat from using the post. Unfortunately if we had a post that could have replaceable sisal we would need screws or nails to hold the sisal. I hope this helps to better understand why we design the post this way. Thank you for using SmartCat : )
That’s actually not true. You use screws to place it the way it originally goes. If a person were able to turn it the other way and simply screw it in the same way it is originally, there would be no screws or nails or anything that could hurt any cat. I’m certain that the real reason it was created so that it can’t be reversed is money, i.e. we love the scratcher, and once it wears out, we have to invest in a whole new product, which costs more than buying a replacement piece.
There’s simply NO way that you couldn’t have created it so that the cat gets full use of it before having to toss it.
Love mine too, but with 5 cats, it’s looking shaggy. I like the Mountain Cat one better. It seems to be holding up better.
Agree 100%. They cd still make $ selling the replacement sisal for $20
I agree that the fabric needs to be replaceable. We had one for a few years and it was the best scratching post ever, however when it wore out we ended up wrapping it in sisal (long process). That wore out within a year or two and we were so fed up with the fact that there was no easy replacement that we threw it out. What a waste of a sturdy scratching post that could have lasted a decade or more. It’s sad that a product with such excellent distribution that works so well wasn’t supported for the long term.
I have one of these and my big 14 pound orange boy uses it every single day, several times a day. He LOVES the stretch and scratching he gets on it (and loves to sit on top of it) and I love the fact that he doesn’t scratch the furniture! I’ve had mine for about a year now and it looks fine. Honestly, if mine started to look a little shaggy, I think I’d just wrap it with sisal rope to see if I could make it last longer – because the sturdiness of it, compared to any others on the market (for the price) is just fantastic, IMO. I’m a fan 🙂
I don’t need a new scratching post right now, but when I do, I’m going to get this one. At this price, I don’t know why people would complain about it not lasting longer. ANY fabric covering a scratching post is not going to last forever. The price is certainly reasonable, even if you have to replace the entire post every 3 years or so.
I could really make use of that scratching post so my cat would stop scratching on my furniture.
The. Best. Scratching post.
You mention a price of $39.99. I cannot find the post at that price anywhere. What site has the post for $39.99?
It seems the price has gone up since the original post, but it’s still a good deal!
If these were made to be reversible it would be a big help. The bottom 3/4 of the shaft remains unused. We have two, and I bought the second one for our cat to use while I figured out how to reverse the shaft of the first one and fasten it absolutely securely to the base. I can drill new holes, but without being able to get inside to fit t-nuts, I guess I need screw anchors. By the time I got around to thinking about experimenting, our cat had adopted both posts. So now I guess I need to get a third one. What would be the big deal in making the top of the shaft the same as the bottom so the thing can be reversed? What a waste! Or is it cynical? Such a simple thing, one has to wonder.
Also — the base isn’t as wobble-free as claimed. The shaft doesn’t wobble on the base so much; the base (too light) wobbles on the (perfectly flat) floor. It needs to be fastened to a heavier piece of particle board or similar underneath.
Please make a center replacement. It’s extremely wasteful and unnecessary to toss the entire post when it’s easy to replace the scratcher portion.
I’m genuinely surprised that, in the eight years since someone first mentioned it, there’s no way to have a replacement sisal. As far as attaching the material is concerned, how is it attached to begin with? Surely it’s not that hard to replace. Think of the money you’d make with a $20 replacement material!