The corrugation is the whole point. Loosely packed cardboard shreds on the first go and looks wrecked within a week. Cardboard cat scratchers built at this density hold their shape while still giving cats that satisfying tearing feel, and the curve means the surface stays under the paw as your cat pulls back along it. At 59cm long and 4cm high it is a low profile piece, 0.45kg, so it moves easily and stores flat. Cardboard scratcher cats actually commit to tends to be the dense sort.

Call it a cat scratch mat, a cat scratch board or a cat scratch pad and you are describing the same idea: a flat surface rather than an upright post. This one is closer to a cat scratching mat in shape but firmer underfoot, so it does not slide across laminate when a cat leans into it. The neutral Aurora beige and grey sits in a room without announcing itself, which is more than can be said for most scratching furniture.

Placement decides whether this gets used. Put the cat cardboard scratcher next to whatever your cat is already scratching, not in a spare corner where you would prefer the scratching happened. Cats scratch where they stretch after sleeping and where they mark territory, usually near a doorway, a sofa arm or their bed. Scratch cardboard cat behaviour is habitual, so a scratcher three metres from the habit will lose every time. Once the habit moves across, shift it gradually. Cat cardboard scratching leaves debris, so a spot you can sweep helps.

Lightweight, recyclable and cheap enough to replace when it has been thoroughly conquered. It suits kittens and adult cats, and it works indoors on hard floors or carpet. Browse the rest of our cat accessories range if you are setting up a few scratching spots around the house.

A surface a cat can rake its claws down to shed the outer claw sheath and stretch the spine. Cats do not sharpen their claws by scratching. The old nail layer flakes off and a new one is underneath.

Do cats prefer horizontal or vertical scratchers? It depends on the cat, and most households need both. Cats that scratch carpet, rugs or the base of the sofa are horizontal scratchers, and a post will never suit them. Cats that scratch the side of a chair or a door frame want height.

Scratching board for cats options split the same way. Flat boards and pads serve the horizontal habit. Posts and poles serve the vertical one.

How long does a cardboard cat scratcher last? Months rather than years, depending on the cat. A single enthusiastic cat will get through one in about three to six months. It recycles when it is done.

A cat scratcher rug or a scratch pad for cats works on the same principle as this one, just in a different material. Cardboard shreds, which is part of the appeal. Carpet frays and can catch a claw.

Cat scratchers uk buyers most often return are the ones that were too small or too unstable. At 59cm this is long enough for a full adult stretch.