Height is a barrier nobody mentions. A lounger 13cm off the ground asks an arthritic or overweight cat to lift itself up before it can scratch, and plenty will not bother. At 8cm this one is barely a step, so a cat can walk onto it from the floor. That is the only real reason to choose it over the deeper loungers, and it is a good one.

A curve holds a cat in position and suits one that likes to settle. A flat deck lets a cat stand square and drag back along the full 48cm without the surface pushing up under the chest. Cats that scratch standing up tend to prefer flat. Cats that scratch lying down usually prefer the curve, and both shapes sit in the cat scratchers range.

Watch a cat work a low deck and it braces with the back legs and drags backwards, which is a different movement from reaching up a post. Cat cardboard scratching done this way needs length more than height, and a surface that does not tilt or lift at the far end. A deck 8cm off the floor cannot rock, because there is nothing for it to rock on.

Layered corrugate packed tight enough that the flutes hold their shape under a paw. At 1.01kg it is the heaviest of the loungers despite being the thinnest, which tells you the board is dense rather than airy. Dense board sheds in strips instead of crumbling, so the mess is easier to sweep.

Small and medium cats, older cats, and any cat that has stopped using a taller scratcher. Not a large cat. This is the narrowest deck in the range and a big animal hangs over the sides of it. The Kansas lounger runs 32cm across and 13cm deep if size is the priority.

A flat deck suits a cat that scratches standing square; a curve suits one that settles into it. Neither is better. Watch whether your cat stands or lies down when it scratches and buy to match.

The best cat scratcher for older cats is the lowest one you can find. Joint stiffness and weight gain both make climbing unattractive long before scratching stops being enjoyable. An 8cm step is low enough for most cats that have given up on a tall post.

Do cats prefer flat or raised scratchers? It splits roughly evenly, and it is about posture rather than preference. Cats that brace on their back legs want flat. Cats that like to drape want a raised edge to lean into.

What size cat scratcher for a medium cat? Around 45cm long and at least 24cm wide. This one is 48 by 24cm, so a medium cat fits with nothing to spare. Anything larger wants a wider deck.

How to choose a cardboard cat scratcher: match the height to your cat's mobility, the length to its body, and the shape to how it stands. Board density decides how long it lasts. Price rarely tells you any of those four things.

Scratcher cardboard comes in single and double layer. Single is lighter and cheaper and flattens sooner under a heavy cat. Double holds up longer. This one is single layer but densely packed, which is the middle option.