Cat Tower with Scratching Post: Why My Cat Finally Stopped Destroying the Sofa
How did I go from being a “sofa victim” to someone who genuinely believes in cat towers?
If you are currently searching for “cat tower with scratching post,” I can probably tell what’s been going on at your place.
Your cat might have just –
✔ taken the sofa corner as its own personal exercise equipment
✔ slowly destroyed the edge of the carpet
✔ or, while you were watching, kept scratching with that innocent look
Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Back then, it was only after my sofa got destroyed for the third time that I realized:
The problem wasn’t with the cat, but with me.
Let me be clear: cats scratching things is not a “bad habit.”
This was the first lesson I learned on my journey of owning a cat.
Cat scratching has nothing to do with whether a cat “obeys” or not.
For a cat, this is a basic need, on par with eating and sleeping.
They scratch because:
Their claws need regular maintenance.
Emotions need to be released.
The body needs stretching.
And honestly, they’re also saying, “I was here.”
So when you don’t provide it with a suitable place to scratch,
then the sofa, curtains, door frames…
in the cat’s eyes, they are just “poorly placed scratching posts.”
Why did I end up choosing the cat tower with a scratching post?
I have tried many “temporary solutions.”
Cardboard scratching pads, wall-clinging scratching mats, and the so-called “certainly loved by cats” small scratching posts…
The results were basically the same:
The cats would use them politely for a minute or two, and then continue to scratch the sofa.
It wasn’t until I seriously looked into cat towers with scratching posts that I realized:
The things I had previously used were completely inconsistent with how cats actually behave.
Cats don’t just want to “scratch a little.”
What they really desire is:
Stretch the body vertically
Scratch steadily and forcefully
After scratching, climb up, lie down, and observe the world
And all of these can’t be achieved by a single flat scratch board.
A good cat tower doesn’t need instructions — the cat will tell you
The method I use to judge whether a cat tower is good or not is very simple:
I don’t teach anything. I just watch whether the cat will use it on its own.
A truly suitable cat tower with a scratching post usually has several clear signs:
Just a short while after being put down, the cat starts circling it.
Visible scratch marks on the scratching post appear quickly.
The cat doesn’t just pass by; it actually stops and stays.
If a cat tower just sits there like a decorative piece of furniture,
it’s likely that “humans like it, but cats don’t care about it.”
To be honest: which details are really important?
1.The scratching post needs to be tall (this is really crucial)
When a cat scratches, it instinctively straightens its entire body.
If the scratching post is too short, it will turn around and look for a “more suitable” place —
such as the backrest of your sofa.
Experience points:
At least the cat’s front paws need to be able to fully extend.
2.Stability is a hundred times more important than appearance
Cats are not stupid.
They won’t exert all their strength on something that keeps moving back and forth.
If the tower shakes when the cat jumps on it,
the cat will come to only one conclusion:
“It’s not safe. Next one.”
3.The material should feel firm and satisfying to scratch
My cat has a very clear preference for materials:
Something rough, sturdy, and capable of making sounds.
Fabric that’s too soft may look luxurious, but the cat shows no interest at all.
Where to place the cat tower? It’s more important than you think.
This was something I only came to understand later.
Many people place the cat tower in the corner for the following reason:
“It doesn’t block the way.”
But the problem is —
The cat doesn’t want to be exiled.
The cat tower that my cat uses most frequently is located right next to the living room.
It allows the cat to watch what’s going on, hear the sounds, and keep an eye on everything.
Cats are social animals.
They want to “participate” rather than be isolated.
Things have changed for younger cat owners
I noticed a rather interesting change.
Nowadays, many people my age who own cats are no longer satisfied with “cheap and temporary.”
What people care about more is:
Can it last for a long time?
Do cats really like it?
Will living together become easier?
The cat tower with a scratching post is constantly searched for,
not because it is trendy,
but because it solves a long-term problem.
It was under this circumstance that I noticed brand names like mewzoom.
Not because of advertisements, but because their structure and proportions
are clearly designed from a cat’s perspective.
This difference, to be honest, is something cats can distinguish better than humans.
If you are still hesitating now, here are three safe suggestions for you.
1.First, observe the habits of the cats, then choose the cat tower.
Cats that like to climb high and those that prefer to move horizontally have completely different needs.
2.A simple structure is fine, but it must be stable.
The cat would rather have a sturdy “standard model”
than a wobbly “luxury model.”
3.Don’t hide the cat tower.
Place it in an area where people often spend time, and its usage rate will be much higher.
One last honest thought
When I stopped trying to “prevent the cat from scratching”
and instead gave it a better alternative,
the problems in the house gradually disappeared.
The cat wasn’t deliberately causing trouble;
it was just trying to be a normal cat.
A truly useful cat tower with a scratching post
is not a toy for the cat,
but rather a “legitimate territory” for the cat in this home.
If what you are looking for is not just a decoration,
but a solution that can make both you and the cat feel more at ease —
then you are on the right track.