SmartCat Pioneer Pet Ultimate Scratching Post (Beige)

This is the absolute best buy I've ever made for cat scratchers!!! It's so good I just bought another one. I bought one for my mom's cat at Christmas and just another fir my cats. Easy to put together. It's tall enough for bigger cats to stretch out. It's sturdy. The cats love it! The quality is great compared to the one that I purchased at a pet store chain for the same price. It did not fair well and is not as large. I've recommended this to friends! I've added a picture comparing the one I replaced to this one and a new video of Rascal with his 9 month old scratcher. He loves it!

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. 6x6" 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!

*Disclaimer DON'T BUY FROM AMAZON WAREHOUSE. Ordered a scratcher to replace my old one that lasted 7 years and they sent one that claimed to be in very good condition and was missing pieces. Amazon eventually refunded me but it wasn't worth the hassle. Just buy new.Otherwise this is SUCH a great scratcher. Lots of life, easy to put together, super sturdy even for the big cat to stand on, especially now with the perch you can buy separately. Once one side gets scratched up, you can flip the post as well. Glad they started making it in gray too, will help hide the hair :D I wish they sold replacement sisal for it because the post is so sturdy, that's really all that needed replaced. Won't buy any other scratcher!

This is the best scratching post I’ve ever bought. I used to use the carpeted posts that cost around the same but they don't last. After a year the carpet is shredded and gets all over the place. This seems like it will hold up a lot longer. It took about a week for my cats to figure out what it was but once they did they use it all the time. It’s pretty tall so they can stretch out while scratching. The base is large so its not going to tip over and it looks nice too. I may get another one once my other old carpeted on finally falls apart.## Edit 8/2018 ##I’ve had this scratching post for almost 2 years now and you can barely tell it’s been used. I ended up buying a second one and that’s in great shape too. The cats use them frequently and they do not fall apart. I expect this to last a few more years and maybe even longer. Very good quality for a very reasonable price.*Edit Dec 2020*These things are still in great shape. No signs of falling apart any time soon. These are the absolute best scratching posts I’ve ever bought and I’m replacing the cat condo that my cats destroyed within a year with one with the same type of sisal material. I am never buying a carpeted scratch post or condo again.Btw, These cost more now than my original purchase but I feel it’s still a fair price. The length these will last will pay for itself.**Edit January 2023**It’s been a good run but both of these are starting to fall apart and “shed”. The oldest one is in worse shape, but the newer one I can probably get the rest of the year out of. If I turn it around, maybe the cat will scratch the less worn parts?Like I’ve said. These are excellent scratching posts and hold up for a long time. The price is almost DOUBLE the price it was in 2016 and 2017 when I bought them last and that is absolutely ridiculous, even with inflation. So I won’t be buying these again unless the price drops considerably. I’ll add it to my cart and keep track of it.**Update Aug 2024**You can’t ask for a longer lasting scratching post, and mine are now 7 and 8 years old. I keep turning them around so the less worn part is showing because these are still priced too high. Im cheap (also known as broke) I’m not paying $50 each for a scratching post, but at least the price has come down some. Maybe next year.**Update May 2025**Well it’s next year and the price is currently $60 for something that was half the price when I originally bought it. At least it lasts a long time. 8-9 years old and they are finally at the end of their usable life. I’ve turned them around to the “good side” so many time trying to get every last drop of life out of these things but now they’re shedding and falling apart. The price is too high now, but they do last a long time. Kind of evens out I guess if you have to replace cheap carpeted scratching posts every year or so. I think I’ll have to look for something else.** Update August 2025 **Finally replaced one of these after what was it, 8 or 9 years. Last couple of years they were really showing their age. But lasted a long time. Still outrageously overpriced though.

The name fits - it is ultimate! This is extremely sturdy, and very heavy! It is holding up very well, so far no shreds coming off. It is very tall and large - almost a piece of furniture unto itself. The cats are using it - and that says it all. I am hoping that it stands up to the claws for a long time. It was easy to assemble, and came very well packaged.