The idea of cat scratchers is to protect your costly furniture from your pet cats that have a tendency to scratch in order to sharpen their claws. When you buy cat furniture or any other type of furniture, it’s helpful to know why the cats have a tendency to scratch. The main reason for them to scratch is to mark their own territory. This is instinctual and natural so your cat will do so even in the case of being the only pet in the house. Also, the act of scratching helps in removal of the dead cells from their claw sheaths, and in stretching their ligaments and muscles.

Previously, cat furniture used to be covered with carpet. It looked good, and offered a material or surface which cats like to scratch. Even though some of the cat furniture today - particularly hand-made models - still includes carpet, most carpeting nowadays comprises fabric loops. After continuous scratching, cat claws may cut through them, causing shredding.

With a new acrylic material specially made for the cat furniture industry, fabric loops are not formed. As a result, it doesn’t shred, and therefore lasts longer than carpet. However, it doesn’t provide the resistance that carpet does when cats scratch it, so they don’t really relish scratching on it. But cat scratchers help them in fulfilling this instinctive urge.

There are several innovative types of cat scratchers available on the market. Depending on your budget, you can buy good quality cat scratchers at very competitive prices.