Actually, sisal is a plant. In Latin, it is called Agave sisalana. The fiber yielded from this plant is very stiff, being used in making rope and twine. In absence of real trees, cats like scratching its rough structure (which remind of the tree bark). Also, let’s not forget that sisal is a natural product – cats will always prefer a natural scratching surface to an artificial one!

In the cat furniture industry, two types of sisal products are used: sisal rope and sisal fabric. Many cat owners agree on the fact that cats prefer the texture of the woven sisal fabric to the raw sisal rope which is wrapped around the post: sisal fabric, unlike sisal rope, offers double satisfaction to the cats: besides being a rough (thus satisfying) scratching surface, the fabric can also be shredded – an activity which cats really enjoy!

By the way, sisal fabric can be used as a wall covering, which cats can find extremely attractive – so don’t do this if you have cats in the house!

A good example of a sisal fabric covered cat scratching post is the Purrfect Post. It is available in several versions. The Purrfect Post Standard costs $59, the Purrfect Angle (an inclined sisal fabric scratching board) is available for the same price, the Mondo (a bigger post with a cat perch on top) can be purchased for $139 and the Purrfect View (a double sisal scratching post with a cat bed on top of the bigger post and a cat perch on top of the smaller one) costs $189. All Purrfect Post products are tall, sturdy and stable, being appropriate even for extremely big cats!

Another interesting model of sisal fabric covered scratching post is the GoPetClub Cat Tree Toy Scratching Post. It is built to fit into any angle from your house or apartment – no matter if it’s a wall, a closet or a desk. Many cats have the habit of scratching and shredding all the available corners. With such a sisal fabric covered post, you’ll protect your corners and allow your cat to satisfy all her scratching instincts!

If you’re looking for a sisal rope scratching post, you have lots of options as well. Even if sisal rope is not so appropriate for shredding (like sisal fabric), it is still a wonderful scratching surface, being rough and sturdy – a real challenge for the claws of your little feline! You can find online hundreds of different sisal rope covered products – from simple posts to complex cat gyms and condos.

When buying a sisal scratching post, however, remember which is the purpose of this item: first of all, it has to be very appealing for your cat – more appealing than your sofa or your wallpaper! If you noticed that your kitty also enjoys scratching your carpets, you can buy a post covered with both carpet and sisal fabric. Remember to avoid short and light posts – cats simply can’t stand objects which collapse easily – that’s why, by the way, they enjoy clawing at your furniture! It is strong and stable!

Besides satisfying your kitty’s needs, the cat scratching post also has to look good! Fortunately, most posts are available in different colors and designs, so you can easily choose a product which suits your needs.