Scratchers ... cardboard vs sizal??

[michellephd]

What is everyones opinion of scratchers... cardboard or sizal? What is the best. I have been told of kittens getting skin irritations from cardboard ones. Is this possible? How common is it, if it IS possible?

 

[ilovemysphynx]

I am not sure about irritating the cat but the card board does break up pretty quickly and become a mess and I know that would irritate me.:Laugh:

 

[Inflamed]

I agree, the cardboard ones would seem to be very messy! I would also think that the sisal ones last longer too

 

[gothicmist]

I only have cardborad, well i suppose that is a lie the cat tree has one but they never use it. i cut their nails pretty short anyhow and jedi doesnt even put out his nails when he "scratches" haha it shoulds like someone just using thier hands haha.

 

[heather]

I've presented my sphynx with both cardboard and sisal and instead she chooses upholstery in the form of my dining room chairs. It seems to be a cat by cat preference. I've never heard of issues with cardboard but I can never get her to scratch at cardboard unless there's fresh catnip spread on it.

 

[bthomas]

Elvis has a cardboard scratcher, and he's had the same one since he came home to me. It has been getting use quite a bit recently, but I trim his nails pretty short so it seems to last longer. It hasn't been completely shredded, yet!

 

[Jocy24]

I have both and the cats use both kinds. Cardboard isn't so messy (nothing compared to litter) that I would get rid of it.

 

[LLevenson]

Arias prefers sisal...it probably is individual for each cat!

 

[Khaleesi]

I have never heard of cats getting irritated from scratchers. But I know with all my cats, cardboard ones never last and they make a mess. My cats loves sisal ones and they last so much longer. And for some odd reason one of my cats trys and eats the cardboard one. Hahaa

 

[Fester]

Both of my kitties refuse to even stand near something covered in sisal... go figure

 

[michellephd]

The person who told me that the skin irritation was caused by a cardboard scratcher, was someone who was trying to sell me a kitty, and when I asked about the skin blemishes, that was the excuse she gave me.

 

[SphynxKid]

My Moses LOVES his cardboard scratcher. He went to a cat-sitter this weekend and out of everything, that is the one thing I put in the car first (before the cat even!!). I have not had a problem with it being messy. I thought at first I had to replace them when they got used, because they sell replacements, but we have had this one for probably 2 years and he still uses it 10 or mroe times a day! We also have a carpeted cat tree and they both use that regularly as well, that makes more of a mess than the cardboard scratcher. No irritation from either here. Whichever they will use will probably work best. I always worried about irritation from the sial and feared they would not want to rub up against it because it was too rough. THey never p[lay with that one at Petsmart when we go there!

Jen

 

[rogerswabbit]

Mine use a cat tree and seemed to enjoy it a lot until I got new couches *that look*. Now I am fighting the good fight to keep them from scratching on THEM and tearing them up. I was wondering if I should try some of the cardboard ones just for a variety for them so they would leave my furniture alone

 

[NinaGato]

We more have horizontal VS vertical question when it comes to scratchen'. But cardboard and carpet are at the top of the fave scratchen' surfaces. Merlin prefers fabrics and carpet but Loki LOVES cardboard. He wears them out. They look like a wild animal has gotten to them

Smart Sphynx on the go use Tapatalk for smartphones

 

[Want2beasphynxiated]

Sisal. Specifically the Scratch n' Scroll I bought at Walmart for $20. She loves it so much we bought her a second one for downstairs.

 

[Jenamarie7]

Well, my sphynx just bloodied her face up rubbing against the new cardboard scratcher I bought for her tonight. SO... I'm gonna say its DEFINITELY POSSIBLE... but prob only if you have a possessed sphynx like mine. :::rubbing temples::::

 

[Boonecat]

I had a cardboard scratcher shaped like a wave. My 5 cats weren't interested in it. My daughter gave it to me, cuz' her cat never used it either. I donated it to an animal shelter in my city. Our cat tower has tons of sisal posts that are just now beginning to fall apart & unravel.