What size scratcher does your cat need? A simple rule that always works

Buy a scratcher that’s too small and your cat will use it — badly, briefly, with their back half hanging off. The stretch is the whole point, so size matters more than any other spec.

The rule of paw

The scratcher should be at least as long as your cat from nose to base of tail. That’s the length that lets them plant both front paws, arch the back and pull — the full movement. When you’re between sizes, go up: no cat has ever complained about a bigger bed.

By weight and life stage

• Kittens and small cats (up to ~4 kg): a compact 54–63 cm scratcher fits a windowsill or corner and is light enough to move around. Kittens grow into the bigger end fast — our Modern (54 cm) and Bionics (63 cm) cover this range.
• Average adult cats (4–7 kg): 59–70 cm. Wider decks like the Vanguard (59 cm, extra wide) suit cats who like to sprawl; the Loft (70 cm) is scratcher and bed in one.
• Large breeds — Maine Coon, Ragdoll, British (7 kg+): think 70–85 cm minimum. A Maine Coon can be a metre long nose to tail; a small scratcher is furniture-scale comedy to them. The Fusion (77 cm, two levels) and Grunge (84 × 37 cm) are built for exactly this.
• Two cats: either two scratchers in different rooms (ideal — cats like their own territory) or one genuinely wide XL they can share without arguments.

Don’t forget height and weight of the scratcher itself

A horizontal scratcher should be heavy and wide enough not to slide mid-scratch — dense 5-layer board provides that mass. A light, hollow scratcher that skids across the floor gets abandoned as fast as a wobbly post.

Still unsure between two models? The full size guide has a side-by-side table — or just message us with your cat’s weight and we’ll answer the same day.