Cat Tree/Scratcher Recommendations

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Hello,

I just moved to Zurich with my cat and can't seem to find a scratcher he likes. Back home his scratcher is sturdy, has a circular basket at the top, and the entire tree is coated in a medium pile carpet. All the cat towers I've found here seem to have a faux fur fabric on the tiers, rope on the posts, and a basket that is too small or flimsy. Unfortunately, my cat ignores these towers and goes for the couch instead. Please let me know if you have any recommendations for a cat tower of this style. I'd say the most important criteria is having the carpet material for him to scratch on the posts.

Thank you in advance!

(p.s. he also refuses to acknowledge the cardboard panels/blocks, even when catnip is added)

2
Smear catnip of the scratcher -he‘ll love it. Better still fresh Cat Mint...

3
My cats were lucky enough to be gifted as second hand "Joy" cat tree from Pet Fun . It's super sturdy and you can remove all the fabric parts for washing. They are more expensive than that standard plush-covered horrors (sorry, but I hate to think what lives in that plush after a few years) but their near indestructability means that the second hand ones that can be found for much less are still in great nick. There are also spare parts available of everything if you do need to replace something.

As for retraining the behaviour: My older cat had brief notions of wanting to use the sofa for scratching but I would simply tell her "No" in a calm voice, then take her to her tree and fuss over her for being a good cat when she would start to scratch there upon being told to "scratch scratch". Occasionally, a treat was given. Now I can stand next to the tree and say scratch scratch - she comes running and starts doing it. Bonus: the young cat copied her behaviour and never went for the sofa in the first place.

What cdefinitely doesn't work is simply telling them No without providing a viable alternative. They may stop while you are watching but turn your back and they are back at it.

4
Our cats really like the scratching carpet that Ikea sells to wrap around table legs, it's looser than the posts so they can really get their claws into it, and also a bit higher and probably more stable.

5
I have several trees from zooplus/bitiba of their brand Natural Paradise Premium, for almost 3 years now, and almost zero issues (I have a crazy muscle cat who managed to disassemble one part with his sprints, eg broke it when jumped on it and off it, so he's a destroyer, I even have holes in the wall when he uses wall as a spring - part had I think 11 nails, and no I cannot tear down the other part with my hands no matter how hard I try, so I can't imagine the force he made).

And another damage is one hanging mat was torn from the bottom, but that's my fault, we played with cats through the mat, and they grabbed toys and eventually pulled out some string, and then the main mission was to destroy that string so now we have a hole. Top part is still perfectly fine and used and I'm lazy to sew the hole.

Anyhow, plush parts are removable and washable. Beds are comfortable and used all the time.

However, they have 2 types, either sisal rope around the stem, or the sisal carpet.

Can't recall if they have anything different.

There are some really expensive custom made cat trees out there but I don't think I've ever seen one with just a carpet. However, maybe you can ask someone to make you one?

I forgot the link where I saw some, this google gave me now:

http://www.katzenbaum.ch/

https://www.goldtatze.ch/

Or maybe you can just buy carpet he might like and put it on some part? Zip ties on strategic positions and squeezed tight might work? Didn't try, I'm just guessing.