Frisco Cactus Cat Scratching Post Review

In a world of boring cat furniture, why not add a cactus cat scratching post to your collection? We’re reviewing the Frisco Cactus Cat Scratching Post available from several major pet retailers. Ultimately, we enjoyed this cat scratcher and if budget isn’t a concern, you should consider picking one up yourself. You may be able to find a cheaper scratching post that better meets your needs but you certainly won’t find any others shaped like a cactus!

Frisco Cactus Cat Scratching Post Details

Price

You can find the 31inch model on Chewy for $37.20. For a scratching post, it’s a bit more on the expensive side. You could build your own cat scratcher for only a few dollars but it’s certainly a stylish addition to your cat furniture collection.

Quality

The cat cactus feels pretty sturdy once assembled. It is constructed in China and then shipped to the United States. This is the case for most cat furniture. The post holds up without wobbling when my 15lb short hair domestic cat leans up against it.

The actual scratching post is made up of a wrapped sisal rope. The rope appears to be about 1/4inch thick. Cats love sisal rope to draw their claws across keeping their nails sharp and healthy.

My only complaint with the quality stems from the fabric wrapping. In a few places the cloth seams can be easily seen and perhaps pulled apart. The cloth also covered the holes necessary to screw in the base so I ended up cutting the fabric a bit to make it fit together.

Assembly

Assembling the cat cactus takes no time at all. Two half circles form the base. The cactus body that forms the scratching post simply screws in. It’s very easy to assemble and disassemble. The string and fluff ball comes attached. The sisal rope wrap also comes pre attached so you won’t have to worry about wrapping and gluing it yourself. It shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to put it together.

Cat Test

Engagement

Overall, my cat wasn’t super interested in the cat scratcher. I sprinkled some catnip on it to attract some attention but it didn’t really draw his attention.

He did however like to sprint past it while high-pawing the little ball on the string. He also tried his best a couple of times to pull the ball off but the stretchy string attachment defeated him thus far.

The soft top of the cactus only seems to hold aesthetic value as I’m not totally sure how a cat could even try to play with it.

Use as a scratcher

My big hope with the scratcher was that it would divert my kitty’s scratching habits away from some of my kitchen chairs. Cats love to scratch so diversion of what they end up damaging is usually the best option. He loves to stretch up vertically and scratch up and down. The 31inch scratching post wasn’t tall enough to allow my cat to fully extend and lean against it while scratching it.

My cat generally prefers horizontal scratchers so know your cat and their likes. It may sit in the corner of the room gathering dust if your cat doesn’t like it. Cats certainly change their minds in time and I’m hoping mine does soon.

Our Review

Overall, the cactus scratcher is a pretty good product. It provides a much nicer looking cat scratcher than many of the others available. It could be a solid addition to your cat’s playroom.

Other Reviews

We’ve included a few selected reviews from Chewy.

Chewy.com Reviews

1. “This is the best furniture investment I ever made - super cute, functional, and a couch-life-saver! I love cacti, so this started out as a joke because the scratching post looks pretty and matches my décor. Until then, my cat would simply disregard any scratchers I regularly bought for her and tear up my couch instead. Not since I put the cactus post next to it! To my utter surprise, she loves it and uses it constantly. For reference, I got the 22" and my cat weights 10lbs. In the beginning, I used double-sided rug tape to glue it to the floor, but by now, she somehow figured out how to squeeze the bottom between her legs while scratching, so the cactus doesn't move or topple over. Highly recommend!”
2. “I bought this item for my male 7 mo cat who was ruining our chairs. I thought it would have some catnip to lure him, but he just ignored it as another object on the floor. After I bought a can of spray catnip and sprayed it on, he became more interested but it didn't take long for his interest to wear off. I saw him use as a scratch post once, so now it sits on the floor as a decorative item. Wasted money.”
3. “We just received Sylvester’s Cactus Scratcher could it be anymore Cute! Oh My Gosh! Love It! He saw it! He came running. Looked at me and he was at it.”