I had no idea my cat was clawing the couch because my house was missing one thing

Cats scratch to shed the old outer layer of their claws, to stretch their whole back, and to leave scent from glands between their toes.

Indoors, the one surface with the right grip and their own smell on it is often your couch. That's why they keep going back, no matter how many times you move them.

So the question isn't how to stop them. It's what they're looking for.

A cat's sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than ours. New beds and scratchers are often treated, dyed or blended with plastic, and they smell like the factory and the warehouse they came from.

Your cat sniffs it, decides it isn't theirs, and walks back to the couch. That isn't picky. It's honest.

This basket is handwoven from untreated, unbleached, undyed cotton rope. There's no factory smell for your cat to fight.

That leaves room for the only smell that should ever live in it: theirs.

Each time your cat scratches the rim, the glands between their paw pads leave a little of their scent behind. Cats come back to what smells like them.

They scratch. It smells more like them. They feel safer, so they sleep in it. It smells more like them still.

Most cat products get boring. This one becomes more theirs every day.

Watch your cat after a nap: stretch, then scratch. International Cat Care advises putting a scratching surface right next to where your cat sleeps.

With this basket, the bed is the scratcher. They wake up, stretch, and work their claws on the rim instead of the armrest.

Vets list "a safe place" as the first of a cat's five essential needs: somewhere enclosed, where nothing can surprise them.

In one study, shelter cats given a place to hide calmed down by day three. Cats without one took about two weeks.

Low curved walls on every side give that feeling, without shutting them in.

Cardboard crumbles before it does much. Hard sisal can be rough, especially on older paws.

Tightly woven cotton sits in between: firm enough to help shed the old outer layer of their claws, soft enough that they want to come back.

Cats feel most comfortable at around 86 to 100 °F, far warmer than most homes. That's why they curl up tight in boxes and bowls.

Medium is 16.5" across, for cats up to 18 lb. Large is 18.9" across, for cats up to 22 lb. Between sizes or a big breed? Choose Large.

Some cats jump in within minutes. Some sniff it for a week first. Both are normal.

Put it where your cat already naps, or right next to the furniture they scratch. Drop their favourite blanket inside, or a pinch of catnip.

It ships folded to keep shipping low. Turn it inside out or steam it lightly, and it's round again within a day.

Most guarantees in this category want the item back unused, at your cost, sometimes shipped abroad. That's not a guarantee. That's a hurdle.

Ours works differently. If your cat doesn't take to it within 30 days, all we ask is that you give it to someone you love, a friend's cat, a neighbour's, a shelter, and spread a little joy that way. We send you a full refund.

We're not here to make your life harder. We're here to restore some faith in online shopping. Questions? Our support team answers within 20 minutes, 24/7.