PetFusion Ultimate Cat Scratch Lounge, Cat Scratchers for Indoor Cats, Reversible & Durable, Made from Recycled Corrugated Cardboard, Cloud White

Years later addition to original review (1/11/18):Just got a new scratcher- our elderly cat who loved it for scratching and laying on passed away on New Years Day, and ! can now report on how two little kittens feel about it.My elderly cat scratched the heck out of this thing for nearly FOUR YEARS and it stayed intact, looked great, and worked well for sooooooo much longer than a typical scratcher. I flipped it over and got twice the use out of it. This thing really is the very best scratcher I have ever seen or could even imagine. When our elderly cat had an "accident" next to it I tossed it and didn't replace-- she then started going to town scratching up our floors and furniture. No problems at all when this awesome scratcher was in the house- our cat just absolutely loved it and spent a lot of time enjoying it. (I live in an old farmhouse with an antique vibe- this thing fit in just fine with the walnut colored side, tucked against a window. Absolutely nothing to dislike and lots to love). Our elderly cat had terrible arthritis and seemed to find this the most comfortable and comforting spot in the house other than our bed.Fast forward to 2018. I purchased a new scratcher, same model for two new little kittens. They absolutely love this thing for play. They tumble over, under, and around, love hiding inside it and chasing each other through it. I think a small cat could continue to hide in it as an adult, but larger cats would need the jumbo size version for that kind of interactive play. I really can't stress enough how highly I recommend this thing. I am a social worker, perpetually broke, and this $50 purchase is one I don't regret one bit (I didn't regret it 5 years ago when I bought the first one for $99-- that tells you how amazing this thing is). It's money in the bank, truly so attractive to cats that it completely stopped mine from scratching elsewhere. It is so much sturdier and longer lasting compared with other scratchers that you will even save money in the long run. A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Original review:Our scratcher arrived last night, and I was taken aback by the huge box on my doorstep. This thing is big! (The box itself was tremendous fun for our cat-- it is a big, long tunnel.) The scratcher was IMPECCABLY packaged-- I was struck that it is not only sealed in plastic but also encased in a pillowcase made of bubblewrap. Our cat has been sleeping and lounging on her new scratcher and seems to love it. The scratcher seems extremely sturdy and will, I think, last a very long time. I know that scratching has psychological and physical importance for cats, and this fairly attractive option seems as if it will meet her needs for over a year. Although this was an expensive purchase, I consider it money well spent.

My cats took to this scratch lounge immediately and love it. They use it several times a day - even more than their carpeted and sisal scratchers - and they also enjoy lounging on top of it. It feels sturdy, stable, looks nice, and so far (after 5 days), I haven't had any cardboard bits to clean up yet, which was a problem with cheaper cardboard scratchers I've had in the past. I was really hesitant to buy this because of many reviews mentioning a strong permeating smell, but mine didn't have an odor at all - so either the company fixed the problem or I just got lucky! While I find it to be a little pricey for cardboard, the quality and how much my cats like it and actually use it make it worthwhile.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:I like many others have purchased both this product and the less expensive knockoff version. I can officially say after 3 years of use that this is by far the superior product.In terms of physical strength durability, this one takes the cake. I just caught my brother's 70lb pitbull sitting on this thing (quite the sight, I may add), and it did not so much as bend beneath his weight. Since the thing is just sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room, it is often not uncommon to find a child sitting on it or an adult briefly stepping on it as they pass to the other side of the room. Despite the unexpected weight being put on it, it's still holding up wonderfully. While the knock-off version is also very sturdy, there's a noticeable difference in strength, and I would not trust the knock-off to support that amount of weight, at least without bending.The durability of the scratching part is another matter entirely. Cats will be cats, and once cardboard is scratched, it's scratched. I did not find any real difference between this scratcher and the knock-off. Both are nearly identical in terms of cat claw wear and tear. I got 3 years or so of use out of it, so while I am sad that I will be needing to buy a new one, I can't really complain. It's definitely held out and served it's use.Another factor that isn't super important is the black/ish/brown-ish band that goes around the outside of the scratcher. This, like the overall structure, has held up beautiful with no signs of damage. On the knock-off, the outer band immediately started breaking off, which gave my cats incentive to rip it apart. Since the band on this one stays on firmly, the cats feel no need to attack it.Overall, is it worth paying this much more for it than for the knock-off? Not really. The knock-off has also held out for 3 years and was stable enough to be used both hanging on the wall and on the floor. However, this product is much more appealing aesthetically, I have no problem trusting that it will support my cats (and any other people or animals that end up on it), and it overall just feels like a higher quality gift for my cats. While writing this review, I noticed the price has jumped significantly since when I purchased it in 2019, so I will be waiting for the price to go back down before I consider buying a new one. I hope that will be soon, though, as I very much loved this product.UPDATE: I'm almost afraid to post this here, but since my warrant has long since expired, I'm going to come out and share it. I was very upset about having to throw away this scratcher, but both sides have been worn down beyond saving. Or so I thought. The inside has never actually been scratched. So, since the only other option I have is throwing the product away, I decided to take a risk and cut the product in half lengthwise to expose the un-touched inside scratching area. It took quite a lot of work, and I got a few blisters. However, I now have two half-figure-eight scratchers. I put them side-by-side, and even though they're now shorter and a bit less sturdy, my cats LOVE lounging across them. The one side (formerly the outer side) on each half is already scratched down to nothing from before I cut it in half, but the other side (formerly, the inner side) is in pristine condition, meaning my cats have a few more months of scratching to their heart's content before I do have to eventually bite the bullet and throw the scratchers out. So 10/10 I guess for recycling, lol? Part of the only reason I got away with it is because the product was already so sturdy and high quality to begin with.