All of the products we tested for this guide to protect furniture from cat scratching are high-quality enough to get the job done. Here are the ones that didn’t quite make the cut but may work for your needs.

Scratching Posts

• Max & Marlow Tall Scratch Post: At 26 inches, this was the shortest of the scratching posts we tested. But, with a soft bird toy attached to the top by an elastic cord and another on a spring on the base, it also has the most bells and whistles. My vertical scratching cat likes this post but uses the On2Pets Skyline Scratcher far more frequently, possibly because it has three posts instead of just one, plus a scratchable base.
• Petfusion Ultimate Cat Window Scratching Post: I liked the design of this scratching post, which has a perch at the top that suctions to a window for stability. My cats, however, did not feel the same. They used neither the sisal scratcher nor the perch.
• Smartcat Ultimate Scratching Post: The Smartcat Ultimate is tall enough to accommodate a full body stretch and has a sturdy wooden base. However, my cats showed no interest in using either this scratcher or the similarly shaped Frisco Sisal Scratching Post, which seems to be due to its imposing column shape.
• Frisco 33.5-inch Sisal Scratching Post: This scratching post is similar to the Smartcat Ultimate, but with a faux-fur-covered base and top, it’s less aesthetically pleasing. Like the SmartCat Ultimate Post, my cats did not use the Frisco scratcher, likely because of its imposing column shape.

Furniture Guards

• Furniture Defender Cat Scratching Guard: Like Clawguard’s Furniture Shields, these furniture guards are clear and flexible but with slightly thinner vinyl that may be easier to penetrate than the marine-grade vinyl used in the Clawguard Furniture Shields. The Furniture Defender comes in five sizes and carries a 100% money-back lifetime guarantee. 

Scratch Tape

• Clawguard Protection Tape: Although this tape is high quality and looks nicer on furniture than Sticky Paws, it does not have a sticky exterior. As a result, Clawguard Protection Tape functions more like a temporary furniture shield with an adhesive backing for twice the price of Sticky Paws On a Roll.

Scratch Pads

• Kong Naturals Cat Scratcher: Of the floor scratchers we tested, Kong’s incline version was the second simplest design. While my brave cat liked this ramped scratcher, my timid one was unimpressed.
• K&H Ramp and Track Scratcher: One of my cats enjoyed both clawing this expensive inclined scratcher and playing with the ping pong balls embedded in its base. He unfortunately lost interest in it within a month, even when I sprinkled it with catnip and moved it to different locations in the home.
• Bergan Star Chaser Turbo Scratcher: Both of my cats enjoyed the light-up ball that rolls around the track that encircles this scratch pad. I even chose it as one of our favorites in our guide to interactive cat toys. But while both liked the ball, only one of my cats was interested in using the scratch pad at the Star Chaser’s center.

Nail Caps

• Purrdy Paws: These nail caps were similar in quality to Soft Claws and they stayed firmly glued to our scratcher fork throughout five weeks of testing. They are  about 50% longer than Soft Claws, which some cats may find awkward.

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