The sisal rope is harder than carpet, but softer than wood. Cats can get their claws into the rope and get good exercise when they pull against the resistance. Most cats enjoy the sensation of the rough texture of the sisal rope against their paw pads. Carpet does not provide this sensation. Sisal rope also helps maintain healthy claws by aiding in the shedding of loose claw shells. When cats pull back from the sisal, the shells come off easily.

It has been our experience that many indoor cats that have never been outside will not scratch wood posts with bark, yet they go to town scratching on carpet and sisal rope. The sisal rope provides a "wood-like" feel while being softer and easier to scratch than wood.

Sisal rope comes in two varieties--oil-coated and natural. The oil-coated sisal stretches farther during manufacturing so that more rope is produced per unit of sisal fiber. This allows the darker-colored, oil-coated rope to be sold at a lower price. However, cats cannot digest oil-coated sisal rope if they ingest strands of it. For this reason, we use only untreated, light-colored, all-natural sisal rope.

Sisal rope also comes in various thicknesses. We use 3/8-inch thick sisal rope that lasts a lot longer than the thin rope you see on cat furniture in stores.

We recommend that you expose your cat(s) to as many different scratching surfaces as possible, and as early in their life as possible. If you are starting out with a kitten, offer something with sisal rope on it! If your cat(s) likes to scratch wood or wicker, sisal is an excellent choice.