Cosmic Catnip Alpine Scratcher Review

I don't believe in declawing cats.  I've learned over the past couple of years that you just have to figure out what type of scratching surface your cat likes and then provide it for them--the destruction of couches, rugs, etc. will stop immediately.  Because we always have new cats and kittens here, we keep all kinds of scratchers here.  We have cloth posts, twine posts, cardboard ramps, cardboard mats, jute mats, and even carpet remnants scattered throughout the house for the cats to use.  While it is true that all of the cats have their favorite scratching surface, they all seem to love the Cosmic Catnip Alpine Scratcher.

This scratcher is essentially a cardboard ramp covered with a removable corrugated cardboard insert.  Underneath the ramp, there is a hollowed-out space with a mouse-shaped piece of carpet suspended by an elastic string.  This product comes with a ziplock baggie full of catnip, although that isn't what my mother thought it was the first time she saw it.

Basically, the ramp allows your cats to stretch out as they scratch so they can get a better workout.  Some cats like to stand at the bottom of the ramp and scratch up towards the top while others like to start at the top and reach down.  The fact that their entire weight is on the ramp makes it sturdy and stable so you don't have to worry about larger cats flipping it.  The "mouse" under the ramp allows cats to bat it around, play, and hone their hunting instincts. 

I think every single cat that has come through this house has loved the Cosmic Catnip Alpine Scratcher.  When you run a cat rescue and have almost cats through your house in a year, that's saying something.  They love to scratch, scratch, scratch the heck out of the cardboard.  Sometimes I sprinkle catnip on it as a treat and the lazy adults become playful kittens again.  (Funfact: Response to catnip is genetic and the gene doesn't activate until cats are around 8 months old so catnip has no effect on kittens.)  Even without catnip, the adults and kittens love to tear up this scratcher.

They also enjoy batting at the carpet "mouse" dangling in the hollow below the ramp.  We've used other scratching ramps in the past and the cats ripped out the hanging toy within minutes.  The "mouse" in this ramp has endured at least 6 months of abuse.  The kittens usually give it the biggest workout as they like to crawl inside and attack it as they wait for an unsuspecting victim to walk past them.  The adult cats do take note of it, however, when they are "on" the catnip.  They have been known to spend up to an hour bashing it around and have even flipped the entire ramp in their attempt to get to the "mouse". 

The corrugated cardboard insert does get worn down eventually thanks to those sharp kitty claws.  The insert refills are not cheap at close to $9 each so I've learned to get my money's worth out of each one.  For example, I've found that most of the cats and kittens prefer to stand up at the top of the ramp and scratch down below them.  When that part of the insert gets completely ratty and nasty, I just take it out and rotate it around so the well-used part is up at the top.  I can easily get another month out of the side when I reposition it that way.  When the entire side is shot, I can flip the whole cardboard insert over and repeat the process.  If someone like me, who has between 6 and way too many cats at a time, can get four full months out of an insert, the average cat owner can probably get double or triple that.

The only negative thing that I have to say about the Cosmic Catnip Alpine Scratcher is that it can make a mess.  You'll find bits of cardboard and catnip scattered in a 3 or 4 foot radius around this product.  I am in the habit of vacuuming the house daily anyway so it doesn't bother me much but it probably would drive a neat-freak crazy enough to plant a Dustbuster right next to the ramp.

This scratcher is an absolute staple in our house.  All of the cats love it and that's really important when you want to allow them to keep their claws.  The trick is to just find what they really love to scratch and, in most cases, the answer is the corrugated cardboard in the Cosmic Catnip Alpine Scratcher.