Best Sisal Cat Scratcher Mat for Indoor Cats

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The cat scratcher mat sisal listing from FUKUMARU is for one product: a 23.6 by 15.7 inch natural sisal mat, sold in beige. This guide covers what the listing says about the surface, the size, the mounting options and the way the mat is meant to be used. It also notes the details the listing leaves out. The facts come from the listing and from the sources at the end.

Quick answer

• The listing describes a flat natural sisal mat, 23.6 by 15.7 inches, with a thickness of 0.39 inch.
• It says the sisal has not been treated with harsh oils or chemicals, and that the fibers resist fraying.
• It can lie on the floor or be fixed to a wall, furniture or door with tape or screws, according to the listing.
• The listing gives no weight limit, no adhesive rating and no wear test for the sisal.

What the listing describes

The title calls the product a horizontal cat scratching pad mat with sticky tapes, and a cat wall scratcher for indoor cats. The bullets describe a natural sisal surface that the listing calls pure, high-quality sisal, and say the natural fibers hold up to daily use. The specification table gives the size as 23.6 by 15.7 by 0.39 inches, the material as sisal, and the specific use as scratching. The breed recommendation is all breed sizes, and the recommended use is indoor.

The mat is flat, so it is a horizontal scratching place. Cornell’s Feline Health Center says the scratching post should match the cat’s preferred scratching orientation. A flat mat suits a cat that scratches low on the floor, against a sofa arm, or along a carpet edge. It does not give a cat a post to reach up and stretch on.

Material and surface

Cornell’s destructive behavior page says that if a cat prefers couches and other nubby surfaces, the owner should choose a post covered in sisal or some other rope-like material. That is why sisal is a common choice. The FUKUMARU listing uses sisal for the whole surface, with no carpet panel. The listing says the product has not been treated with any harsh oils, chemicals, or other substances. Those are the seller’s words. The listing gives no test report or certification, so an owner should read them as claims, not tested results.

For more on how surface type affects a cat’s choice, see cat scratcher material.

Size and placement

At 23.6 by 15.7 inches, the mat covers a usable strip of wall, sofa side or floor. The listing says it can be a scratch pad, a play mat, a sleeping mat, or a litter mat, and that it can also serve as a door or wall mat. The owner should treat it as a surface that can go in several spots and then check which spot the cat chooses.

Placement matters more than the product. The ASPCA says to offer a variety of scratchers to find out what a cat prefers, and that cats like to scratch when they wake up, so a scratcher close to where the cat likes to rest can help. Cornell says redirecting scratching means placing the post next to an area the cat already likes to scratch. For a flat mat, that is usually the spot where the cat already claws a sofa arm, a door frame or a carpet edge.

Mounting

The listing says the mat can be fixed with sticky tapes or screws, and that it stays firmly on a floor, wall, piece of furniture or door when secured this way. It also says the mat ships rolled up, and that the buyer should press it under the carpet first to flatten it.

The listing does not give a weight limit for the mount, a tape strength or a screw type. An owner who fixes the mat to a wall should check the tape after the first week and again after any move. The ASPCA says an upright scratcher that wobbles may be avoided by the cat. A flat mat has a different shape, but a loose mat is also likely to be ignored.

What we could not verify

The listing does not say how long the sisal lasts, whether the fibers shed, how much the mat weighs once flat, or how it handles a heavy cat leaning on the edge. The bullets say the fibers resist fraying, but they give no test result. The listing also does not say how many cats the mat suits. An owner with more than one cat should expect more use and check the surface more often.

The listing says the mat helps protect furniture and helps maintain the cat’s claws. Those are seller claims, and this guide does not test them. A cat that prefers a sofa may keep scratching the sofa if the mat is not in the place the cat chooses. The listing does not promise that the mat stops scratching on other surfaces.

Who this suits

The mat suits an owner who wants a flat sisal surface and already knows where the cat scratches on the floor or along a wall. It suits a home where a spare wall, a door or a sofa side can take a mat fixed with tape. It also suits an owner who wants a natural sisal surface without a carpet panel or a bed built in.

It does not suit an owner who wants a tall post. The ASPCA says a scratcher should be tall enough for a cat to get a full stretch, and a flat mat does not give that. For a tall option, see the best cat scratchers guide. For the wider question of why cats claw furniture, see why cats scratch furniture.

How to set it up

Flatten the mat under the carpet for a day, as the listing says. Choose the spot where the cat already scratches. If the mat goes on a wall or door, test the tape on a small patch first and check it after a week. Watch the cat for at least a week. If the cat ignores the mat, move it before deciding the mat is wrong for that cat. Cornell says a cat that scratches in several locations needs a post near each one, so a second mat may be needed in another room.

How we chose this listing

This guide covers one listing, the FUKUMARU Cat Scratcher Mat in the 23.6 by 15.7 inch size. It was picked from the scratching pad category of our product list. The facts come from the listing’s title, bullets and specification table, and from the non-Amazon sources in the sources list. The product description area showed headings only, so no description text is used here.

FAQ

Is this mat a tall scratching post?

No. The listing describes a flat mat 0.39 inch thick. It does not describe a post, a perch or a height.

Does the listing say the mat stops scratching?

No. It does not say the mat stops a cat from scratching other surfaces.

Can the mat go on a wall?

The listing says it can be fixed to a wall with sticky tapes or screws. It gives no weight limit for the fixing, so check the tape or screws before use.

Does the mat need flattening?

The listing says the mat ships rolled and should be pressed flat under the carpet before use.

Sources

• ASPCA, Scratching Behavior in Cats: offer a variety of scratchers, check that upright scratchers do not wobble, and place a scratcher near where the cat likes to rest.
• Cornell Feline Health Center, Feline Behavior Problems: Destructive Behavior: match the scratching orientation, choose sisal for nubby-surface scratchers, and place the post near the area the cat already scratches.
• ASPCA, Feline DIY Enrichment: a variety of toys and spaces helps banish boredom.