My pussy 5 years is crazy. She lies down on and gets the claws on the board or plays with the mouse hung inside with an elastic (it passes a bad time the mouse!). Cardboard is strong enough and scraping platform is removable so you can return it (from top to bottom and front / back) which prolongs the lifespan. The scratching post comes with a small bag of catnip. There is a need just a pinch from time to time but it's amazing how it attracts cats. It's more expensive than a basic cardboard scraper but it is larger and more stable and therefore more used. I bought the first in a pet shop that closed and I despaired of being unable to find the same when I fell on Amazon. Certainly, there is really all we're looking for on this site !!!