ORIGINAL REVIEW: I like many others have purchased both this product and the less expensive knockoff version. I can officially say after 3 years of use that this is by far the superior product. In terms of physical strength durability, this one takes the cake. I just caught my brother's 70lb pitbull sitting on this thing (quite the sight, I may add), and it did not so much as bend beneath his weight. Since the thing is just sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room, it is often not uncommon to find a child sitting on it or an adult briefly stepping on it as they pass to the other side of the room. Despite the unexpected weight being put on it, it's still holding up wonderfully. While the knock-off version is also very sturdy, there's a noticeable difference in strength, and I would not trust the knock-off to support that amount of weight, at least without bending. The durability of the scratching part is another matter entirely. Cats will be cats, and once cardboard is scratched, it's scratched. I did not find any real difference between this scratcher and the knock-off. Both are nearly identical in terms of cat claw wear and tear. I got 3 years or so of use out of it, so while I am sad that I will be needing to buy a new one, I can't really complain. It's definitely held out and served it's use. Another factor that isn't super important is the black/ish/brown-ish band that goes around the outside of the scratcher. This, like the overall structure, has held up beautiful with no signs of damage. On the knock-off, the outer band immediately started breaking off, which gave my cats incentive to rip it apart. Since the band on this one stays on firmly, the cats feel no need to attack it. Overall, is it worth paying this much more for it than for the knock-off? Not really. The knock-off has also held out for 3 years and was stable enough to be used both hanging on the wall and on the floor. However, this product is much more appealing aesthetically, I have no problem trusting that it will support my cats (and any other people or animals that end up on it), and it overall just feels like a higher quality gift for my cats. While writing this review, I noticed the price has jumped significantly since when I purchased it in 2019, so I will be waiting for the price to go back down before I consider buying a new one. I hope that will be soon, though, as I very much loved this product. UPDATE: I'm almost afraid to post this here, but since my warrant has long since expired, I'm going to come out and share it. I was very upset about having to throw away this scratcher, but both sides have been worn down beyond saving. Or so I thought. The inside has never actually been scratched. So, since the only other option I have is throwing the product away, I decided to take a risk and cut the product in half lengthwise to expose the un-touched inside scratching area. It took quite a lot of work, and I got a few blisters. However, I now have two half-figure-eight scratchers. I put them side-by-side, and even though they're now shorter and a bit less sturdy, my cats LOVE lounging across them. The one side (formerly the outer side) on each half is already scratched down to nothing from before I cut it in half, but the other side (formerly, the inner side) is in pristine condition, meaning my cats have a few more months of scratching to their heart's content before I do have to eventually bite the bullet and throw the scratchers out. So 10/10 I guess for recycling, lol? Part of the only reason I got away with it is because the product was already so sturdy and high quality to begin with.

Years later addition to original review (1/11/18): Just got a new scratcher- our elderly cat who loved it for scratching and laying on passed away on New Years Day, and ! can now report on how two little kittens feel about it. My elderly cat scratched the heck out of this thing for nearly FOUR YEARS and it stayed intact, looked great, and worked well for sooooooo much longer than a typical scratcher. I flipped it over and got twice the use out of it. This thing really is the very best scratcher I have ever seen or could even imagine. When our elderly cat had an "accident" next to it I tossed it and didn't replace-- she then started going to town scratching up our floors and furniture. No problems at all when this awesome scratcher was in the house- our cat just absolutely loved it and spent a lot of time enjoying it. (I live in an old farmhouse with an antique vibe- this thing fit in just fine with the walnut colored side, tucked against a window. Absolutely nothing to dislike and lots to love). Our elderly cat had terrible arthritis and seemed to find this the most comfortable and comforting spot in the house other than our bed. Fast forward to 2018. I purchased a new scratcher, same model for two new little kittens. They absolutely love this thing for play. They tumble over, under, and around, love hiding inside it and chasing each other through it. I think a small cat could continue to hide in it as an adult, but larger cats would need the jumbo size version for that kind of interactive play. I really can't stress enough how highly I recommend this thing. I am a social worker, perpetually broke, and this $50 purchase is one I don't regret one bit (I didn't regret it 5 years ago when I bought the first one for $99-- that tells you how amazing this thing is). It's money in the bank, truly so attractive to cats that it completely stopped mine from scratching elsewhere. It is so much sturdier and longer lasting compared with other scratchers that you will even save money in the long run. A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Original review: Our scratcher arrived last night, and I was taken aback by the huge box on my doorstep. This thing is big! (The box itself was tremendous fun for our cat-- it is a big, long tunnel.) The scratcher was IMPECCABLY packaged-- I was struck that it is not only sealed in plastic but also encased in a pillowcase made of bubblewrap. Our cat has been sleeping and lounging on her new scratcher and seems to love it. The scratcher seems extremely sturdy and will, I think, last a very long time. I know that scratching has psychological and physical importance for cats, and this fairly attractive option seems as if it will meet her needs for over a year. Although this was an expensive purchase, I consider it money well spent.

My cats took to this scratch lounge immediately and love it. They use it several times a day - even more than their carpeted and sisal scratchers - and they also enjoy lounging on top of it. It feels sturdy, stable, looks nice, and so far (after 5 days), I haven't had any cardboard bits to clean up yet, which was a problem with cheaper cardboard scratchers I've had in the past. I was really hesitant to buy this because of many reviews mentioning a strong permeating smell, but mine didn't have an odor at all - so either the company fixed the problem or I just got lucky! While I find it to be a little pricey for cardboard, the quality and how much my cats like it and actually use it make it worthwhile.

My cat LOVES this so much! Very stylish as far as cat scratchers go. I have it in front of a low window, and my cat just loves lounging on it. Very sturdy.

This item arrived in a large box that was quite heavy. The poor UPS guy carried it all the way up our long driveway in the snow to deliver it. What a great guy he was to do that. I was surprised & happy to get this out of the box and see how well put together and sturdy this was. It is extremely well made. It may be only cardboard and it may be expensive - however I am most impressed. I have 2 large cats and both were interested in it as soon as I put it down in the LR. My one cat knew exactly what the purpose was for this item and he began scratching on it right away. A few days later, I sprayed a little cat nip on there just for fun because they enjoy it. Doing that made them start rubbing all over it of course. I used "From The Field FFC301 1-Ounce Catnip Spray Rejuvenator by From The Field" that I purchased on Amazon too! Believe me it works very well. I love getting my kitties all sorts of treats - they have a nice cat tree and lots of little toys - they have a cheaper cardboard scratcher as well which they use. This scratcher has plastic on the sides and the special design allows it to be turned upside down so when one side is worn out you can switch it to the other unused side. I'm hoping my kitties will enjoy this as a bed too. We'll see. It's only been in the house for 2 hrs. - and I forgot to take some photos. But next time they are playing with it I will take some and then post it. My recommendation is (for the moment) that this is a great product. If money is not an issue for you; then I say 'go for it'. UPDATE: I just want to say that my cats LOVE this lounger. They use it to lay on mostly. Once in awhile they scratch on it. But they actually push each other off of it because the 2 of them won't fit on there together. It's funny to watch them fuss over it. I'm probably going to have to get another one. My cats must be pretty smart because I didn't have to do one thing to encourage them to lay on it or show them how to do it. True I did spray the cat nip - but that was after they already figured it out. If I can figure out how to post a picture of my cats using this item - I will.

"PURR-FECT" for your fur-babies. I bought a larger version of this 2-3 years ago, which no longer seems to be available; however, this Cat Scratcher Lounge is a 5-star winner no matter where it is placed in the home. My larger lounger is placed in my L.R. on the far end of the fire-place hearth, over-looking the ocean,and the birds and the trees, etc. This smaller model is in my office, and at any given time there is always a fur-baby on it, scratching, meditating or napping. With six(6) felines in the house I usually buy in multiples, and today I ordered three (3) more of these Pet Fusion Cat Scratcher Lounges....believe me when I tell you, it will help save your treasured furniture; although for me I'm afraid I'm a day late, and a dollar short -:((( Every time I swivel my desk chair around to look at the lounger in my office, I'm never disappointed....I always see one of my cats sitting or lying down on it. I have many small scratchers scattered around the house, but this particular one is head and shoulders above all the others. It doesn't have a ping-pong ball, or a fuzzy toy attached to it, so I put a toy next to it...no biggy. If you enjoy sitting on your Lazy-Boy to relax, just think how much your felines will also enjoy an ergonomically designed lounger (which looks like a piece of sculpture)to rest on. And, NO, I am not related to the owner or designer of this item...I'm just another crazy cat lady who loves to pamper my little critters. In fact, the box that it comes in is still in my hallway, since it is so big and filled with lots of crinkly paper, that I didn't have the heart to toss it yet, since they also love jumping in and out of the box, sleeping in it, and just having a jolly good time. CATS RULE!!! Wish humans were more like these gentle, little felines...the world would be a much better and happier place in which to live. Basically, if they could it should be our pets who write these reviews, but since we have to do it for them, trust me, this is a great investment for your beloved felines. By now I've become a true expert on what works and doesn't work, as far as toys and gizmos for felines....I am now much more selective in what I buy for them. In addition, I pay a lot of attention to the reviews written on each item I am tempted to buy, and I always take that into consideration before I order anything. You should also. That is why I wrote this review ..... it a winner!!! We all love this item. Buy it...you and your felines will love it as well. P.S. I forgot to mention that the corrugated material, which makes up this scratcher is a very high quality, and it does not shred or disintegrate quickly. If you see pieces pulling away from the lounger, just scrape, cut or comb them off......it will not damage or hurt the integrity of the scratcher. By nature, cats need to scratch...better this scratcher than your expensive couches. Periodically, I sprinkle cat nip on top of the lounger, and it automatically attracts my critters to it. You can also sprinkle additional cat nip inside the bottom loops of this item....it acts as a magnet, and gets the critters going...Let the games begin....and if one is good...buy 2..it's better!!!

I’ve had this cat scratcher for almost 4 months now and I can confidently say my cat loves it! He is a horizontal scratcher and uses it daily, but it is so sturdy that you can only see very minor wear and tear. This scratcher has saved my rugs and sofa from cat scratches! My cat prefers to scratch this over anything else in my apartment! It is large enough that my cat can lay fully stretched out on it, but small enough that it fits in a studio apartment. Even though the price point is quite high for a cardboard cat scratcher, the scratcher has good weight to it so you can tell it’s well made and will last for many years. I docked one star off because it does have a very strong glue/chemical odor that will not go away no matter what I do. I can even smell it across my room. Even after a few months, the smell still lingers and has not gotten better. However, the odor does not seem to bother my cat. Overall, I would definitely recommend this scratcher to all my fellow cat owners — just be aware that the smell may be off putting!

We share our household with 6 cats and as all cats like to do ... they love to scratch. We go through plenty of those corrugated cardboard scratchers like the Cosmic Alpine Scratcher which has a much looser cardboard grain than this PetFusion lounge. I was a little leery at first because of the price of this scratcher. I wondered just how good could a cardboard scratcher actually be for $45 that would differentiate it so much from the $10-$15 options that I have been going for over the past 8 years or so. They love the cardboard, but our multiple cats go through the looser cardboard options so quickly and sometimes they do not get the resistance they need from the looser cardboard and will resort to using the couch to scratch and get the "manicure" they need (really just shedding the nail sheath). This is a necessity for our feline friends. When the PetFusion arrived, I was first struck by it's SIZE. I've posted a picture with one of my biggest cats who weighs about 20 lbs and is just a big boy, with large bones and length. Scooter is a feral cat and he has claws and massive strength. He is one of 6 cats who loves the lounger for both scratching and lounging. The quality of the cardboard used in the almost "furniture-grade" scratcher provides a great amount of resistance for that nail sheath shedding so that the kitty's don't feel the same need to mark and groom via scratching on a stronger piece of material. Outdoors, cats usually have trees to do this for them. To lure my two biggest couch scratchers (new couch, new habits), I used SmartyKat CatnipMist to make the scratcher immediately appealing. The scratcher does come with a baggie of catnip twigs (but none of my cats were remotely interested in this version of catnip and my cats are usually not picky ... but not a one liked it). Between the catnip mist and a little coaxing, I have redirected scratching to the new lounger where some of the cats are creating territories. The lounger is big enough to accommodate two of our cats and some of them like playing in the openings. We all liked the lounger so much within 2 days I ordered another one for the top floor of the house. The cats took to that one too. Our house is decorated in a more contemporary decor and this scratcher sits nicely next to our Noguchi Table and doesn't miss a beat. The item is reversible and I expect to get a good lifespan out of it. At very least 4 times what I would have with the cheaper cardboard scratchers. At that point, they have more than paid for themselves. Easy on the eyes, a furniture-saver and the cats love it. We are all happy campers. Update: 11 September 2012: I have found a way to extend the use of these scratchers (since I bought two of them so far). I find that if I cut them in half lengthwise with a hacksaw and use the inside surfaces it creates two scratchers and two great, fresh surfaces for our 6 kitties. They still lounge on the half-shape and it's a great way to extend the life. That said, I just ordered a new one today and am going to be cutting the second one in half and deploying it downstairs (I just had to throw away the two halves today because they had been scratched up). These are not cheap scratchers but they can sure take a beating. They can also have their life extended by sawing them in half and exposing the undersides. It's like having two brand new scratchers! Moms and kitties are happy :)