Summary
If you pamper your cats and spending $140 on one of the largest cat-scratching posts on the market doesn’t seem crazy to you as long as it makes them happy, feel free to stop reading and just go buy the PurrFect Post MONDO.
On the other hand, if you are still convinced that a $20 or $40 scratch post will do just as well, watch the video review and we will tell you if that is the case.
Video Review
Conclusion [9 out of 10]
I was aware of the PurrFect Post MONDO for about a year before I ever bought it. We more or less inundate our cats with castles, toys and posts all around the house so they have things to play with and during one of my many hunts for a better scratch post I ran across the MONDO. My wife and I spent 5 minutes laughing about what kind of psychopaths buy $140 scratch posts for their cats and then promptly dismissed the idea.
Almost 12 months and 3 cheaper scratch posts torn to tatters later, last Christmas rolled around (2009) and spending $140 for a scratch post didn’t seem so stupid anymore.
We ordered the post, got it and gave it to the cats for Christmas (yes, we are those kind of people). My first reaction opening the box was “SHIT, this thing is BIG”. This was actually our male cat’s reaction to the post 7 seconds after I finished putting it together:
As far as the cats were concerned, it was the best thing we’d ever purchased. Having been through probably 6 different types of scratch posts before this purchase, my primary concerns were:
- How will the MONDO handle wear and tear from scratching (e.g. fraying)
- Will it be sturdy when pulled or played on?
We have had the MONDO almost 12 months (it’s almost Christmas 2010) and it shows almost no wear and tear on the sisal weave; it literally looks like when we just got it.
The cats use it every morning and night multiple times and like to get a bit nuts on it. The only part of it showing any wear and tear are scratches on the wood trim from their claws, but that was expected.
As for sturdiness, as-mentioned in the video review, the MONDO weights 35 or 40lbs with a nice wide/sturdy base and an awesome build quality, so “Yes” it is very sturdy.
A few years ago I thought it was a giant joke that a scratch post could cost $140. 6 cheaper ($20 to $60) scratch posts later I didn’t care anymore how much one cost, I just wanted it to last longer than 6 months without being frayed to death by the cats using it; the MONDO delivered that experience for us in spades.
While the MONDO won’t cure cancer, if you don’t mind spoiling your cats and buying them the occasional item as long as it is high quality, I can confidently recommend that you buy them a MONDO.
If instead you would never dream of spending $140 for a scratch post, I can recommend a cheaper but really well-built “Giant” scratch post on Amazon from Molly and Friends. We own 2 of those and they are wrapped in sisal rope, so you will likely have to re-wrap them yourself at some point after the rope gets frayed enough; not too big of a deal because the polls are good quality with nice sturdy bases.
If you are looking for a scratch post that utilizes the sisal weave material instead (like the MONDO) we only recently became aware of TopCat’s Sisal Weave Scratch Posts which seem reasonably priced as well. I have no experience with that company or those scratch posts though, so please do your research and let us know if you end up buying from them.
Now, run out and make your cat’s Christmas a great one!
Wow! That scratch post is big. Our stray cats will love it!
I just watched a 5-minute HD video review of a $130 cat scratching post. I may have too much time.
oooooor, you have a little kitty you love a whole bunch