Scratching is not a bad habit, it is maintenance, and this pole gives your cat somewhere proper to do it. The natural sisal takes a real clawing and invites a stretch up the wall, and because it doubles as a climbing surface it pulls double duty in any layout. Set it low and your cat gets easy floor access to both scratch and start their climb.The optional leaf shelves clip onto the pole to open up extra footholds, and you can spin them around to change the path whenever things get stale. The pole itself is modular, offered in two, three, and four tier heights, and it drops into a single stud, which is handy on narrow walls or where studs land in odd places.