Sticky Paws Pioneer Pet Cat Training Aid - Deter Scratching - Sticky Sheets (Strips (2" x 12"))

Sticky Paws from Pioneer Pet is the product a lot of people mean when they say "cat scratch tape." These are the 2 x 12 in strips. They cost about $12 and have a 3.8-star average from about 7,500 reviews.

What you get

Pre-cut double-sided strips, 2 x 12 inches, made with what Pioneer Pet calls medical-grade adhesive. They're transparent. One side sticks to the furniture; the outside stays tacky, which is the part cats hate under their paws. The same tape also comes as XL sheets and as a roll if you need more.

Pioneer Pet says the tape won't harm cats or fabric and is easy to apply and remove. It also markets it for keeping cats off counters and surfaces, not only for scratching.

Who it's for

• Small, targeted spots: a chair leg, a door frame, one corner of a couch arm
• Training a cat off a habit, after which you take the strips off
• People who want the long-established brand

Who should skip it

Anyone covering a large area. Strips this narrow get expensive and fiddly across a whole couch panel, and a wide roll or pre-cut sheets do that job better. The rating is also lower than the bigger-selling alternatives, so expectations should be modest. As with any double-sided tape, it picks up hair and dust and needs replacing as it loses its tack. Test on a hidden spot of delicate fabrics, and don't use adhesive on leather.

Alternatives

The Panther Armor double-sided sheets are bigger (up to 16 x 12 in) and rated higher. For long edges and trim, the Chuangseed 4-inch roll gives 30 yards of double-sided tape. All the options are compared in our cat scratch tape guide, and the how to stop cats scratching furniture guide explains why tape works best next to a scratching post.