Best Cardboard Cat Scratcher House

Our TOP Pick

#1 Cat Box Classics Fluffy Masterpieces

  • Cat Safe (Soy-Based Ink)
  • Scratchers Made with Non-Toxic Glue
  • From Recycled Cardboard
  • 10% of Profits to Cat Aid Agencies
5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5)
Cats are naturally curious, especially with tight, enclosed spaces. The more they can find tight spots at home, the more comfortable they get and at ease. What if you don’t have a lot of space, and all they have in your home is their litter box or bed?

A simple and inexpensive cardboard house can give your pet kitty the comfort, entertainment, and private space she longs for. These cat houses are made of cardboard, featuring a cat scratcher for its surface, with some having small hanging cardboard toys.

The Top 3 Cardboard Cat Houses in the Market [Review]

We’ve never used a cardboard box for our cat before and thought it might be time to give her a cute little box or house to play in. We didn’t’ realize that there are so many of these boxes in the market.

So what we did was do our research, read some reviews, and purchased the top 3 best cardboard cat scratcher houses in the market.

We tried the houses on our cat, and this article is a review of what happened. Here are three cardboard houses that are pretty and durable, and we believe your cat will love them as much as our cat does.

1. Cat Box Classics Fluffy Masterpieces

Cat Safe Soy-Based Ink

Cat Safe
Soy-Based Ink

Scratchers Made with Non-Toxic Glue

Scratchers Made with Non-Toxic Glue

From Recycled Cardboard

From Recycled Cardboard

10% of Profits to Cat Aid Agencies

10% of Profits to Cat Aid Agencies

First on the list is the Cat Box Classic Fluffy Masterpieces box. The box itself is beautiful. All sides of the box feature classic paintings, such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night, the Mona Lisa, The Scream, American Gothic, and the Sistine Chapel.

The whole box is made of recycled cardboard, and the print is made of cat-safe soy-based ink. The surface of the box’s floor is made of scratchers made from non-toxic glue, and a free catnip also comes with the box.

There’s an arch opening and head-sized holes that allow your cat to peep through them. The designs are so cute, too, as Mona Lisa’s face is cut out, and when our pet kitty peeps through the hole, it looks like he’s Mona Lisa or the face of The Scream character.

It’s airy with all the holes while also providing an enclosed space for our cat. She loved it the minute it arrived, even when we hadn’t assembled it yet. We don’t know if she loved the look of the prints, or maybe it was the catnip. We don’t really know.

What we do know is that our cat loves this box so much that the minute we set it up, she was immediately playing inside.

purrfect oasis cat house with scratcher

Purrfect Oasis Cat House with Scratcher

kitty jungle cat house with scratcher

Kitty Jungle Cat House with Scratcher

meow yellow cat house with scratcher

Meow Yellow Cat House with Scratcher

What we liked

  • Pretty
  • Durable High-Quality Cardboard
  • Scratching Pad Provides a Rough Surface for Cat’s Claws
  • Holes of the Box Make it Airy

We love the prints of this box. It’s pretty, and our cat seems to love all the colors and images as well. The cardboard is quite durable, too, and easy to assemble. Our cat loves spending time here, she loves digging her claws on the scratcher, and we always catch her sleeping here or lounging around inside.

What we didn't like

  • Our cat Doesn’t Want to Get Out

The only con we can think of is our cat doesn’t want to get out of it! She loves it that much. When we ask her to come out to eat or exercise, she doesn’t want to. She wants to lie down and lounge inside.

The Cat Box Classic is a simple, pretty, and durable cardboard scratcher house that our cat loves. Hopefully, she’ll understand that this is not exactly a place where she should spend most of her time in. We hope she’ll eventually only make it a part of her daily routine, but not where she sleeps and eats all the time.

2. Furhaven 2-Level Cardboard House

Another beautiful cardboard house that we got for our cat. It has a 2nd level with a scratching floor and looks like a charming mini house with doors and windows.

Our cat loves to play around with four hanging cardboard toys when she’s inside the house. The scratcher on the floor provides our cat with satisfaction for her scratching needs. They have deep grooves where our cat can dig her claws.

The cardboard is double layered, making it durable, and there’s no design on the cardboard; it comes blank. I’m planning on letting my kids color the house to make it look prettier or more attractive for our cat to hang out in. It also has an included organic catnip that our cat immediately chewed on once she saw it.

What we liked

  • Large at 31″ Height and 27.5″ Width
  • Two Areas with Scratch Surface
  • Plenty of Windows
  • Double Walled Cardboard for Durability

We love how big this house is. There’s a second level with a scratcher that our cat loves climbing into, and the four toys undoubtedly provide her with entertainment. There are plenty of windows which makes the house airy, and the cardboard itself is double-walled, so there’s no worry about the 2-level structure being destroyed that easily.

What we didn't like

  • Takes Time to Assemble
  • Our Cat Chews on the Toys

This took us time to assemble. I assumed it would take minutes, but it almost took us an hour to figure out which part matches where. It seemed like a puzzle, actually, but a fun puzzle to work on.

The hanging cat toys provide entertainment and playtime. However, our cat does chew on them a lot. I might take them out eventually because I wouldn’t want my cat to ingest them accidentally.

3. Furhaven Gingerbread House

Last on our list is the Gingerbread House from Furhaven. It’s a simple and straightforward cardboard house with an A-frame roof and rectangle box with a door and small windows.

It comes with the very same double-walled cardboard that’s durable with no designs, perfect for our kids to color and paint. A scratch surface with deep grooves for its floor meets our cat’s needs to scratch and dig her claws into.

It also features a hanging toy to provide entertainment for our cat as she’s lounging inside. There are small holes on the sides for ventilation.

It’s easy and fast to assemble, and there’s no fuss or any other details to it.

What we liked

  • Super Easy to Assemble
  • Small Size
  • Double Walled for Durability

This is a simple cardboard scratcher house that’s super easy to assemble. I was able to assemble it in less than one minute, and it’s that easy. It’s pretty tiny, which I like very much because it doesn’t take up space. I placed it in a corner, and our kids didn’t even notice it. Our cat loves hanging out inside and spending some quiet time.

What we didn't like

  • Our Cat Climbs Over It

Because of its small size, our cat quickly climbs over it and hangs out on the top. I’m not sure if the house will hold for long. She also likes chewing on the sharp edges. If our cat keeps climbing on top of the house and chewing on the sides, I don’t think this house will last very long.

The Bottom Line

Cat Scratcher Houses are fabulous for cats to sleep in and play with (Related: Why do they like them so much?). They’re inexpensive, and our cat seems to love spending her time in them, scratching the surface, and even sleeping inside the houses, even without a cat bed.

Though we know these houses won’t last for years if our cat plays and uses them every day, we still think they’re a great toy or place for our cat to enjoy. If your cat doesn’t have a play area or she only has a litter box and bed, these houses will add fun and entertainment for your cat.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive and straightforward way for your cat to have a space of her own without spending too much, these cardboard scratches houses are great additions to the things that can make your cat happy.