ALERT/UPDATE: MY CAT’S NOSE SWELLED up & become red yesterday after continuing to encourage him to use it for a week now. I don’t want any other cat to get sick from this product, or injured like mine did . 100% indoor cat, no other cats. No changes with food/routine etc. I placed it in his favorite spots where he LOVES to lay hoping he’d use it finally as he LOVES all kinds of cat scratchers. HE WILL NOT EVEN LAY IN THOSE SAME FAVORITE SPOTS anymore because it was ONCE THERE. He avoided it, like the plague, and I saw him jump over it, just to avoid it after several days of having it out. Before purchasing this item, I read all of the alleged positive reviews.. I had previously had been searching for a good two+ hours at cat scratchers here on Amazon and I came across the same seller. I had purchased this mat scratcher not realizing it was from the same seller I was avoiding . They sell other cat scratchers, standing scratchers, & a palm tree scratcher which I almost bought until I read the reviews and watched videos of the items. The upright cat scratchers fall down easily in all of the videos people were posting. Saw kittens & cat getting injured. I saw a kitten get injured while live filming her cat’s first reaction to the palm tree scratcher they sell. It’s dewclaw got stuck & screeched in pain. The palm tree I was highly interested in, but the description said it was for large cats, that it doesn’t tip over. Yet, every single video I watched, it was highly uncertainty and would knock over very easily, even with a small cat. So I looked more, and did not realize this was the same seller that I was trying to avoid. On every item of theirs, I was looking at, I did see a “high return rate “alert from Amazon. This scratch Matt did not have that same morning. ****Today I got an email from the seller about my review and offered me a refund versus going through Amazon so that probably explains why there was no alert that this is a highly returned item! ***** Original review: I had HIGH HOPES! My adult cat absolutely loves loves loves cat scratchers, and I wanted to treat him to another one that does not shred up like cardboard. Was excited to receive this product. Upon 1st opening it, I noted a VERY STRONG, ODD chemical smell. Originally thought it was just the material or needed to air out. I was WRONG. I’m not the type to complain about smells like a lot of reviewers do. Doesn’t bother me at all. BUT THIS ONE DID and gave me a bad headache that I blew off. When it 1st arrived, he came up to it, we’d encourage him to use it. He smelled it & wanted nothing to do with it. After 3 days, he put 1 paw on it, smelled it, backed away & ran into the other room. He’s super smart, smartest cat we’ve ever owned. He physically avoids anything he feels is bad for him. Great senses. I’ve learned to listen to him (he’s 2 1/2 years old. Extremely healthy. Even after 1 week IT’s STILL AS STRONG AS 1st day. I TRIED. IM GLAD some had an allegedly GOOD EXPERIENCE but I’m returning this. I say allegedly because I question some of them. It states it comes with adhesive so you can attach to a wall or elsewhere, but I don’t see how this is possible given that the back of the mat has a slip resistant texture with raised bumps all over the back. People did mention it did not come with adhesive either as advertised so I don’t know if they’re using gorilla glue but there’s no way anything could hold this up. Alien tape could doesn’t work either. Even if it was adhered to a wall or the back of a chair, saw someone posting it that way, it’s not going to last long, given the thickness of it and when scratching even with our own fingernails, gently, it folds up on you. Cats scratch harder and tend to really get into scratching, so it is not plausible to me that this scratch mat would hold up to a good scratching, without folding etc I even rubbed his FAVORITE cat nip on it that he goes WILD for to try to get him to use this after a few days of avoiding it. As soon as he hears the catnip jar, he comes running! He heard the catnip jar open, saw I was putting it on this scratch mat and he walked away as he watched me put it on the mat. He’s just too smart so This completely proves to me there is absolutely something wrong, poisonous, applied to this item. I could put the same cat nip on anything, and he will roll on it & be in heaven. NOPE. NOT THIS TIME. I DO NOT RECOMMEND. I try & find the positives in things. All my reviews are 5 stars unless something is majorly wrong. 4 if good product but flaws/issues. I’m giving it a 2 only because it arrived on time & wasn’t corogated cardboard About me: 46 year old pet owner since I was young. I’m an Emergency room RN & a CCRN. This review is definitely not something I’ve ever written before. I try & find the good in all products & unbiased. My large 2 1/2 year old cat is INDOOR ONLY. Has never been outside (only in a pet carrier for vet exams/vax/neuter in past (has not been out or vaccinated in the psst 8 months in said carrier). Absolutely nothing else in his environment has changed. I have not changed his food, he has not eaten anything besides his food. He does not try to eat people food, he doesn’t even eat bugs. He will swat at them and get my attention so I can get them (taught him not to as a kitten when he attacked a poor lizard that got into the house. They are The native Florida lizards.. He Is very healthy, has zero health issues,. He does have a lot of energy and loves to play but after having this mat, there’s just something really off about him.