I've had this scratcher for over a year and the base, although just cardboard, has held up perfectly. My cats have lost interest in the more expensive sisal and carpet scratchers I've purchased but use this one daily. The toy inside lasted just one day before my cat's tore it out but the scratcher itself has proved durable. The cats enjoy standing on this facing down or up or standing on the floor facing up, letting them scratch from several angles. My only strong complaint is about the availability of refill packs. It took me several weeks to find refills, but they're sold in packs of three with a packet of Cosmic catnip so I bought 2 which will last me a year or more.

Pros: elvated scratching surface, durable, comes with catnip, maintains cat's attention

Cons: refills were difficult to find, cardboard bits on floor