Start where the scratching already happens
The best place for a scratching post is rarely the tidy corner you had in mind. It is the place your cat has already chosen. If she works on the arm of the sofa, the side of an upholstered chair, or the carpet at the foot of the stairs, put the post immediately beside that target, close enough that choosing it takes no extra effort. A post in an unused spare room asks a cat to travel for something she does on impulse, and most cats simply keep using the furniture instead.
Sleeping places matter just as much. Cats stretch and scratch within moments of waking, so a post within a paw's reach of a favourite bed, window seat, or sunny rug catches that natural first stretch of the day. Watch for a week where she wakes, where she heads after meals, and which route she takes between rooms, then place the post on that route rather than off it.
Height, stability, and the feel under her claws
Location will not save a post a cat dislikes using. She needs to stretch at full length, so the post should stand taller than she is when she reaches up on her hind legs, and the base must stay planted when she throws her weight against it. A post that rocks or tips once will be treated with suspicion for a long time afterwards, however good the spot is.
Surface matters by cat, not by catalogue. Some cats want a vertical pull against a tightly wrapped fibre surface, others prefer carpet texture, and some scratch horizontally on the floor like they are digging. If your cat scratches rugs and doormats, a flat or gently sloped scratcher by those rugs will beat a tall tower across the room. Matching both the position and the angle to what she already does is the real placement decision.
One post is often not enough territory
In a larger home, or with more than one cat, a single post in the living room leaves most of her territory unserved. A second post near the bedroom sleeping spot and a third near a contested doorway can prevent the early-morning sofa session entirely. Cats also use scratching to leave a visible, scented marker, so posts near entrances to rooms she values are doing social work as well as claw care.
Avoid placing a post right beside the litter tray or food bowls. Most cats keep toileting, eating, and marking activities apart, and a post squeezed into a utility corner beside a tray often goes ignored. Keep it in living space, where she actually spends her waking hours.
Moving a post that is being ignored
If a post sits untouched, move it in stages rather than dragging it to a completely new room. Shift it a short distance every few days toward the sofa arm, sleeping spot, or doorway she favours, and rub a little of her own scent onto it by stroking her cheeks and then the post with the same hand. Never carry her to it and press her paws against it, which teaches her the post is a place where undignified things happen.
Reward use in the moment with calm praise or a small game nearby, and quietly cover or block the old furniture target for a short period while the habit transfers. If she still refuses two different surfaces in two good locations, the post itself, not the address, is probably the problem.
Agreeing the plan at home
Placement fails most often when one person moves the post for tidiness and another keeps redirecting the cat to a spot that no longer exists. Decide the locations together, leave them settled long enough for the habit to form, and note which pieces of furniture you are protecting. KinsLe's Family Sharing keeps your cat's home notes and routines in front of everyone who lives with her, so the post stays where she expects it and the whole household redirects her the same way.