This great cat scratcher CAN last 1 YEAR !  I position Dusty's scratcher against the sofa so he can only scratch on 1 side, for him each side lasts 2 months so you have 6 months and then for the next 6 months rotate it so that the areas less scratched can be used for 2 months per side !  I have been buying these scratchers for over 5 years.