This is a very big no no for a cat. Very unsafe. Just look at my photos! This is not the traditional jute found on most cat scratching posts. It's almost like plastic horse hair, very rough.  There are staples all around the post. I've never seen a post like this and certainly wouldn't have bought it if I saw it in person. The top of the jute is peeling away from the post.  This is how it looked when I removed it from the box. 
I just tried to return and what a circus. I have to pay to return a broken item or I can get a 25% refund. Wow. Very disappointed with this purchase. This was a birthday present for my boy.