How to encourage cats to use scratching post?

[saltedcaramelicious]

My parents are adopting two rescue cats today both aged 3/4 years. Scratching post has been purchased, how exactly can they help cats use the bloody thing and not the stairs/sofa like previous cats?
Any tips greatly appreciated!

I just kept saying 'ah ah' in a loud voice when they a ratchet si ethics they shouldn't, then placed their paws on tge scratching post and praised them.

didn't take long x

*scratched something

I've given up on the stairs - wrapped scratch mats around the newel posts top and bottom as soon as we moved in, the cat having whittled the previous ones away to twigs. One cat in particular, stairs are just his thing. Given up on the sofas too tbh, but I'll be employing the above method when we get new ones.

I will placed his paws on it and also put dreamies on top of it to encourage him to investigate it and to reach up it with his paws. It worked, he uses it all the time

Catnip?
Pull string over post to get them trying their claws out on it?
Put them on it whenever they scratch?
Water pistol whenever they scratch somewhere you don't want them to?

Catnip spray and dangly toys on string attached to it?

The Dreamies on top are a good idea, never thought of that.

Tell them not to scratch the posts. They'll instantly become obsessed with them.

indeed