The present invention is constructed to specifically protect furniture and building corners from the scratching of cats and to be free standing. The vertical members can be fastened rigidly or hinged. Joining the vertical members with hinges allows for increased versatility, in that, the invention can be used in multiple phases of the cat's development. The present invention, when hinged, has two key positions: 1). upright and angular--which serves to protect the corner of a piece of furniture and 2). upright and monolithic, with the vertical panels back-to-back--which serves as an independent cat scratching post that can be positioned away from furniture.