Way to go! It sounds like the new kitty was, indeed, dumped. My significant other came home one day with a 9 month old kitten that followed her to her car. She canvassed the neighborhood in Chicago where she had parked and was informed that the people that the cat belonged to had moved four days previous. She fed the cat in the bathroom for several days and found her a great home, where she is queen of the domain (there was an existing older cat and they got along fine from the start). Sisel Twine works well as a cat scratching post. (Like bailing twine if you're familiar with old farm stuff). My singing partner, Margaret, made a post from wrapping some bulk twine (real cheap) around a scrap board (free)and hanging it from a nail in the wall about two feet off the floor. Her cats love it. You can get versions from pet stores for a lot more.