It seems that perhaps your new kitten prefers a horizontal surface to a vertical one. For some reason, some cats have preferences. My suggestion is to get some sort of horizontal scratcher; Blue likes to use the cardboard one that sits on the floor and is kinda - well, wavy, I guess is the word. Get something like that and sprinkle cat nip onto it; that might help the kitten to learn. Good luck - and let us know how things progress!