As a long time cat owner I have learned that having a cat tree of some sort is an absolute must. Before we ever had one, our furniture suffered terribly and small scratching posts were not enough to distract the cats from it. From the moment we gave the cats their own furniture, a cat tree with shelves for watching out the window and posts for scratching on every level, they totally ignored our furniture. I have berated myself for the previous years of furniture damage, pre-tree, and we will never be without one again.
The main selling points of this tree for me are:
⢠The extra shelf area afforded by the second row shelves that extend past the base. This gives a lot more play, lounging, etc. area in a multi-cat house. I even use that area now for feeding as well.
⢠Large perches. We have large (Maine Coon) cats and need perches they can actually use.
⢠Large sized condo. Our previous cat tree, though very nicely made, had an upright 13" diameter cylindrical condo with a shelf half way up. Our cats could never use it, they did not even fit in. This was a deal breaker for any cat tree I compared while shopping this time. Now with a large enough house both cats use it frequently.
⢠Interesting and varied play and perch areas.
⢠Stability. I was skeptical while building it that the height and the extending second row shelves would make it easy to tip but have been very happily surprised that this is a very sturdy design and even with large cats bouncing around on it, I have not had to worry about tip-overs.
⢠All posts are sisal covered. This is a great selling point for me. Our previous cat tree had some sisal and some carpet covered posts. The carpet was torn up more quickly than the sisal and started looking ratty even though they seemed to prefer to scratch the sisal more. Granted, sisal eventually will shred as well but I have found it is not so onerous to re-wrap sisal posts with new rope.
Questionable points:
⢠This may be too large for some people but I would still recommend it for anyone that can manage to fit it into their homes.
⢠The hammock may be very attractive to some cats but ours have not been interested in it. This has not been a problem as I just saved that cylinder condo from the old cat tree, took the shelf out and lay it horizontal in place of the hammock. That cylinder, in a horizontal position, no shelf taking up room, and open on both ends, is actually large enough for the cats to crawl through. They love the two doors, now on top, to squeeze, peek, and play through.
⢠Our old cat tree was covered in carpet which not only gave some padding for more comfort but also was very durable. I put a little cushion inside the condo to make it more comfortable so mostly that is not a huge issue. I have never had faux fur covered cat furniture before so will have to learn how durable it is as a surface. So far (after only a couple of months) it is showing no signs of wear. Our previous carpet covered tree lasted about 8-9 years, though it was starting to get a bit ratty looking toward the end.
In General
This is a very nicely designed cat tree. It was easy to assemble and came with a little wrench for tightening it up. I had my sons help hold things together till screws were set but it was not necessary. They both just wanted to help build it so much and it turned out to be a fun if short family project. It was wider than I expected with the two shelves that stick out on each side. I had mostly gone by the base size and figured it would fit where our old cat tree sat based on that.
We have a smallish living room so it takes up some room but no more than a large reclined chair in floor area. To make up for how much room it takes, it is extremely fun for the cats, giving them a lot of perching and scratch post area. We have it sitting next to a large window so they use it constantly, not only for play but also to hang out on and watch the world. They have loved it since I put it up.
It was a tight fit because of my measuring error but once I managed to fit it into the space needed, I have been very pleased with the extra shelf area on the first level up, as it gives the cats more room and also allows us to feed them there. With a new kitten this has been useful in being able to feed each cat on its own shelf and avoid altercations as they learn how to get along together. Feeding on the cat tree is a new thing for us but I am thrilled with being able to have a central location for both their play and feeding. I do not water them there, however, both because our cats have always wanted to drink in the bathroom sink (we have had to keep a water bowl on the counter to accommodate this) and because I worried about water spills during play. A few crunchies scattered around, if it happens, is not nearly so messy."..." Read more
- Pela in Montana