Considering Cat Furniture

nunnc84

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Hi,

I'm considering a tall cat furniture piece for the corner.

In your opinion which is the best brand and why?

What do I need in cat furniture? What should I avoid?

I have a few blank walls. I want the cat furniture to blend in, not take over the room. In your experience what do you recommend, and why?

Please respond with links to purchase items.
 

Joiedumonde

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I'm a fan of Armarkat because it is modular, so if a piece breaks or gets worn out sooner than the rest, it can be replaced rather than replacing the entire cat tree.
 

huxleysmom

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I am also a fan of Armarkat. As a good cat mom, I knew I had to get a cat tree, but I really dreaded getting one as the ones you see in stores are so ugly with their shaggy carpets and stick out in the middle of the room like a sore thumb. I was not convinced when I ordered mine from Amazon, but I liked that it appeared to be cream/white and should not be too bad in my living room. I was actually really happy when I got it. It was easy to assemble, quite sturdy and really blends well with the rest. Huxley loved to sleep on the top platform, and Sophie prefers the cubicle, apart from last night, when she spotted a bug on the ceiling!
 

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LTS3

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A sturdy piece of furniture is a must. You don't want something that is going to topple over and soon your cat jumps on or off it. If you get a tree, see if you can attach it to the wall studs using furniture safety latches.

Look at the construction. I've seen cat trees made with really thin cheap plywood covered with thin cheap carpet that sheds and protruding nails and screws. Obviously cat furniture needs to be safe for your cat to use and to other people in the house, like small children.

I like ArubaCat trees: ARUBACAT - CAT FURNITURE They're expensive but well made and sturdy. I have a 6 foot one. I don't have it attached to the wall since it's super heavy and sturdy and doesn't move when the cats are jumping on and off it like crazy.

Mountain Cat Trees are also sturdy: Handcrafted Cat Scratching Posts & Toys by MountainPetProducts

Cat furniture by CatsPlay - CatsPlay Superstore has a ton of cat furniture.
 

lalagimp

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I've had the best of luck with DoctorsFosterSmith furniture. My cat is so destructive during zoomies, and I know he needs something solid that he can't take down. We have a Kitty Castle that I can't find on their website anymore, and the Amusement Park.
I would never trust Armarkat with this particular guy. He is strong with the Parkour.
 

Boris Diamond

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I have been very happy with Molly and Friends cat furniture. I have one that is six years old and it still looks good and is not wobbly or loose. It is very sturdy and heavy - 99lbs! It does not move when I take a string toy and run the cats up and down it. It was shipped completely assembled. Here is a link to a review I did on this website: Molly and Friends "Tom's Tower" Cat Tree, Model 2432
 

tangers40

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I have and recommend an Armarkat tree as well (you can see it behind my cat in my profile pic!). Cheese does get pretty rambunctious during the zoomies, but the tree is sturdy enough that she does no harm when flying up to the top level suddenly. It does wobble a bit, but has never even come close to falling down. She is about 10 lbs, so YMMV if you have a larger cat.

The faux-sheepskin-fleece covering on the tree is worn in some spots as she prefers scratching the fabric rather than the sisal posts. but it still looks ok.
 

sweetblackpaws

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I like Beatrise pet products. I have some pet stairs that have lasted forever, very sturdy. I also just got a cat tree.

I have also read good things about Kitty Mansions and Molly & Friends.

My cats prefer carpet, they don't like that fleece material, so I look for carpeted furniture.
 

Tobermory

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My local Costco has been carrying extremely well constructed cat trees that have to be more than six feet tall. Heavy, handsome, no possibility of tipping, and a great price for something so large and sturdy at $79. I muscled the thing in my car (thank goodness I have an SUV) and dragged it into the house but discovered that my two 14-year-olds couldn’t get up on the upper circles. They were too stacked on top of each other. Even my four-year-old couldn’t jump from the next-to-highest to the highest. She had to claw her way up. So I dragged the thing back. If your cat or cats are older or have mobility issues, look for something where the sleeping spots are more staggered.
 

sweetblackpaws

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Tobermorey makes an excellent point. I did notice on my researching of trees, that most of them were "stacked" as opposed to "staggered", and I wondered how my fat cats would get from platform to platform.

The larger Kitty Mansions trees have lots of staggered layers, but require assembly and I have trouble putting things together, so I need ones that already come assembled. :ruminating:
 

Tobermory

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I ended up going to all of the pet supply stores in the area to look at cat furniture. I made notes about which ones seemed sturdiest, best for the girls and the space I have, and then went home and looked them up online to check prices. I actually ended up buying from the bricks and mortar Petsmart, but the online price at Petsmart was $30 less than the b&m store! They matched the online price.
 
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nunnc84

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Thanks everyone! This purchase is MUCH in the FUTURE. It never hurts to ask and start looking =)
 
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