So after Pepper has knocked over the ficus three times today because it gets too top heavy, I have decided to throw it away and get a cat tree to put there. It has to be a relatively small base, but I think it would work better for her. The problem is that at PetSmart they are like $200. Are the ones on Ebay okay? They sell for 99 cents, but shipping is a lot... is that something real or not? Or does anyone have any good websites of places that sell them? Thanks for the help. ;)

You just have to read the fine print on that ebay stuff. I bought one on ebay from armarkat (or something) for 30 and it was a TON for shipping. But I got it, put it together in the summer of 2006 and it's still going and here it is in 2008.

I want to get a nicer one, but I'll wait a bit. Armarkat has a good site and if you get what ever their special is you can get free shipping. That way you don't have to 'bid' and go through ebay - which a lot of people are boycotting right now.

We bought our 3 tier from Petsmart for $75, that was almost 5 years ago and it's going just fine with 4 cats. I suppose you just have to catch them at the right time :E

Good luck though.

Some members here have gotten treehouses off Ebay and really like them. Yes you pay for the shipping, but it still works out a little cheaper as long as you are not outbid on the item.

And watch the "small base' treehouses; you need a sturdy base to hold the tree and support a cat running and jumping against it or it will fall over. You need a wider base for it to stay stationary.

OK, I have to admit I made my own cat tree. Out of a tree!

I got a piece of tree trunk about 40 inches long and about 6 inches in diameter. I went to Home Depot and bought 2 pieces of pre-cut 3/4 inch plywood 24 inches square. I used long sheetrock screws and screwed a piece of plywood onto each end of the tree trunk. Then I used a saber saw and cut a hole in the top piece of plywood, so the cats could climb up and through the hole. Then I used a scrap of carpet to cover the top of the top piece of plywood, stapling it in place after wrapping it around the edges.

Pretty? Nah, not so much.

But even if you had to buy the stapler, the saber saw, and a drill (to use as a power screwdriver), you could build the whole thing for less than $100. And the only hard part would be tree trunk.

I just took some pictures. I'll try to add them here later.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/2286019511_ddde17b173.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/2286019621_ed6d7b0093.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2409/2286019567_490e75f0f9.jpg?v=0

I got one off of ebay recently.. See this link: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Deluxe-42-Cat-Tree-Condo-Furniture-BP-5022_W0QQitemZ300201534330QQihZ020QQcategoryZ20740QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZV iewItem

But not from that seller, my shipping was $24.99 and I paid $5 for the tree itself, so $30 is not bad.

It's max holding weight is 25lbs, and it is ok in terms of stability. The top platform isn't too stable, but if you put it in a corner or against something (a window in my case) it's not so bad. They cats like it, but no one has used the "house" at the bottom. I think the house makes it more stable, than it would be with just a flat piece on the bottom. The carpet quality is OK, but not great and the tube isn't big enough for them to get in but I do hide their toys in there.

I wouldn't buy from someone wanting unrealistic shipping... If the item is damaged and you have to return it, they won't refund the shipping, only the "cost", so it wouldn't help you to have paid .99cents for the tree, $99 for the shipping and to get refunded .99cents.

I really like the looks of this one (looks solid and big beds for the cats) but not sure how pricey it is: http://cgi.ebay.com/Cat-Furniture-Condo-Scratchers-Post-Tree-Condos-Trees_W0QQitemZ190200046596QQihZ009QQcategoryZ20740QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZ ViewItem

Art

A funny thing is that we used to occasionally carry whole truck loads of cat furniture from the factory in Phoenix, AZ, to the warehouse in Texas. One time, my wife went in and asked if they'd like to meet our truck kitty, and they said they actually didn't much like cats there, it was just a business for them. Said the owner was allergic to them, I believe.

I too made my own--there are pictures posted under "homemade cat tree" in the forum. Also I built it with no help from the hubby!

Final cost was $30

Leslie

I stumbled across this sometime ago when I was thinking about buying one (I've since decided to put it off until we move and I have a garage to work on it in...that could get interesting in the apartment!): http://www.cattreeplans.com/ How adorable is the one that looks like a tree! ("Plan 3") :clap: And then you can pick the exact color of the carpet to match your decore and also the quality!

Edited to add: Here for free, too! http://feline-furniture.tripod.com/#diy And aren't the curved shelves neat??

I thought I'd post a photo today of the cats enjoying their tree (the one I listed in a link earlier in this thread)... It's a good shot for scale... As you can tell by the photo, the tube and top shelf are quite small. This was right after I got the tree, so yes, the cats were posed :)
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t315/artgecko542/Cat%20pictures/Frazier%20and%20Niles/Cattree1.jpg

i have 2 Armarkat trees. i bought the first one on ebay, the 2nd directly from Armarkat. the ebay one (http://www.armarkat.com/a7101.htm) cost about $20, plus $51 for shipping. the other (http://www.armarkat.com/b3803.htm) cost about $100, with free shipping.

laureen- Do you find that the upper shelves (like on the first one you linked) are pretty sturdy? I was thinking about getting an armarkat for my second tree, but was unsure on how sturdy it would be.

Art

laureen- Do you find that the upper shelves (like on the first one you linked) are pretty sturdy? I was thinking about getting an armarkat for my second tree, but was unsure on how sturdy it would be.

Artthey seem to be... 4 of my 5 get on them, & Pixel weighs about 13 pounds. chip, my 16-pounder, doesn't get up to the top. or at least, i've never seen him there.

By all means buy a cat tree or two! :) We bought ours off of ebay, great huge trees, fast shipping too. But you can keep your cat away from your houseplants using this:
http://www.ssscat.com/english/index.html

My husband built ours. It probably cost the same or more (we had to buy some tools) as buying a premade one. But I have the satisfaction of knowing our tree isn't going to fall over unless a tornado hits. Really. The base is heavy and very sturdy--we have a 17 lb cat who loves to launch off of it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/littleraven7726/Cat%20Tree%20Project/th_finishedtree1.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/littleraven7726/Cat%20Tree%20Project/finishedtree1.jpg)

He was actually a little unhappy with a couple things, so he might make another. And he has plans to make pet steps for up to my dresser (we keep 2 cat beds on our dresser).