Cat Tree

I have never had a cat tree for my cats, and I have owned cats for over 20 years. But after all this time I am considering getting one. Why should I have one, what benefits does it give my cats. I do have one cat Simon who would benefit from increasing his activity level. I have been making it more of a priority to play with them everyday. But will a cat tree help increase their activity when I'm not home? Also what is the best kind to get? There are quite a few to chose from. And is higher better? I have a younger cat who is very active, then a older cat who needs to be more active. Thanks for you help.

Laurie

I too have had cats for ever it seems like.I had never had a cat tree for them before. Hubby built a nice 3 level one for mine last winter. They absolutely Love it! If you have a older cat that is less agile just make sure it has a lower level that is easy for him to get up on. Its hard for me to recomend what type you should get. Make sure it has a wide base so its not at all tippy.
Mine do get alot more exercise as there up and down it all the time playing with each other. They love being able to lay on the higher levels and look out the window. I'd go look at some in pet stores to get a idea fo what types they have. Some people I know have had good luck buying them on ebay. But these you do have to put together yourself.

I've been thinking about getting a cat tree, too. My problem is that I can't really find a style that I want to buy. I'm partial the larger trees so I'm looking for something that is pretty wide as well as being tall. I only have an apartment right now and don't have space but when I do get a house I'd like to devote an entire bedroom (or something) to place cat trees and runs in.

Bryan

I think a cat tree would be great for your cats!

Its not only important that they have space to run around and play on the ground, but vertical space for them is also beneficial, as cats like to be up higher - and of course they'd definately enjoy a nice cat tree to perch on once in awhile!

Have you checked out www.spoilmykitty.com? They have wonderful cat trees, many different hights and styles for your kitties needs!

Good luck finding a good tree for them, they will love it!

I'm wanting to get one too but I'm running out of space in my apartment. I saw one on ebay I'd like to have. And with a little creative organizing I think I can find the space for it. However it was on ebay and the seller had 100 bucks to ship it to me! But the price for the actual tree was only $10.oo... So I don't think so! I think when I get the money I'm going to buy one on the spoilmykitty site. It's shorter than the one on ebay but it's in my price range and I think he will enjoy it.

Originally Posted by russ0268

I have never had a cat tree for my cats, and I have owned cats for over 20 years. But after all this time I am considering getting one. Why should I have one, what benefits does it give my cats. I do have one cat Simon who would benefit from increasing his activity level. I have been making it more of a priority to play with them everyday. But will a cat tree help increase their activity when I'm not home? Also what is the best kind to get? There are quite a few to chose from. And is higher better? I have a younger cat who is very active, then a older cat who needs to be more active. Thanks for you help.

Laurie

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My cats love their cat trees and stuff. I used to have one that went all the way to the ceiling but it was cheaply made and when my cats got to playing real hard sometimes they would run and jump on it and hit it so hard it would fall over. I decided that before it did any major damage I had better get rid of it. It's great exercise for them and they love lieing on the top shelves and looking out the window. As you can see in the photo, they get good use out of the scratching surfaces too.

Originally Posted by SchwarzeKatz

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Thats quite the set up you have there! Very lucky kitties!

Originally Posted by babyharley

Thats quite the set up you have there! Very lucky kitties!

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Thanks. Ya, they seem to be pretty happy. They're only slightly spoiled.

Of all the cat trees that I have, mine have preference for flat platforms that have a slight wall around them. Second favorite is a curved platform. It is rare when I see them inside boxes built into cat trees.

They love the tall posts to scratch on. They love tall platforms that they lay on and look down on their domain, and they love them by windows where they can look out on the world.

Originally Posted by SchwarzeKatz

My cats love their cat trees and stuff. I used to have one that went all the way to the ceiling but it was cheaply made and when my cats got to playing real hard sometimes they would run and jump on it and hit it so hard it would fall over. I decided that before it did any major damage I had better get rid of it.

It's great exercise for them and they love lieing on the top shelves and looking out the window. As you can see in the photo, they get good use out of the scratching surfaces too.

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So I have to ask - do all your rooms look like this!?!?!?!? If so, I'm jealous!!

Originally Posted by Momofmany

So I have to ask - do all your rooms look like this!?!?!?!? If so, I'm jealous!!

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LOL, no, the living room actually has people furniture.

Question: what do your cats use for a scratching post now if you don't have a cattree?

It gives them a fun place to play and run up/down and a good look out (and safe) perch for bird or dog watching. They also will use it as a sturdy scratching post.

If your cats have never used one, it might be a good idea to put some catnip on it to attract them. I discovered that if older cats have never really seen/used one, they don't get the idea of scratching very quickly.

For example, my rex knew and used the treehouse because he was raised with one as a kitten (even tho we didn't have one for several years). Our barn kitty, Ling, never saw or used a post till we moved. She sits on top to watch out the window but never seems to use it much for scratching. She likes the flat cardboard ones.

When we get our ocicat kitten, I'm sure he will use it and then maybe Ling will get the idea too

Babyharley,

I love your set up (am jealous). We only have a single tree with 2 shelves, and basket on top.

I see you have a dog . With your feeders in the corner (water/food)? How do you keep the dog from helping himself to the food?

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I see you have a dog

. With your feeders in the corner (water/food)? How do you keep the dog from helping himself to the food?

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I'm not babyharley but I think you meant this question for me.

The feeder has a timer; there isn't food in the dish all the time.

How stable are most cat trees? My worry in getting one has always been that when my cat jumped up on it, the tree might topple over on her. Is that me just being paranoid or is it best to bolt them down with something?

Originally Posted by SchwarzeKatz

My cats love their cat trees and stuff. I used to have one that went all the way to the ceiling but it was cheaply made and when my cats got to playing real hard sometimes they would run and jump on it and hit it so hard it would fall over. I decided that before it did any major damage I had better get rid of it.

It's great exercise for them and they love lieing on the top shelves and looking out the window. As you can see in the photo, they get good use out of the scratching surfaces too.

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SchwarzeKatz,
Is that 3 trees set up together? They look like the ideal mixture to me.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

Of all the cat trees that I have, mine have preference for flat platforms that have a slight wall around them. Second favorite is a curved platform. It is rare when I see them inside boxes built into cat trees.

They love the tall posts to scratch on. They love tall platforms that they lay on and look down on their domain, and they love them by windows where they can look out on the world.

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Momofmany,
I agree with you about the little house things on the trees. I have a fairly tall tree in this house with one little box house and a shorter one in MIL's house with two little box houses and they pretty much are never used.

I say you want height, platforms and good stability.

Don't be afraid to ask questions before purchasing a tree. You want a tree made of good solid materials. I know they can be very heavy, but that's a good thing when it comes to cat trees. You probably also want the ability to be able to tighten up loose nuts and bolts over time because the cats can really give a tree a workout.

Originally Posted by tru

SchwarzeKatz,
Is that 3 trees set up together?

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Yep, sure is.

Wow, thanks for all the input on the cat trees. I guess I'm not alone in not having one. I am probably going to make my own, I found some that I really like but they are quite pricy. But the design is very natural, in that it uses really tree trunks. It has a very sleek look and would look great anywhere. But all the comments have been very helpful and will help me to produce a cat tree that both me and my cats will enjoy for years to come.

Laurie